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
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
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 phonemes
|
Labial
|
Alveolar
|
Palatal
|
Velar
|
Glottal
|
plain
|
lab.
|
plain
|
lab.
|
plain
|
lab.
|
plain
|
lab.
|
Plosive
|
voiced
|
b
|
d
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
voiceless
|
p
|
t
|
|
tɕ
|
tɕʷ
|
k
|
kʷ
|
ʔ
|
ʔʷ
|
aspirated
|
pʰ
|
tʰ
|
tʷʰ
|
|
|
kʰ
|
kʷʰ
|
|
|
Fricative
|
f
|
s
|
sʷ
|
|
|
|
|
h
|
|
Nasal
|
m
|
n
|
|
ɲ
|
|
ŋ
|
ŋʷ
|
|
|
Approximant
|
ʋ
|
l
|
lʷ
|
j
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vowels
Short vowel phonemes
|
Front
|
Central
|
Back
|
unr.
|
rnd.
|
Diphthongs
|
iə̯
|
ɨə̯ ~ ɯə̯
|
uə̯
|
Monophthongs
|
Close
|
i
|
ɨ ~ ɯ
|
u
|
Close-mid
|
e
|
ə ~ ɤ
|
o
|
Open-mid
|
ɛ
|
|
|
ɔ
|
Open
|
|
a
|
|
|
Long vowel phonemes
|
Front
|
Central
|
Back
|
unr.
|
rnd.
|
Diphthongs
|
iːə̯
|
ɨːə̯ ~ ɯːə̯
|
uːə̯
|
Monophthongs
|
Close
|
iː
|
ɨː ~ ɯː
|
uː
|
Close-mid
|
eː
|
əː ~ ɤː
|
oː
|
Open-mid
|
ɛː
|
|
|
ɔː
|
Open
|
|
aː
|
|
|
Videos
Lao Online Virtual Keyboard