Lao Writing System: kaang Consonants

KaaN/Middle Class Consonants

As mentioned previously, the consonants of the Lao alphabet are grouped into three classes. These are called the kaaN [Middle], su4uN [High], and ta#m [Low] consonant classes. The tone of a syllable is partially determined by the class of the initial consonant. It is therefore important to know the class of the initial consonant. The other factors that govern the tone of the syllable are discussed in the Introduction to the High Class Consonants page.

(Click here to review Lao Vowels)

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE CLASS OF THE INITIAL CONSONANT? Answer!

You will first learn to read smoth/live syllables which begin with a kaaN consonant. There are 8 kaaN consonants in all. They are:

Consonant:	ກ	ຈ	ດ	ຕ	ບ	ປ	ຢ	ອ
IPA transcription	kOO	cOO	dOO	tOO	bOO	pOO	yOO	?OO

Note that none of these consonants are aspirated (pronounced with a puff of air). Also "t" and "p" are voiceless (no vibration of the vocal cords).

(The letter ອ, ?OO is considered a consonant for reasons which will become clear as we proceed.)

Look at the following Lao syllable: ກາ. It is pronounced "kaa" (low rising tone).

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

SAY IT ALOUD: ກາ "kaa"

Notice three things about this syllable:

a) It begins with a kaaN consonant: ກ

b) It ends in a long vowel: າ (salá "aa". The word salá means "vowel" and is always used when naming the vowels in Lao).

c) It has the low rising tone.

SAY THE SYLLABLE AGAIN: ກາ kaa

WHAT IS THE CLASS OF THE INITIAL CONSONANT? Answer!

HOW DOES THE SYLLABLE END? Answer!

WHAT TONE DOES ກາ HAVE? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

We can now formulate our first rule for reading Lao.

Rule: A syllable which begins with a kaaN [Middle] consonant and ends in a long vowel is pronounced with the low rising tone.

SAY THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES.

ກາ	ຢາ	ຈາ
ka4a	ya4a	ca4a

Note: IPA "k" is similar to "g" in English, and IPA "c" is closer to English "j".

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

NOW SAY THESE OUT LOUD.

ດາ	ຕາ
da4a	ta4a

Note: IPA "t" is similar to the "t" in "stop".

SAY THESE OUT LOUD:

ບາ	ປາ
ba4a	pa4a

Note: IPA "p" is similar to the "p" in "spot".

The syllable ອາ is read "?aa" (low rising tone). The kaaN symbol ອ is used to fill the place of an initial consonant in a syllable which begins with a vowel sound.

READ THE FOLLOWING: ອາ "?aa"

WHAT TONE DOES IT HAVE? Answer!

WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

You can now recognize all eight kaaN [Middle] consonants.

Consonants:	ກ	ຈ	ດ	ຕ	ບ	ປ	ຢ	ອ
Syllables:	ກາ	ຈາ	ດາ	ຕາ	ບາ	ປາ	ຢາ	ອາ

So far we have used only one vowel symbol, າ (salá "aa"), in our examples. Not all the vowels are written after the initial consonant. salá "ee", ເx, and two other long vowels (salá "EE", ແx, and salá "oo", ໂx) are always written before the consonant. (The x indicates the place of the initial consonant of the syllable.)

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ເກ	ເຈ	ເດ	ເຕ	ເບ	ເປ	ເຢ	ເອ
ke4e	ce4e	de4e	te4e	be4e	pe4e	ye4e	?e4e

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

READ THE FOLLOWING:

ແກ	ແຈ	ແດ	ແຕ	ແບ	ແປ	ແຢ	ແອ
kE4E	cE4E	dE4E	tE4E	bE4E	pE4E	yE4E	?E4E

READ THE FOLLOWING:

ໂກ	ໂຈ	ໂດ	ໂຕ	ໂບ	ໂປ	ໂຢ	ໂອ
ko4o	co4o	do4o	to4o	bo4o	po4o	yo4o	?o4o

Three long vowels are written above the initial consonant. These are salá "ii", x ີ, salá "yy", x ື, and salá "OO", xໍ.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ກີ	ກື	ກໍ
ki4i	ky4y	kO4O

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE AND WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart.)

READ THE FOLLOWING OUT LOUD:

ດີ	ດື	ດໍ	ຕີ	ຕື	ຕໍ	ບີ	ບື	ບໍ
di4i	dy4y	dO4O	ti4i	ty4y	tO4O	bi4i	by4y	bO4O

READ THE FOLLOWING:

ປີ	ປື	ປໍ	ຢີ	ຢື	ຢໍ	ອີ	ອື	ອໍ
pi4i	py4y	pO4O	yi4i	yy4y	yO4O	?i4i	?y4y	?O4O

There are two more long vowels left for you to learn. They are salá "uu", xູ, and salá "ee", ເxີ. salá "uu" is written below the initial consonant.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ກູ	ຈູ	ດູ	ຕູ	ບູ	ປູ	ຢູ	ອູ
ku4u	cu4u	du4u	tu4u	bu4u	pu4u	yu4u	?u4u

salá "ee" is written to the left and above the initial consonant. Do not confuse ເx ີ ("ee") with ເx ("ee") or x ີ ("ii").

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ເກີ	ເຈີ	ເດີ	ເຕີ	ເບີ	ເປີ	ເຢີ	ເອີ
ke4e	ce4e	de4e	te4e	be4e	pe4e	ye4e	?e4e

Review of Middle Class Consonants and long vowels. Read the following: .

Look at these new letters [Low Class Consonants] below. They are pronounced with the high rising tone

Consonants:	ມ	ນ	ງ	ວ
Names:	mO2O	nO2O	NO2O	vO2O

These letters belong to the ta#m [Low] class of the initial consonants. The sounds which they represent are "m", "n", "N", and "v" are called sonorants.

Rule: Syllables which begin with a kaaN [Middle] letter and end with a sonorant have the low falling tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ກາມ	ຕານ	ຢາງ	ດາວ
ka4am	ta4an	ya4aN	da4aw

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

The ta#m letter ຍ (±O2O) is also a sonorant. When it is the final consonant of a syllable, it is pronounced "y".

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ກາຍ	ປາຍ	ຢາຍ
ka4ay	pa4ay	ya4ay

Do not confuse the kaaN letter ຢ (yOO) with the ta#m letter ຍ (±O@O). ຢ is never used as a final consonant.

The vowel sound OO is written xໍ if the syllable has no final consonant, and ອ if it does have a final consonant. (You have previously seen ອ used as a kaaN consonant. Thus ອ has a double function: initial consonant and vowel)

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ກໍ	ຈໍ	ດໍ	ກອມ	ຈອມ	ດອມ
kO4O	cO4O	dO4O	kO4Om	cO4Om	dO4Om

HOW WOULD YOU READ THESE?

ອໍ	ອອມ
?O4O	?O4Om

In ອໍ, " ອ " is the kaaN consonant and " xໍ " is the long vowel OO. In ອອມ the first " ອ " is the kaaN consonant and the second " ອ " is the long vowel OO. In the second case " ອ " is used for the vowel because the syllable ends in a consonant.

WHY DOES ອໍ HAVE LOW RISING TONE? Answer!

WHY DOES ອອມ HAVE LOW RISING TONE? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

READ THE FOLLOWING WORDS:

ແດງ	ຢືມ	ຢາງ	ແກ້ວດີບໍ			ຢືນຕອນກາງ
dE4EN	yy4ym	ya4aN	kE@Ew	di4i	bO4O	yy4ym	tO4On	ka4aN
ປາຈາງ		ຢາມແກວດີບໍ
pa4a	ca4aN	ya4am	kE4Ew	di4i	bO4O

All the preceding words have low rising tone because they begin with a kaaN consonant and end with either a long vowel or a sonorant.

Look at the following syllables, both of which have kaaN initial, short vowel, and sonorant final.

ກິນ	ກຶນ
kí4n	ky4n

x ິ is called salá "í", and x ຶ is called salá "y". They are both short vowels.

READ THE FOLLOWING WORDS:

ຈິມ	ອຶງ	ດິນ	ຢຶຍ	ປິວ	ຕຶມ
cí4m	?y44N	dí4n	yy4y	pí4v	ty4m

salá a#, x ັ, and salá o#, x ົ, are written above the syllable initial consonant.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ກັນ	ກົນ	ຈັນ	ດົງ	ຕັມ	ບັງ	ປົນ
ka4n	ko4n	ca4n	do4N	ta4m	ba4N	po4n

salá ú, xຸ, is written below the initial consonant.

ກຸນ	ອຸຍ	ບຸນ	ດຸງ	ຈຸມ	ຢຸງ
ku4n	?u4y	bu4n	du4N	cu4m	yu4N

The short vowels salá e2, ເx ິ, and salá é, ເx ັ, are written as shown.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ເກິມ	ເກັມ	ເດິມ	ເຕັຍ	ເບິງ	ເປັນ	ເອັງ
ke4m	ké4m	de4m	té4y	be4N	pé4n	?é4N

salá E2, ແx ັ, and salá O2, x ັອ, are rarely used. They are written as follows:

ແກັມ	ກັອມ
kE4m	kO4m

Practice Reading:

The sound "ay" is written in two ways. Some words use the symbol ໄx while others use ໃx. With a kaaN initial they take the low rising tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ໄປ	ໃຈ	ໄກ	ໃນ	ໄດ	ໃບ	ໄຕ	ໄອ
pa4y	ca4y	ka4y	na4y	da4y	ba4y	ta4y	?a4y

The sound "am" is written xຳ. With a kaaN initial, it has the low rising tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ປຳ	ບຳ	ດຳ	ຕຳ	ກຳ	ອຳ	ຈຳ	ຢຳ
pa4m	ba4m	da4m	ta4m	ka4m	?a4m	ca4m	ya4m

The sound "aw" is written ເxົາ. With a kaaN initial, it has the low rising tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ເກົາ	ເອົາ	ເຈົາ	ເຢົາ	ເປົາ	ເບົາ	ເດົາ
ka4w	?a4w	ca4w	ya4w	pa4w	ba4w	da4w

Read These:

ດີບໍປາໂຕປີຢາກັນເອົາດຳ

ຈາງແກ້ວເປັນການອັນດົນໄກ

ົຢາມຕາມຢືມກິນແດງຢືນກາງ

ຕອນປານໄດດົນຕີ

The symbols, x່ (mày eêk) and x ້ (mày thóo), appearing above an initial consonant ("x") affect the tone of a syllable. These numbers are called tone marks. There are four of these in all, but only mày eêk and mày thóo are used to any great extent.

Some examples will show how the use of mày eêk affects the tone of a syllable.

ກ່າ	ka#a	high-mid tone
ກ່າມ	ka#am	high-mid tone
ກ່ຳ	ka#m	high-mid tone

The rule for mày eék is a simple one. Any syllable in which it appears has high-mid tone, no matter what the class of the initial consonant happens to be.

Rule: mày eêk always indicates high-mid tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES: ຢ່າ ບໍ່

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

Here are some words we have worked with now include mày eêk. Read them, remembering that all have high-mid tone because all have a mày eêk.

Here are some more.

A mày thóo ( x້ ) written above a kaaN initial indicates high falling tone.

ກ້າ	kàa	high falling tone
ກ້າມ	kaàm	high falling tone
ກ້ຳ	kàm	high falling tone

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES: ໄດ້ ເຈົ້າ

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

WHY?

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

Rule: kaaN + mày thóo has high falling tone

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

The sounds "ia", "ua", and "ya" are called diphthongs. As you can see, they are vowel combinations. The diphthongs can be either long or short. Since the short are rarely used, we will learn only the long ones here.

There are two forms, each for the long diphthongs "ia" and "ua" depending on whether or not the syllables in which they appear end in a consonant. Look at the following. The "x" or "xx" marks the place of the initial consonant, the "F" the place of the final consonant.

ເxັຽ	ia	xຽF	iaF
xxົວ	ua	x ວF	uaF
ເxxືອ	ya	ເxxືອF	yaF

Notice that ເxxືອ "ya" is written the same with or without a final; but that "ia" and "ua" differ in this respect.

Practice reading the long diphthongs in syllables without a final consonant. They follow the tone rules of the long vowels.

SAY THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLE: ເກັຽ kia

WHAT TONE DOES IT HAVE? Answer!

WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ເປັຽ	ເດັຽ	ເຕັຽ	ເກັຽ	ເອັຽ	ເຈັຽ	ເຢັຽ
pia	dia	tia	kia	?ia	cia	yia

READ THE FOLLOWING ALSO:

ປົວ	ບົວ	ດົວ	ຕົວ	ກົວ	ອົວ	ຈົວ	ຢົວ
pu4a	bu4a	du4a	tu4a	ku4a	?u4a	cu4a	yu4a

When a syllable ends with the sound "p", "t", or "k" (called "stop" consonants), the tone of the syllable is affected.

Look at these syllables. (Note that ບ and ດ are pronounced "p" and "t" when they end a syllable.)

ກາບ	ດາບ	ຈາດ	ຢາກ	ປາກ
kaâp	daâp	caât	yaâk	paâk

Notice four things about them:

a) they begin with a kaaN consonant

b) they have a long vowel

c) they end in a "stop" consonant ("p", "t", "k")

d) they have the low falling tone

Rule: kaaN consonant + long vowel + stop consonant has low falling tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ປີກ	ໂດດ	ອາບ	ແບກ	ຕອດ
ຈອດ	ແປດ	ໂຢບ	ເດີກ	ກາດ

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

Review of the short vowels.

Rule: A kaaN consonant + a short vowel + a sonorant has high rising tone

If instead of a sonorant these syllables ended in stops ("p", "t", or "k") they would be read as follows.

ຈຶກ	ດົດ
cy2k	dót

Rule: A kaaN consonant + a short vowel + a stop has high rising tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING:

WHAT TONE DO THESE SYLLABLES HAVE? Answer!

WHY? Answer!

(Click here to refer to the Lao Tones Chart)

Five of the short vowels have a different form in a syllable which does not have a final consonant.

With Final -p, -t, -k	Without Written Final Consonant
xx້F á	x ະ á
ເxxັF é	ເx ະ é
ແxxັF E2	ແx ະ E2
xxົF ó	ໂx ະ ó
xxັອF O2	ເx າະ O2

Rule: kaaN consonant + final short vowel has high rising tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

Except for a few minor exceptions you now know all the rules for reading syllables which begin with kaaN consonants.

Below are listed most of the single syllable words, which begin with kaaN consonants. As a review of the tone rules (and vocabulary as well) practice reading them aloud.

ອັນ	ດຳ	ບໍ	ໂຕ	ປີ	ກິນ	ເຈົ້າ
ປາ	ບ້ານ	ອ້າຍ	ໄກ	ບໍ່	ຕື່ນ	ຕຸ້ຍ
ຢູ່	ກ້ອນ	ຈັກ	ສົ່ງ	ເກົ້າ	ຢາກ	ແກວ

Here are some more to practice.

ເປັນ	ອີກ	ໄກ່	ເອີ້ນ	ຈັກ	ບອກ	ໃກ້
ເປັດ	ກັນ	ປ້າ	ແກ້ວ	ຈອກ	ດີ	ເອົາ
ຕັ່ງ	ຕ້ອງ	ຈາກ	ບ່າຍ	ຢາ	ແດງ	ຈ່ອຍ
ໄດ້	ຕາ	ອອກ	ແດ່	ຈາງ	ເບິ່ງ	ຢືມ
ດູດ	ກົ່ວ	ກາມ	ກາງ	ຕອນ	ເຈັ້ຽ	ດົນ
ຢ້ານ	ຕາມ	ບ່ວງ	ຢາມ	ເຈັ່ກ	ຢືນ	ບ່ອນ
ແວ່ນ	ແຕ່ກ່ອນ	ອັງກິດ	ດົນຕີ	ຕຶກປາ	ປາກກາ	ປານໄດ

Gallery | Folklore | Other Topics | Links | SEAsite

2002 SEAsite Laos. Middle Class Consonants