Consonants
|
IPA |
Thai |
Lao |
English approximation
|
b
|
บ |
ບ |
abash
|
d
|
ฎ,ด |
ດ |
ado
|
f
|
ฝ,ฟ |
ຝ,ຟ |
food
|
h
|
ห,ฮ |
ຫ,ຮ |
head
|
j
|
ญ,ย,อย,หย |
ຢ |
yak
|
k
|
ก |
ກ |
scan
|
kʰ (/x/)[1]
|
ข,ฃ,ค,ฅ,ฆ |
ຂ,ຄ |
can
|
l
|
ล,ฬ,หล |
ລ,ຫຼ |
leaf
|
m
|
ม,หม |
ມ,ໝ |
much
|
n
|
ณ,น,หน |
ນ,ໜ |
not
|
ŋ
|
ง,หง |
ງ,ຫງ |
bang
|
ɲ[2]
|
— |
ຍ,ຫຍ |
canyon
|
p
|
ป |
ປ |
span
|
pʰ
|
ผ,พ,ภ |
ຜ,ພ |
pan
|
r
|
ร,หร |
ຣ,ຫຼ ,ຫຣ |
roughly like water (American English)
|
s
|
ซ,ศ,ษ,ส |
ສ,ຊ |
sue
|
t
|
ฏ,ต |
ຕ |
stable
|
tʰ
|
ฐ,ฑ,ฒ,ถ,ท,ธ |
ຖ,ທ |
table
|
tɕ
|
จ |
ຈ |
question
|
tɕʰ[3]
|
ฉ, ช, ฌ |
— |
cheese
|
w
|
ว,หว |
ວ,ຫວ |
way
|
ʔ
|
อ, ะ |
ອ |
the catch in uh-oh
|
|
Tone
|
IPA |
Description
|
aː = āː
|
mid [aː˧]
|
àː
|
low [aː˨˩]
|
âː
|
falling [aː˥˩] (Thai), high falling [aː˥˧] (Lao)
|
a̭ː
|
low falling [aː˧˩] (Lao only)
|
áː
|
high [aː˦˥]
|
ǎː
|
mid rising [aː˨˦]
|
|
Vowels
|
IPA |
Thai[4] |
Lao |
English approximation
|
Short vowels
|
a
|
◌ะ, ◌ั◌ |
◌ະ, ◌ັ◌ |
cut
|
e
|
เ◌ะ, เ◌็◌ |
ເ◌ະ, ເ◌ັ◌ |
roughly like say
|
ɛ
|
แ◌ะ, แ◌็◌ |
ແ◌ະ, ແ◌ັ◌ |
set
|
i
|
◌ิ, ◌ิ◌ |
◌ິ |
happy
|
o
|
โ◌ะ, ◌◌ |
ໂ◌ະ, ◌ົ◌ |
roughly like law (British English) (shorter)
|
ɔ
|
เ◌าะ, ◌็อ◌ |
◌ໍ |
lot
|
u
|
◌ุ, ◌ุ◌ |
◌ຸ |
food (shorter)
|
ɯ
|
◌ึ, ◌ึ◌ |
◌ຶ |
good
|
ɤ
|
เ◌อะ |
ເ◌ິະ, ເ◌ິ◌ |
roughly like hurt (shorter)
|
Long vowels
|
aː
|
◌า, ◌า◌ |
◌າ |
bra
|
eː
|
เ◌, เ◌◌ |
ເ◌ |
play
|
ɛː
|
แ◌, แ◌◌ |
ແ◌ |
says
|
iː
|
◌ี, ◌ี◌ |
◌ີ |
green
|
oː
|
โ◌, โ◌◌ |
ໂ◌ |
roughly like law (British English)
|
ɔː
|
◌อ, ◌อ◌ |
◌ໍ, ◌ອ |
lawn
|
uː
|
◌ู, ◌ู, |
◌ູ |
moon
|
ɯː
|
◌ือ, ◌ื◌ |
◌ື |
good (longer)
|
ɤː
|
เ◌อ, เ◌ิ◌ |
ເ◌ີ |
roughly like fur
|
Diphthongs[5][6]
|
iaʔ, iəʔ
|
เ◌ียะ |
ເ◌ັຽະ |
No English equivalent
|
ia, iə
|
เ◌ีย, เ◌ีย◌ |
ເ◌ັຽ |
idea
|
uaʔ, uəʔ
|
◌ัวะ |
◌ົວະ |
No English equivalent
|
ua, uə
|
◌ัว, ◌ว◌ |
◌ົວ |
poor (British English)
|
ɯaʔ, ɯəʔ
|
เ◌ือะ |
ເ◌ຶອະ |
No English equivalent
|
ɯa, ɯə
|
เ◌ือ, เ◌ือ◌ |
ເ◌ຶອ |
No English equivalent
|
|