Lao Writing System: tam consonants

Ta#m Consonants

The next group of consonants you will learn is the ta#m class. This is the largest group, containing 13 consonants. You already know five of them, i.e. the consonants ງ, ຍ, ນ, ມ, and ວ; and since you already know all the vowels, there are only eight new symbols to learn in this section.

The ta#m consonants are pronounced with the high rising tone.

(Click here to review Lao Vowels)

khO2O

hO2O

thO2O

sO2O

phO2O

fO2O

lO2O

rO2O

mO2O

nO2O

vO2O

±O2O

NO2O

Notes: (1) ຣ (rO2O) is usually pronounced lO2O.

(2) There are two symbols for the sound "l": ລand ຣ. Some words are written with ລ while others are written with ຣ.

(3) Notice that although ຍ is pronounced "y" when it ends a syllable, it is pronounced "±" when it begins one.

ກາຍ	ຍາ	ຍາຍ
kaay	±áa	±áay

The syllable ຄາ is pronounced kháa. Look at the following syllables and read them aloud.

ເຮືອ	ຟີ	ທໍ	ມາ	ເຊ	ພາ	ແຣ	ງ ົວ
huá	fií	thO2O	maá	seé	phaá	rEE	Núa

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

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

Rule: A ta#m consonant + a long vowel has high rising tone.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ງ ົວມາ	ເມັຽເມືອບ້ານ	ມີເວລາ
ໄປປາກເຊບໍ	ພາປ້າມາ	ກິນກາເຟ

Practice Reading:

ເມັຽ	ພໍດີ	ມາ	ປາກເຊ
ເມືອບ້ານ	ເວລາ	ນາທີ	ລາກ່ອນ
ເຮືອບິນ	ງ ົວ	ກາເຟ	ຊາ

LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING AND READ THEM ALOUD.

ລາວ	ເຮືອນ	ນົມ	ໂຮງຮຽນ	ໄທ	ຄືນ	ຄົນ	ໃນເມືອງ
laáw	huán	nóm	hóoN hián	tháy	khu#un	khón	náy muáN

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

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

Rule: ta#m consonant + any vowel + a sonorant has high rising tone.

PRACTICE READING THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ລາວບໍ່ມີເງີນ		ພາຍໃນເຈັດໂມງ
ຊາວນາກິນກາເຟ		ຄວາຍແພງ
ນາຍຄູເມືອເຮືອນ		ຄົນໄທງາມ
ວຽງຈັນ	ໂຮງຮຽນ	ໂຮງແຮມ	ໂຮງການ
ໃນເມືອງ	ນອນ	ທາງ	ໃນລາວ
ເວັນ	ວັນຈັນ	ວັນອັງຄານ	ກາງຄືນ
ຄວນຈະ	ຊອງ	ເຄີຍ	ລຸງ

The effect of mày eêk and mày thóo is the same for the ta#m consonants as it is for the kaaN consonants.

READ THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ນ່າງ	ຊື່	ພູ່	ແມ່ນ
na#aN	su#u	phu#u	mE#En

Rule: Any consonant with a mày eêk indicates high-mid tone.

PRACTICE READING THE FOLLOWING WORDS:

ແມ່ນ	ເທື່ອ	ຊື່	ເຊົ່າ	ນຶ່ງ	ຍ່າງ
ເບິ່ງ	ເມື່ອຍ	ມ່ວນ	ແດ່	ເຄິ່ງ	ທ່ານ
ລຸ່ມ	ພໍ່ບ້ານ	ນັ່ງ	ບ້ານ	ທີ່	ບ່ວງ
ມ່ວນ	ທ່ຽງ	ທ່າງ່ອນ	ເພິ່ນ	ຊົ່ວໂມງ	ບ່ອນ
ຍີ່ປຸ່ນ	ທ່າເດື່ອ	ພໍ່ແມ່	ຕອນທ່ຽງ	ນ່າງ	ພູ່

A mày thóo with a ta#m consonant indicates the high falling tone, just as it does with a kaaN consonant.

READ THE FOLLOWING:

ນັ້ນ	ແລ້ວ	ນີ້	ຮ້ອນ
nàn	lE1Ew	nìi	hO1On

Rule: ta#m or kaaN + mày thóo indicates high falling tone.

PRACTICE READING THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ໂຮງແຮມຮ້ອນ	ພີ່ນ້ອງກິນນ້ຳຊາ
ໄປຊື່ຊື່ແລ້ວລ້ຽວ	ລ້ຽວຊ້າຍກ່ອນ
ຄົນນັ້ນເມື່ອຍແລ້ວ	ນ້ຳຊານີ້ຮ້ອນ
ພີ່ນ້ອງໄດ້ໄປທ່າເດື່ອແລ້ວ	ໂມງນັ້ນຊ້າ

Look at the following and read them aloud:

ໂພດ	ພວກ	ທູດ
phoòt	phuàk	thuùt

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

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

Rule: A ta#m consonant + a long vowel + a stop has high falling tone.

PRACTICE READING THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ພວກເຮົາໄດ້ພໍ້ທູດ	ວຽກລາວຍາກ
ເຈົ້າມີຄອບຄົວບໍ	ກິນໄກ່ແຊບ
ພວກເຈົ້າມີວຽກບໍ	ຄຶດຮອດ
ພວກເຮົາຈະໄປຢາມທູດອັງກິດ	ການຮຽນອ່ານລາວງ່າຍໂພດ
ເອື້ອຍເຈົ້າຄົວກິນຢູ່ເຮືອນບໍ

Look at the following and read them aloud:

ລັດ	ຣົດ	ເຮັດ	ພັກ
la#t	lo#t	he#t	pha#k

WHAT TONE DO THEY HAVE? Answer!

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

Rule: A ta#m consonant + a short vowel + a stop has high-mid tone.

(Likewise: A ta#m consonant + a short vowel -- and no final consonant -- has high-mid tone, e.g. pha#, no#.)

PRACTICE READING THE FOLLOWING SYLLABLES:

ໄປນຳຣົດຈັກເນາະ	ຮອດປາກເຊພັກໂຮງແຮມ
ນັກຮຽນຍີ່ປຸ່ນເຮັດວຽກ	ໄປວຽງຈັນນຳຣົດເມ
ລາວແມ່ນນາຍຄູພວກເຮົາ	ພວກເຈົ້າມາແຕ່ເມືອງອເມຣຶກາ
ເຈົ້າຊິໄປທ່າເດື່ອຈັກໂມງ	ເຈົ້າຮູ້ບໍ
ລາວຊື່ກອງຄຳເມ່ນບໍ	ເຮັດການນຳທູດອັງກິດ
ລາວຊິເອົາກາເຟເຢັນ	ເຈົ້າມັກອາກາດຮ້ອນບໍ
ລາວມາແຕ່ຣັດໄດ	ໄປເບິ່ງຊິເນ້ມາ

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2002 SEAsite Laos. Low Class Consonants