The distributive marker (ทีละ)

Step-by-Step Actions with ทีละ

When you want to describe doing something "one by one" or "step by step," Thai uses the distributive marker ทีละ.

at a time / by (e.g., one by one)
ทีละ

Place ทีละ right before a noun or classifier to divide up the action. For example, ทีละ + คำ (word) means "word by word."

Analyzing Text

Apply this pattern to structures like บรรทัด (line) or ย่อหน้า (paragraph) to show you are working through a document sequentially.

Lists and Increments

Combine ทีละ with ข้อ (item/point) to tackle items on a list.

You can also use it to describe gradual progress. Pairing it with นิด (a little) means "little by little," and ขั้นตอน (step) means "step by step."