Warning: This guide is built around a 5-tone Isaan dialect of Lao. It is not Vientiane Lao. The writing system is the same, but be aware that the information within about audio and tone do not reflect Vientiane.
Intro
I learned Isaan while I was staying in Thailand and thought that, although Isaan is normally written in Thai script, it would be nice to learn Lao script. Sometimes YouTube videos coming from Laos have only Lao subtitles. I plan on travelling to Laos again, and it would be nice to be able to read signs, menus and such in Lao. And I just enjoy learning scripts, so this was a no-brainer.
However, I have no plans to change my dialect to Vientiane Lao. When I talk to Laotians, I speak Isaan and we have no problems communicating. Other than tones and a little vocabulary, there is little difference between dialects, and they are mutually understandable. Realizing this, I decided there was no need to make this a “Standard Lao” tool. It just has to teach me the script, without changing my pronunciation.
In addition to Isaan, I also have a good background in Thai, which should explain the constant comparisons with Thai. Enjoy!
Consonants
Like Thai, Lao is a tonal language, and the things that determine tone are Consonant Class, Syllable Type, Vowel Length and Tone Mark. So when we learn consonants, we need to memorize not only how to write and pronounce them, but also what class they are in. Lao uses three consonant classes, just like Thai. We learn them in three groups to make it easier to remember class.
Mid Class Consonants
Unlike Thai, there are no ฎ or ฏ and ຢ(ย) is mid rather than low class. Some natives may pronounce initial consonant ຢ like the Spanish ñ, but it’s not as common.
Memorize 1
ກ
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ກໍ ໄກ່ ก chicken
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ຈ
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ຈໍ ຈອກ จ cup
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ດ
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ດໍ ເດັກ ด kid
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ຕ
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ຕໍ ຕາ ต eye
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ບ
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ບໍ ແບ້ บ goat
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ປ
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ປໍ ປາ ป fish
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ຢ
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ຢໍ ຢາ ย medicine
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ອ
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ອໍ ໂອ อ bowl
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How to Memorize
There are many ways to memorize letters, words and sentences. Here is the method I would use for memorizing Consonants. You can use this method, or a variation of it, anytime I ask you to memorize something in this guide.
1) Starting at the top of the list, click the audio and listen. Instead of just ກ(ก), you will hear the name of the consonant ກໍ ໄກ່. Listen and repeat several times. When repeating, make sure you not only pronounce the consonant and vowel sounds correctly, but also imitate the tones.
2) Click the image. On a piece of paper, draw the letter ກ as shown. Be sure to follow the direction arrows. While drawing, repeat the pronunciation ກໍ ໄກ່ over and over. If it helps, write it big the first time, and when you gain confidence, write it smaller until you can make them normal writing size. Write it at least 10 times while repeating the pronunciation.
3) Repeat steps 1) and 2) for the second, third and fourth consonants. Memorizing in groups of four is a sweet spot – there are enough items to work your active recall, but not too many to make the task too difficult. If the list of items isn’t divisible by four, make a judgement call.
4) Scroll to the top of the page, select the “Hide all English” button. Scroll back down to the list, look at ກ and try to pronounce it. Then click the audio to check your pronunciation. If your pronunciation is correct, go to the next consonant. If your pronunciation is wrong, listen and repeat several times before going to the next consonant. Do for all four consonants. If you fail any of them, go through all four again until you can do all of them correctly.
5) Scroll to the top of the page, select the “Hide all Lao” button. Everything should be hidden now. Scroll back down to the list and click the audio for the first hidden consonant. On a piece of paper, draw the letter while repeating the pronunciation. Click the image and check to see if you drew it correctly. If you did, move onto the next consonant. If you didn’t, write it out correctly a few more times while repeating the pronunciation, then move onto the next consonant. Do this for all four consonants. If you fail any of them, go through all four again until you can do all of them correctly.
6) Repeat steps 1) thru 5) for the next four consonants. Keep doing this in sets of four until you finish the whole table.
7) Repeat steps 4) thru 5) for the whole table every day until you can easily go through it in one pass with no errors.
High Class Consonants
Unlike Thai, there are no ฆ, ฒ, ณ, ธ. Somewhat like Thai, ຫ(ห) can be combined with six different low consonants, which makes them into high class consonants. There are no special names for these, and three of the six can optionally be written conjoined (ຫນ=ໜ, ຫມ=ໝ, ຫລ=ຫຼ).
Memorize 2
ຂ
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ຂໍ ໄຂ່ ข egg
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ສ
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ສໍ ເສືອ ส tiger
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ຖ
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ຖໍ ຖົງ ถ bag
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ຜ
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ຜໍ ເຜິ້ງ ผ bee
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ຝ
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ຝໍ ຝົນ ฝ rain
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ຫ
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ຫໍ ຫ່ານ ห goose
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ຫງ
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ຫງໍ หง
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ຫຍ
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ຫຍໍ หญ
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ຫນ/ໜ
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ໜໍ หน
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ຫມ/ໝ
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ໝໍ หม
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ຫລ/ຫຼ
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ຫຼໍ หล
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ຫວ
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ຫວໍ หว
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Low Class Consonants
Unlike Thai, there are no ฃ, ฉ, ฐ, ศ, ษ, ฬ. As mentioned before, ຢ(ย) is mid rather than low class. And like ຢ, some natives may pronounce initial consonant ຍ like the Spanish ñ, but it’s not as common. ຊ replaces ช and ซ, but it is only pronounced as ซ. Note that ຣ is quite rare now – it replaces ร, but it is pronounced as ล. All of this being said, these days it’s not uncommon to hear both ช and ร pronounced in colloquial speech.
Memorize 3
ຄ
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ຄໍ ຄວາຍ ค buffalo
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ງ
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ງໍ ງົວ ง cow
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ຊ
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ຊໍ ຊ້າງ ช or ซ elephant
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ຍ
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ຍໍ ຍຸງ ญ mosquito
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ທ
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ທໍ ທຸງ ท flag
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ນ
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ນໍ ນົກ น bird
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ພ
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ພໍ ພູ พ mountain
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ຟ
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ຟໍ ໄຟ ฟ fire
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ມ
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ມໍ ແມວ ม cat
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ຣ
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ຣໍ ຣະຄັງ ร bell
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ລ
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ລໍ ລິງ ล or ร monkey
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ວ
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ວໍ ວີ ว fan
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ຮ
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ຮໍ ເຮືອນ ฮ house
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Vowels
Just like Thai, ອ(อ) is used as the consonant place holder.
Long Vowels
These are all classified as long vowels. Notice that, similar to Thai, there are a few that are normally pronounced a bit shorter, but still classified as long vowels for tone rule purposes.
Memorize 4 - Simple Long Vowels:
ອາ
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อา long vowel
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ອີ
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อี long vowel
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ອື
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อื long vowel
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ອູ
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อู long vowel
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ເອ
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เอ long vowel
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ແອ
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แอ long vowel
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ໂອ
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โอ long vowel
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ອໍ
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ออ long vowel
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ອຽ
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เอีย long vowel
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ໃອ
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ใอ long vowel / shorter
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ໄອ
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ไอ long vowel / shorter
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ອຳ
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อํา long vowel / sonorant / shorter
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Like Thai, there are many composite long vowels. Notice that ເອີຍ corresponds to เอย, not เอีย as you might expect. Both ອຽ and ເອຍ correspond to เอีย.
Memorize 5 - Complex Long Vowels:
ເອີ
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เออ long vowel / complex
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ເອືອ
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เอือ long vowel / complex
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ອົວ
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อัว long vowel / complex
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ເອົາ
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เอา long vowel / complex / shorter
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ອາຍ
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อาย long vowel / complex
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ອຽວ
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เอียว long vowel / complex
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ເອຍ
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เอีย long vowel / complex
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ອາວ
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อาว long vowel / complex
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ອວຍ
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อวย long vowel / complex
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ເອືອຍ
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เอือย long vowel / complex
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ອອຍ
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อย long vowel / complex
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ໂອຍ
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โอย long vowel / complex
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ອຸຍ
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อุย long vowel / complex
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ອິວ
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อิว long vowel / complex
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ເອວ
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เอว long vowel / complex
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ແອວ
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แอว long vowel / complex
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ເອີຍ
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เอย long vowel / complex
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Short Vowels
These are all classified as short vowels. Notice that ເອັຍ corresponds to เอียะ.
Memorize 6
ອະ
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อะ short vowel
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ອິ
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อิ short vowel
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ອຶ
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อึ short vowel
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ອຸ
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อุ short vowel
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ເອະ
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เอะ short vowel
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ແອະ
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แอะ short vowel
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ໂອະ
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โอะ short vowel
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ເອາະ
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เอาะ short vowel / complex
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ເອິ
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เออะ short vowel / complex
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ອົວະ
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อัวะ short vowel / complex
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ເອັຍ
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เอียะ short vowel / complex
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ອັຽ
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เอียะ short vowel / complex
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ເອຶອ
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เอือะ short vowel / complex
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Note – There is no hidden short /a/ or /o/
In Thai, sometimes there is a hidden short /a/ or /o/ between consonants. In Lao, the vowel is always displayed. Consider:
ຖະໜົນ(ถนน)
The /a/ that is hidden in Thai is always displayed as ອະ, and the hidden /o/ is always displayed as ອົ.
Vowels that change form when there is a final consonant
Just like Thai, some vowels change form when there is a final consonant:
ອະ
ຮະ + ກ = ຮັກ
ເອະ
ເປະ + ນ = ເປັນ
ແອະ
ແກະ + ສ = ແກັສ
ໂອະ
ໂຄະ + ນ = ຄົນ
ເອາະ
ເກາະ + ບ = ກ້ອບ
ອໍ
ບໍ + ກ = ບອກ
ເອຍ
ເຮຍ + ນ = ຮຽນ
ອົວະ
ຕົວະ + ນ = ຕົວນ
ອົວ
ຂົວ + ດ = ຂວດ
Numbers
Numbers are pretty similar to Thai.
Memorize 7
໐
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ສູນ 0
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໑
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ຫນຶ່ງ 1
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໒
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ສອງ 2
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໓
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ສາມ 3
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໔
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ສີ່ 4
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໕
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ຫ້າ 5
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໖
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ຫົກ 6
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໗
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ເຈັດ 7
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໘
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ແປດ 8
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໙
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ເກົ້າ 9
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Repetition Symbol
Also similar to Thai.
Memorize 8
ໆ
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repeat
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ໆລໆ
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ແລະອື່ນໆ etc.
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Live Syllables
Like Thai, live syllables are ones that end in long vowels or sonorant consonants. Here are the five sonorant consonants:
ງ
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ດວງ
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ນ
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ດິນ
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ມ
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ນຸ່ມ
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ຍ
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ສາຍ
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ວ
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ສາວ
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Stop End Consonants (ກ ດ ບ):
ກ
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ແປກ
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ດ
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ເປີດ
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ບ
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ເກືອບ
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Tones
Here is the tone table for the 5-tone Isaan dialect of Lao that I use:
class
syllable
unmarked
ໄມ້ເອກ(ອ່)
ໄມ້ໂທ(ອ້)
mid:ກຈດຕບປຢອ
live
low
mid
falling
dead short
rising
dead long
low
high:ຂສຖຜຝຫຫງຫຍໜໝຫວຫຼ
live
rising
mid
low
dead short
rising
dead
long
low
low:ຄງຊຍທນພຟມຣລວຮ
live
high
mid
falling
dead short
mid
dead long
falling
Notice that there are only two tone marks in Lao, ໄມ້ເອກ(ອ່) and ໄມ້ໂທ(ອ້). There are 15 possible tone combinations, and the ones that are the same as Thai are shaded green. Because tables are difficult to memorize, I recommend you just memorize these 12 syllables instead:
ປາ
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fish low
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ເປັດ
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duck rising
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ປາກ
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mouth low
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ໝາ
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dog rising
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ຜັກ
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vegetable rising
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ຫາດ
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beach low
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ແມວ
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cat high
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ນົກ
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bird mid
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ໂລກ
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world falling
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ເຈົ້າ
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you falling
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ຫ້ອງ
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room low
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ນ້ຳ
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water falling
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This, plus the fact that ໄມ້ເອກ always results in a mid tone, is all the information that you need. If you ever have trouble remembering the tone, just think of the corresponding representative word above, and you’re good. Of course, you can use different words if you prefer, this is just a suggestion. Alternatively, you could memorize these seven rules:
Rule 1 – Mid consonant live syllables are low tone.
ປາ fish mid + live = low
Rule 2 – High consonant live syllables are rising tone.
ໝາ dog high + live = rising
Rule 3 – Low consonant live syllables are high tone.
ແມວ cat low + live = high
Rule 4 – Dead syllables with short vowels are rising tone, except low consonants which are mid tone.
ເປັດ duck mid + dead + short = rising
ຜັກ vegetable high + dead + short = rising
ນົກ bird low + dead + short = mid
Rule 5 – Dead syllables with long vowels are low tone, except low consonants which are falling tone.
ປາກ mouth mid + dead + long = low
ຫາດ beach high + dead + long = low
ໂລກ world low + dead + long = falling
Rule 6 - ໄມ້ເອກ is only used on live syllables, and always makes them mid tone.
ໄກ່ chicken ໄມ້ເອກ = mid
Rule 7 - ໄມ້ໂທ is only used on live syllables, and makes them falling tone, except high consonants which it makes low tone.
ເຈົ້າ must ໄມ້ໂທ + mid = falling
ຫ້ອງ room ໄມ້ໂທ + high = low
ນ້ຳ water ໄມ້ໂທ + low = falling
That’s all. Now you can go out and practice reading Lao. Good luck!