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Lao Alphabet |
|
Click on each Lao alphabet to listen to the sound. |
| In these lists the
consonants are cited by their "full" names. For example, the letter ກ is called kOO ka#y, the kOO of "chicken". Naming the
letters in this way precludes ambiguity when spelling aloud. Asked to spell ປ້າ you could do so correctly by saying pOO, salá aa,
mày thóo. It would be better, however, to say pOO paa, salá
aa, mày thóo. Calling the letter ປ by its full name (pOO paa) makes
it impossible to mistake it for ບ (bOO bét). Note how the following words are spelled: |
| ຈະ | cOO cua, salá á |
| ວັດ | vO@O vií, mày kan, dOO dék |
| ເຂົ້າ | khO4O kha#y, salá aw, mày thóo |
| ແຂວງ | khO4O kha#y, vO@O vií, salá EE, NO@O Nuú |
| ລຳ | lO@O liíN, salá am |
| ໝາ | hO4O ha4i, mO@O màa, salá aa |
| How would
you spell ປະເພນີ, ເສື້ອ, ໜີ, and ການເມືອງ
using the full names of the
consonants? The consonants (pha±ánsana#) in alphabetical order: |
 |
kOO ka#y | chicken |  |
pOO paa | fish |
| chicken | fish | ||||
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khO4O kha#y | egg |  |
phO4O phe3N | bee |
| egg | bee | ||||
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khO@O khua@y | buffalo |  |
fO4O fa4a | wall |
| buffalo | rain | ||||
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NO@O Nu@u | snake |  |
phO@O phu@u | mountain |
| cow | mountain | ||||
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cOO cOk | novice |  |
fO@O fa@y | fire |
| cup | fire | ||||
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sO4O sya4 | tiger |  |
mO@O mEEw | horse |
| tiger | cat | ||||
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sO4O saa1N | elephant |  |
yOO yaa | tobacco |
| elephant | medicine | ||||
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±O@O ±u@N | mosquito |  |
rO@O (lO@O) lo#t | car |
| mosquito | car | ||||
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dOO de@k | child |  |
lO@O liíN | monkey |
| child | monkey | ||||
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tOO taa | eye |  |
vO@O vií | fan |
| eye | fan | ||||
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thO4O thuN | bag |  |
hO4O ha4y | jar |
| bag | goose | ||||
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thO@O thu@N | flag |  |
?OO oo | bowl |
| flag | bowl | ||||
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nO@O no#k | bird |  |
hO@O hya@ | boat |
| bird | house | ||||
 |
bOO bEE |
sheep | |||
| goat |
| The consonants
grouped according to class: kaaN [Middle]: ກ kOO ka#y, ຈ cOO cua, ດ dOO de@k, ຕ tOO taa, ບ bOO be@t, ປ pOO paa, ຢ yOO yaa, ອ ?OO oo tam [Low]: ຄ khO@O khua@y, ງ NO@O Nu@u, ຊ sO4O saa1N, ຍ ±O@O ±u@N, ທ thO@O thu@N, ນ nO@O no#k, ພ phO@O phu@u, ຟ fO@O fa@y, ມ mO@O ma1a, ຣ rO@O (lO@O) lo#t, ລ lO@O liíN, ວ vO@O vií, ຮ hO@O hya@ su4uN [High]: ຂ khO4O kha#y, ສ sO4O sya4, ຖ thO4O tha4y, ຜ phO4O phe3N, ຝ fO4O fa4a, ຫ hO4O ha4y Combinations with ຫ in which the ຫ is silent: |
| In spelling, one names the two elements of the combination separately, e.g., ຫງ is hO4O ha4y, NO@O Nu@u. The vowels (salá): (s indicates a short diphthong.) |
| xະ | -a? | ແx | -EE | ເxຶອ | -ya |
| xັ | -a + -p/t/k/n/N | ໂxະ | -o | ເxືອ | -yya |
| xາ | -aa | xົ | -o | xວົະ | -ua? (s) |
| xິ | -i | ໂx | -oo | xົວ | -ua |
| xີ | -ii | ເxາະ | -O? | xວx | -ua + Final |
| xຶ | -y | xອັx | -O + Final | ໃx | -ay |
| xື | -yy | xໍ | -OO | ໄx | -ay |
| xຸ | -u | xອx | -OO + Final | ເxົາ | -aw |
| xູ | -uu | ເxິ | -e | xຳ | -am |
| ເxະ | -e? | ເxີ | -ee | xຽ | -Oj |
| ເxັ | -e | ເxັຽະ | -ia? | ||
| ເx | -ee | ເxັຽ | -ia 1* | ||
| ແxະ | --E? | ເxຍ | -ia 2* | ||
| ແxັ | --E | xຽx | -ia + Final |
| Five of the vowel symbols have special names: xxັ ma1y kan; xxົ ma1y koN; ໃx ma1y mua1n; ໄx ma1y máay; xຽ ±O@O fya3N. * Note that -ia has two written forms, depending on the date of use and the publication of the dictionary. The Lao writing system has undergone periodic reforms, and these variations are the result. |
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