Comparing the functions of the word OK in English, Vietnamese and Thai

Abstract

Although the word OK is widely used throughout the world, there are differences in its functions depending on the culture of each society and language. The research results, based on surveys of several Vietnamese and Thai works, show that in Vietnamese and Thai, OK means consent which reflects personality, that is, both Thai and Vietnamese people often indicate their agreement and acceptance with interlocutor’s statement rather than expressing disagreement or criticism. However, in English, this word has two special roles  asserting one’s viewpoint and concluding a conversation, that are not commonly used in conversation because it is considered impolite. Moreover, English speakers do not employ OK repeatedly like Thai speakers while Thai people prefer to use OK repeatedly to show speaker’s enthusiasm.