เหล็ก
lèk/lek̚˨˩/
The English phrase 'iron' translates to เหล็ก (lèk) in Thai.
In Thai, เหล็ก refers to the chemical element iron (Fe) or something made of iron.
Meaning: to pass an iron over clothing (verb)
Which one should you use?
For the physical appliance used to smooth clothes, Thai uses เตารีด.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to express the specific action of ironing clothes, it is most natural to use the compound verb รีดผ้า, where ผ้า means cloth.
How do you pronounce it?
lèk
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the word for the metal, เหล็ก (lèk), when they actually mean the verb 'to iron' clothes, which is รีด (rîit).
Did you know?
- Because เหล็ก sounds like เล็ก (lék), which means 'small', a slight change in tone completely changes the meaning from a heavy metal to a tiny size.
- In Thai, the word เหล็ก (lèk) is used in the phrase ใจเหล็ก (jai-lèk), which literally means 'iron heart' to describe someone with immense willpower or toughness.
- The verb to iron, รีด (rîit), is also used in Thai to describe the process of squeezing or extracting juice from fruit.
Examples in context
- คุณสามารถใช้เหล็กทำสิ่งต่าง ๆ ได้You can use iron to make various things.
Example conversation
Kanokwan and Chonlasit are preparing for a formal party.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanชลสิทธิ์ ช่วยรีดเหล็กเสื้อให้ฉันหน่อยได้ไหมchonlasit chuay rit lek suea hai chan noi dai maiChonlasit, could you please iron the shirt for me?
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitได้ครับ แต่ว่าเตารีดมันยังไม่ร้อนเลยdai krap tae wa tao rit man yang mai ron loeiYes, but the iron isn't hot yet.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanรอสักครู่แล้วค่อยรีดเหล็กให้ฉันนะro sak khru laeo khoi rit lek hai chan naWait a moment, then iron it for me.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitตกลงครับ ฉันจะทำเดี๋ยวนี้tok long krap chan cha tham diao niAlright, I will do it right now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry เหล็ก, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
