Romanization of Lao

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Lao romanization systems are transcriptions of the Lao script into the Latin alphabet.

Tables[edit]

Consonants[edit]

The table below shows the Lao consonant letters and their transcriptions according to IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet,) BGN/PCGN romanization (1966 system) and LC (US ALA-LC romanization,) as well as the transcriptions used in the Unicode names of the letters, and in official Lao government usage.

Character Initial position Final position
IPA BGN LC IPA BGN LC
/k/ k /k̚/ k
/kʰ/ kh
/kʰ/ kh
/ŋ/ ng /ŋ/ ng
/tɕ/ ch
/s/ s
/s/ x s
/ɲ/ gn ny /j/ y y
/d/ d /t̚/ t d
/t/ t
/tʰ/ th
/tʰ/ th
/n/ n /n/ ne n
/b/ b /p̚/ p b
/p/ p
/pʰ/ ph
/f/ f
/pʰ/ ph
/f/ f
/m/ m /m/ m
/j/ y
/r/, /l/ r
/l/ l
/ʋ/, /w/ v v, w /w/ w w
/h/ h
/ʔ/
/h/ h h

Vowel nuclei[edit]

The table below shows the Lao vowel nuclei, combined with the consonant ກ.

IPA BGN LC Unicode IPA BGN LC Unicode IPA BGN LC Unicode IPA BGN LC Unicode
ກະ/ກັກ /a/ a a a ກາ /aː/ a ā aa
ກິ /i/ i i i ກີ /iː/ i ī ii ເກັຽະ/ເກັຍ/ກັຽກ /iaʔ/ ia ia ເກັຽ/ເກຍ/ກຽກ /ia/ ia īa
ກຶ /ɯ/ u ư y ກື /ɯː/ u ư̄ yy ເກຶອ /ɯaʔ/ ua ưa ເກືອ /ɯa/ ua ư̄a
ກຸ /u/ ou u u ກູ /uː/ ou ū uu ກົວະ/ກັວກ /uaʔ/ oua ua ກົວ/ ກວກ /ua/ oua ūa
ເກະ/ເກັກ /e/ é e ເກ /eː/ é ē e
ແກະ/ແກັກ /ɛ/ è æ ແກ /ɛː/ è ǣ ei
ໂກະ/ກົກ /o/ ô o ໂກ /oː/ ô ō o
ເກາະ/ກັອກ /ɔ/ o ກໍ/ກອກ /ɔː/ o ō̜
ເກິ/ເກິະ /ɤ/ eu œ ເກີ /ɤː/ eu œ̄
ໄກ/ໃກ/ກັຍ /aj/ ai ai ai/ay ກາຍ/ກາຽ /aːj/ ai āi
ເກົາ /aw/ ao ao
ກໍາ /am/ am am am

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

  • Report on the current status of United Nations romanization systems for geographical names - Lao (PDF; this document refers to the Lao Commission Nationale de Toponymie. There is no Lao romanization system officially adopted by the UN.)
  • Library of Congress romanization table for Lao (PDF)
  • Unicode code chart for Lao
  • ANSI Z39.35-1979, System for the Romanization of Lao, Khmer, and Pali; ISBN 0-88738-968-6.