| Consonants |
|---|
| IPA | Lao | Isan | Phu Thai | English approximation |
|---|
| b | ບ | บ | บ | boss | | d | ດ | ฎ, ด | ฎ,ด | done | | f | ຝ, ຟ | ฝ, ฟ | ฝ,ฟ | food | | h | ຫ, ຮ | ห ,ฮ | ห, ฮ | head | | j | ຢ | ย, อย, หย | ย, อย, หย | yak | | k | ກ | ก | ก | scan | | kʰ | ຂ, ຄ | ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ, ฆ | ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ, ฆ | can | | l | ລ, ຫຼ | ล, ฬ, หล | ร, หร, ล, ฬ, หล | law | | m | ມ, ໝ | ม, หม | ม, หม | much | | n | ນ, ໜ | ณ, น, หน | ณ, น, หน | not | | ŋ | ງ, ຫງ | ง, หง | ง, หง | singer | | ɲ | ຍ, ຫຍ | ญ | ญ | canyon | | p | ປ | ป | ป | span | | pʰ | ຜ, ພ | ผ, พ, ภ | ผ, พ, ภ | pan | | r[1] | ຣ, ຫຼ, ຫຣ | ร, หร | — | trilled r | | s | ສ,ຊ | ซ, ศ, ษ, ส | ฉ, ช, ฌ,
ซ, ศ, ษ, ส | sue | | t | ຕ | ฏ, ต | ฏ, ต | stable | | tʰ | ຖ, ທ | ฐ, ฑ, ฒ, ถ, ท, ธ | ฐ, ฑ, ฒ, ถ, ท, ธ | table | | tɕ | ຈ | จ | จ | somewhat like jean; like Mandarin beijing | | tɕʰ[2] | — | ฉ, ช, ฌ | — | somewhat like cheese; like Mandarin qing | | w | ວ, ຫວ | ว, หว | ว, หว | way | | x[3] | ຂ, ຄ | ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ, ฆ | ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ, ฆ | loch | | ʔ | ອ | อ, ะ | อ, ะ | the catch in uh'-oh | | | | Tone[4] |
|---|
| IPA | Description |
|---|
| aː = āː | mid [aː˧] | | àː | low falling [aː˨˩] or [aː˩] | | âː | high falling [aː˥˩] | | ȁː | mid falling [aː˧˩] | | áː | high rising [aː˦˥] or [aː˥] | | ǎː | low rising [aː˩˩˦] or [aː˨˥] |
| | Vowels |
|---|
| IPA | Lao[5] | Isan/Phu Thai | English approximation |
|---|
| Short vowels[6] |
|---|
| a | ◌ະ, ◌ັ◌ | ◌ะ, ◌ั◌ | cut | | e | ເ◌ະ, ເ◌ັ◌ | เ◌ะ, เ◌็◌ | mate | | ɛ | ແ◌ະ, ແ◌ັ◌ | แ◌ะ, แ◌็◌ | bat | | i | ◌ິ | ◌ิ, ◌ิ◌ | happy | | o | ໂ◌ະ, ◌ົ◌ | โ◌ะ, ◌◌ | boat | | ɔ | ເ◌າະ, ◌ັອ◌ | เ◌าะ, ◌็อ◌ | jock (RP) | | u | ◌ຸ | ◌ุ, ◌ุ◌ | shoot | | ɯ | ◌ຶ | ◌ึ, ◌ึ◌ | could (weak sound) | | ɤ | ເ◌ິະ[7], ເ◌ິ◌ | เ◌อะ | the | | Long vowels |
|---|
| aː | ◌າ | ◌า, ◌า◌ | bra | | eː | ເ◌ | เ◌, เ◌◌ | play | | ɛː | ແ◌ | แ◌, แ◌◌ | man | | iː | ◌ີ | ◌ี, ◌ี◌ | green | | oː | ໂ◌ | โ◌, โ◌◌ | go | | ɔː | ◌ໍ, ◌ອ◌ | ◌อ, ◌อ◌ | dog | | uː | ◌ູ | ◌ู, ◌ู◌ | moon | | ɯː | ◌ື | ◌ือ, ◌ื◌ | goose (Australian) | | ɤː | ເ◌ີ | เ◌อ, เ◌ิ◌ | fur | | Diphthongs[8][9] |
|---|
| iaʔ, iəʔ | ເ◌ັຍ, ◌ັຽ◌ | เ◌ียะ | idea (shorter) | | ia, iə | ເ◌ຍ, ◌ຽ◌ | เ◌ีย, เ◌ีย◌ | idea | | uaʔ, uəʔ | ◌ົວະ, ◌ົວ◌ | ◌ัวะ | poor (shorter) | | ua, uə | ◌ົວ, ◌ວ◌ | ◌ัว, ◌ว◌ | poor (British English) | | ɯaʔ, ɯəʔ | ເ◌ຶອ | เ◌ือะ | to a (weak sound) | | ɯa, ɯə | ເ◌ືອ | เ◌ือ, เ◌ือ◌ | who am i (Australian) |
|