Romanization of Lao

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

Tables

Consonants

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.

CharacterInitial positionFinal position
IPABGNLCIPABGNLC
/k/k/k̚/k
/kʰ/kh
/kʰ/kh
/ŋ/ng/ŋ/ng
/tɕ/ch
/s/s
/s/xs
/ɲ/gnny/j/yy
/d/d/t̚/td
/t/t
/tʰ/th
/tʰ/th
/n/n/n/nen
/b/b/p̚/pb
/p/p
/pʰ/ph
/f/f
/pʰ/ph
/f/f
/m/m/m/m
/j/y
/r/, /l/r
/l/l
/ʋ/, /w/vv, w/w/ww
/h/h
/ʔ/
/h/hh

Vowel nuclei

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

IPABGNLCUnicodeIPABGNLCUnicodeIPABGNLCUnicodeIPABGNLCUnicode
ກະ/ກັກ/a/aaaກາ/aː/aāaa
ກິ/i/iiiກີ/iː/iīiiເກັຽະ/ເກັຍ/ກັຽກ/iaʔ/iaiaເກັຽ/ເກຍ/ກຽກ/ia/iaīa
ກຶ/ɯ/uưyກື/ɯː/uư̄yyເກຶອ/ɯaʔ/uaưaເກືອ/ɯa/uaư̄a
ກຸ/u/ouuuກູ/uː/ouūuuກົວະ/ກັວກ/uaʔ/ouauaກົວ/ ກວກ/ua/ouaūa
ເກະ/ເກັກ/e/éeເກ/eː/éēe
ແກະ/ແກັກ/ɛ/èæແກ/ɛː/èǣei
ໂກະ/ກົກ/o/ôoໂກ/oː/ôōo
ເກາະ/ກັອກ/ɔ/oກໍ/ກອກ/ɔː/oō̜
ເກິ/ເກິະ/ɤ/euœເກີ/ɤː/euœ̄
ໄກ/ໃກ/ກັຍ/aj/aiaiai/ayກາຍ/ກາຽ/aːj/aiāi
ເກົາ/aw/aoao
ກໍາ/am/amamam

See also

External links

  • 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.