Thai, the official language of Thailand, is a member of the Tai-Kadai language family. It is tonal and analytic, with a complex orthography and phonology. According to the eLinguistics.net analysis using specific software modules to assess linguistic relationships, the five languages most similar to Thai are Lao, Shan, Cantonese, Burmese, and Mandarin.
- Lao (79.4)
Primarily spoken in the country of Laos, just to the north of Thailand, it is no surprise Lao makes this list. These languages have a high degree of mutual intelligibility due to their similar tonal systems, grammatical structures, and extensive shared vocabulary. They have influenced each other through their close geographical proximity. - Shan (77.9)
Spoken in Myanmar, Shan shares many phonological and syntactic features with Thai. Both languages have similar vowel and consonant systems and use tones to distinguish meaning. The Shan people have historical and ethnic ties with the Tai groups, leading to significant linguistic convergence. - Cantonese (31.9)
While Cantonese and Thai are from different language families, they share tonal qualities and some lexical similarities due to historical Chinese influence in the region. Trade and migration have resulted in linguistic borrowing, particularly in vocabulary related to commerce, cuisine, and technology. - Burmese (26.2)
Burmese is the official language of Myanmar. It is a country to the west of Thailand. Burmese and Thai are both tonal languages. Despite belonging to different families, their tonal nature and some shared vocabulary. Historical interactions through trade and conquest have led to linguistic exchanges between them. - Mandarin (24.5)
Mandarin is the official language of China. It is yet another Sino-Tibetan language on this list. Mandarin has influenced Thai, especially in modern and technical vocabulary. The significant Chinese-Thai population has facilitated cultural and linguistic blending, incorporating elements of the Chinese language into Thai.
(to be considered for the list, the language must be spoken by at least one million people)