' ▁before ▁a ▁v owel . ▁ 2 ▁Initial ▁ ▁is ▁only ▁found ▁in ▁eastern ▁dialect s ▁in ▁words ▁that ▁are ▁pron ounced ▁with ▁ ▁elsewhere . ▁ 3 ▁The ▁tr ill ▁is ▁very ▁rare ▁and ▁mainly ▁used ▁in ▁P ali ▁and ▁some ▁English ▁loan ▁words , ▁sometimes ▁as ▁a ▁gli de ▁in ▁initial ▁con son ant ▁clusters . ▁ ▁Many ▁Sh ans ▁find ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁pron ounce ▁, ▁often ▁pron oun cing ▁it ▁. ▁ ▁V ow els ▁and ▁di ph th ongs ▁ ▁Sh an ▁has ▁ten ▁v ow els ▁and ▁ 1 3 ▁di ph th ongs : ▁ ▁Sh an ▁has ▁less ▁v owel ▁complexity ▁than ▁Th ai , ▁and ▁Sh an ▁people ▁learning ▁Th ai ▁have ▁difficulties ▁with ▁sounds ▁such ▁as ▁" ia ," ▁" ua ," ▁and ▁" ue a " ▁. ▁Tri ph th ongs ▁are ▁absent . ▁Sh an ▁has ▁no ▁system atic ▁distinction ▁between ▁long ▁and ▁short ▁v ow els ▁characteristic ▁of ▁Th ai . ▁ ▁T ones ▁ ▁Sh an ▁has ▁ph on em ic ▁contrast s ▁among ▁the ▁t ones ▁of ▁sy ll ables . ▁There ▁are ▁five ▁to ▁six ▁ton emes ▁in ▁Sh an , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁dialect . ▁The ▁sixth ▁tone ▁is ▁only ▁spoken ▁in ▁the ▁north ; ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁it ▁is ▁only ▁used ▁for ▁emphas is . ▁ ▁Con tr ast ive ▁t ones ▁in ▁un checked ▁sy ll ables ▁ ▁The ▁table ▁below ▁presents ▁six ▁ph on em ic ▁t ones ▁in ▁un checked ▁sy