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Chart Showing the Relationship between Syllable Types,
Written Tones, and 5-Tone Vientiane Lao
          

 

 Smooth/Live Syllables*

Checked/Dead Syllables**
Written Tone Marks Inherent Tone Tone 1/ ek.gif (262 bytes) Tone 2/ to.gif (284 bytes)  Long Vowel Short Vowel
Syllable-Initial Consonant Class
High Class [su4uN]
ຂ ສ ຖ ຜ ຝ ຫ                        
LOW RISING   4

HIGH-MID    #

LOW FALLING   3 LOW    FALLING   3 HIGH RISING   2
Middle Class [kaaN]
ກ ຈ ດ ຕ ບ ປ ຢ ອ
LOW RISING   4 HIGH-MID    # HIGH FALLING    1 LOW   FALLING   3 HIGH RISING   2
Low Class [ta#m]
ຄ ຊ ທ ພ ຟ ຮ ງ  ຍ ນ ມ ຣ ລ ວ
HIGH RISING   2 HIGH-MID    # HIGH FALLING    1 HIGH FALLING   1 HIGH-MID    #
            
*A syllable that ends in a -p, t, k, or glottal stop is a dead/checked syllable.
**A syllable that ends in a long vowel or a final -m, -n, -ng, y, or w is smooth/live
                  

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