Editing Language/Lao/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation

[[File:Laos-Timeline-PolyglotClub.png|thumb]]

Lao or Laotian (autonym: ພາສາລາວ, /pʰaː˦.saː˨˦.laːw˦/), sometimes referred to as Laotian is spoken in Laos and northeast Thailand. It is a language of the Tai group, of the so-called Kam-Tai branch of the Tai-Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos. Like other Tai languages, Lao is a tonal language and has a complex system of relational markers.

==Alphabet==
===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable"
!Letter
!Name
!IPA for initial
!IPA for final
|-
|ກ
|ກ ໄກ່
|/k/
|/k/
|-
|ຂ
|ຂ ໄຂ່
|/kʰ, x/
|/k/
|-
|ຄ
|ຄ ຄວາຍ
|/kʰ, x/
|/k/
|-
|ງ
|ງ ງົວ, ໂງ່
|/ŋ/
|/ŋ/
|-
|ຈ
|ຈ ຈອກ
|/tɕ/
|/t/
|-
|ສ
|ສ ເສືອ
|/s/
|/t/
|-
|ຊ
|ຊ ຊ້າງ
|/s/
|/t/
|-
|ຍ
|ຍ ຍຸງ
|/ɲ/
|/j/
|-
|ດ
|ດ ເດັກ
|/d/
|/t/
|-
|ຕ
|ຕ ຕາ
|/t/
|/t/
|-
|ຖ
|ຖ ຖົງ
|/tʰ/
|/t/
|-
|ທ
|ທ ທຸງ
|/tʰ/
|/t/
|-
|ນ
|ນ ນົກ
|/n/
|/n/
|-
|ບ
|ບ ແບ້
|/b/
|/p/
|-
|ປ
|ປ ປາ
|/p/
|
|-
|ຜ
|ຜ ເຜິ້ງ
|/pʰ/
|/p/
|-
|ຝ
|ຝ ຝົນ
|/f/
|/p/
|-
|ພ
|ພ ພູ
|/pʰ/
|/p/
|-
|ຟ
|ຟ ໄຟ
|/f/
|
|-
|ມ
|ມ ແມວ
|/m/
|/m/
|-
|ຢ
|ຢ ຢາ
|/j/
|
|-
|ຣ
|ຣ ຣົຖ, ຣະຄັງ
|/r/,/l/
|/n/
|-
|ລ
|ລ ລີງ
|/l/
|/n/
|-
|ວ
|ວ ວີ
|/ʋ/,/w/
|/w/
|-
|ຫ
|ຫ ຫ່ານ
|/h/
|
|-
|ຫ
|ຫ ຫ່ານ
|/h/
|
|-
|ອ
|ອ ໂອ
|/ʔ/
|
|-
|ຮ
|ຮ ເຮືອນ
|/h/
|
|}

===Vowels===

{| class="wikitable"
!Diacritic
!IPA
|-
|◌ະ, ັ
|/a/
|-
|ິ
|/i/
|-
|ຶ
|/ɯ/
|-
|ຸ
|/u/
|-
|ເ◌ະ, ເັ
|/e/
|-
|ແ◌ະ, ແັ
|/ɛ/
|-
|ໂ◌ະ, ົ
|/o/
|-
|ເ◌າະ, ັອ
|/ɔ/
|-
|ເິ
|/ɤ/
|-
|◌າ
|/aː /
|-
|ີ
|/iː /
|-
|ື
|/ɯː /
|-
|ູ
|/uː /
|-
|ເ◌
|/eː/
|-
|ແ◌
|/ɛː/
|-
|ໂ◌
|/oː/
|-
|ໍ, ◌ອ
|/ɔː/
|-
|ເີ
|/ɤː/
|-
|ເັຍະ, ັຽ
|/iə/
|-
|ເືອ
|/ɯə/
|-
|ົວະ, ັວ
|/uə/
|-
|ໄ◌, ໃ◌, ັຍ
|/aj/
|-
|ເົາ
|/aw/
|-
|-
|ເ◌ຍ, ◌ຽ
|/iːə/
|-
|ເືອ
|/ɯːə/
|-
|ົວ, ◌ວ
|/uːə/
|-
|◌າຍ
|/aːj/
|-
|ຳ
|/am/
|-
|໌
|∅
|}


== Phonology ==

===Consonant===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |Labial
! colspan="2" |Alveolar
! colspan="2" |Palatal
! colspan="2" |Velar
! colspan="2" |Glottal
|-
!plain
!lab.
!plain
!lab.
!plain
!lab.
!plain
!lab.
|-
! rowspan="3" |Plosive
!<small>voiced</small>
|b
|d
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>voiceless</small>
|p
|t
|
|tɕ
|tɕʷ
|k
|kʷ
|ʔ
|ʔʷ
|-
!<small>aspirated</small>
|pʰ
|tʰ
|tʷʰ
|
|
|kʰ
|kʷʰ
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |Fricative
|f
|s
|sʷ
|
|
|
|
|h
|
|-
! colspan="2" |Nasal
|m
|n
|
|ɲ
|
|ŋ
|ŋʷ
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |Approximant
|ʋ
|l
|lʷ
|j
|
|
|
|
|
|}

=== Vowels ===
====Short====
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |Front
! rowspan="2" |Central
! colspan="2" |Back
|-
!unr.
!rnd.
|-
! colspan="2" |Diphthongs
|iə̯
| colspan="2" |ɨə̯ ~ ɯə̯
|uə̯
|-
! rowspan="4" |Monophthongs
!Close
|i
| colspan="2" |ɨ ~ ɯ
|u
|-
!Close-mid
|e
| colspan="2" |ə ~ ɤ
|o
|-
!Open-mid
|ɛ
|
|
|ɔ
|-
!Open
|
|a
|
|
|}

====Long====
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |Front
! rowspan="2" |Central
! colspan="2" |Back
|-
!unr.
!rnd.
|-
! colspan="2" |Diphthongs
|iːə̯
| colspan="2" |ɨːə̯ ~ ɯːə̯
|uːə̯
|-
! rowspan="4" |Monophthongs
!Close
|iː
| colspan="2" |ɨː ~ ɯː
|uː
|-
!Close-mid
|eː
| colspan="2" |əː ~ ɤː
|oː
|-
!Open-mid
|ɛː
|
|
|ɔː
|-
!Open
|
|aː
|
|
|}

==Videos==
<youtube>o4Q12qNTMlM</youtube>

==Lao Online Virtual Keyboard==
__NOCACHE__<include iframe src='https://polyglotclub.com/keyboard.php?souscat_url=lao' height='900px' frameborder='0' scrolling='yes' />

[[Category:Alphabet-and-Pronunciation]]