Phuket Pronunciation: How to pronounce Phuket, Thailand
Phuket is one of the most popular parts of Thailand to visit, and for good reason, it’s an incredible place.
But the name is a little tricky. Many people struggle to use the correct Phuket pronunciation.
It is one of the harder Thai destinations to pronounce, and some attempts can sound pretty rude!
Luckily for you, I am a full-time traveller and a lot of my blog content is focused around Thailand, so I am here to provide a guide to teach you how to pronounce Phuket.
It’s important that you learn to pronounce it correctly, otherwise, you might get some funny looks during your trip to Thailand, particularly from the locals.
But aside from that, you’ll want to pronounce it correctly anyway, right?
So without further ado, let’s get right into the correct Phuket pronunciation.
Phuket Pronunciation
Phuket is pronounced as “poo-ket”. And that sounds exactly how it looks. “Poo” as in, well, poo. “Ket” as in the first half of kettle.
It definitely isn’t pronounced anything that sounds like an explicit! Many people incorrectly pronounce it as “fu**-it”, which is so wrong. Some people get a little closer and pronounce it as “foo-ket”, which is closer, but still wrong.
As I said, the correct pronunciation is “poo-ket”. Which, to be fair, some people may still find to be quite funny.
If you do pronounce Phuket wrong, don’t worry, people will understand where you are referring to and understand you mean the famous Thai island, but they might just have a little giggle first.
Phuket is a place that has lots of misperceptions. I bet you didn’t know you could surf in Phuket?!
You may wish to watch YouTube videos of Thai natives pronouncing Phuket so you can get a real grasp of how to properly say the island’s name.
Thais may pronounce Phuket ever so slightly differently, with the “k” sounding slightly like a “g” but not completely. And the “t” is sometimes really subtle, almost left off but not entirely. It’s hard to explain, that’s why most people stick with “poo-ket”.
If you are wondering, Phuket town is pronounced the same way.
To summarise one more time, Phuket is not pronounced “fu**-it” or “foo-ket”, the correct Phuket pronunciation is “poo-ket”.
Other Thai Pronunciations
If you are backpacking Thailand or visiting more than one destination in the country, you might need to learn how to pronounce some of the other towns and cities in Thailand. Like Phuket, some aren’t pronounced as you might think.
The most popular is probably the Phi Phi islands. Many people incorrectly pronounce the group of islands as the “fee-fee” islands.
It’s actually pronounced as “pee-pee“, so it ends up being funnier to say than Phuket!
Another common mispronunciation is Krabi. Most people will say it as “crabby”, which is totally understandable as that is how it would be pronounced in English.
But in Thailand, Krabi is pronounced as “gra-bee”.
Some people even pronounce Thailand itself wrongly. Thailand is pronounced as “tie-land”, but “thigh-land”, make sure you get that one right before your trip.
If you are flying into Bangkok, the chances are you are flying into Suvarnabhumi Airport. It’s one of the most intimidating places to pronounce in Thailand. I didn’t even know where to begin until I was taught how to pronounce it.
The airport is pronounced as “Su-wan-na-poom”, which is quite easy once you say it a few times over and over.
Most other places in Thailand will sound as they look, or at least pretty similar.
These are some of the most commonly mispronounced Thai destinations.
What language do they speak in Thailand?
In Thailand, the official language is Thai. It’s a tonal language that’s very different from English and other languages you might be familiar with like French or Spanish.
The Thai alphabet is completely different. It consists of 44 consonants, 15 vowels and 4 tone marks. It’s quite unique!
Thai is pretty difficult to learn, but if you are visiting Thailand for any period of time, it’s worth taking some Thai language classes.
Not only is it educational, but it’s a really immersive experience and allows you to get an even more authentic experience in Thailand. Learning Thai is really rewarding.
It’s a key activity on most Thailand backpacking tours‘ itineraries, which just shows how great of a thing to do it is.
Useful phrases to learn before visiting Phuket
Before visiting Thailand, you might want to learn some basic phrases before your trip. Not only is it polite and allows you to get by, but the locals really appreciate the effort you make.
Don’t worry, a large majority of people in Thailand do speak English, but you attempting to speak Thai will mean a lot to the locals.
So here are 10 useful phrases you’ll want to pick up before heading to Thailand:
| Thai | English |
|---|---|
| sa-wat-dii | Hello |
| kop-khun | Thank you |
| chai | Yes |
| mai chai | No |
| pord | Please |
| jur gan | Goodbye |
| sabai dee mai | How are you? |
| kho thot kha | Excuse me |
| chan mai khao jai | I don’t understand |
| raa-ka tao-rai | How much does it cost? |
Learning these phrases will help you get by in Thailand and allow you to make basic conversations.
Phuket Pronunciation: FAQ
Below are some questions related to the correct Phuket pronunciation along with my answers.
The province in Thailand is pronounced, “poo-ket”. All other pronunciations, although funny, are incorrect.
You pronounce the Phuket province as “poo-ket”. Many people say Phuket incorrectly, but the right way to pronounce it is as “poo-ket”.
Thai people pronounce Phuket as “poo-ket” with some accents having the “k” sound like a “g” and having a very soft “t” on the end as opposed to a hard “t”. If you are visiting Thailand, it’s easier to pronounce Phuket as “poo-ket”. Any other pronunciations like “foo-ket” are incorrect.
Phuket is pronounced as “poo-ket”. Both “fu**-it” and “foo-ket” are incorrect ways to pronounce the Thai island.
Phuket is a Thai island. If you are visiting Phuket, you are visiting Phuket which is part of Thailand. It would be the same as visiting New York which is part of the US. You are visiting a place, Phuket, in Thailand.
Phuket Pronunciation: Conclusion
And there you have it, a complete guide to the correct Phuket pronunciation.
Remember, it is pronounced as “poo-ket”.
Any other pronunciations such as “fu**-it” or “foo-ket” are wrong and should be avoided at all costs despite how funny they may be to say.
Hopefully, you have learnt the correct Phuket pronunciation and feel well-equipped for your trip to this wonderful part of Thailand.
Enjoy your trip! 🙂
