Romanization of Lao
Lao romanization systems are transcriptions of the Lao alphabet 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.
| Character | Initial position | Final position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPA | BGN | LC | IPA | BGN | LC | |
| ກ | /k/ | k | /k/ | k | ||
| ຂ | /kʰ/ | kh | /k/ | k | ||
| ຄ | /kʰ/ | kh | /k/ | k | ||
| ງ | /ŋ/ | ng | /ŋ/ | ng | ||
| ຈ | /tɕ/ | ch | /t/ | t | c | |
| ສ | /s/ | s | /t/ | t | s | |
| ຊ | /s/ | x | s | /t/ | t | s |
| ຍ | /ɲ/ | gn | ny | – | – | ny |
| ດ | /d/ | d | /t/ | t | d | |
| ຕ | /t/ | t | /t/ | t | ||
| ຖ | /tʰ/ | th | /t/ | t | th | |
| ທ | /tʰ/ | th | /t/ | t | th | |
| ນ | /n/ | n | /n/ | ne | n | |
| ບ | /b/ | b | /p/ | p | b | |
| ປ | /p/ | p | /p/ | p | ||
| ຜ | /pʰ/ | ph | – | – | ph | |
| ຝ | /f/ | f | /p/ | p | f | |
| ພ | /pʰ/ | ph | /p/ | p | ph | |
| ຟ | /f/ | f | /p/ | p | f | |
| ມ | /m/ | m | /m/ | m | ||
| ຢ | /j/ | y | – | – | y | |
| ຣ | /r/,/l/ | r | /n/ | ne | n, r | |
| ລ | /l/ | l | /n/ | ne | n, l | |
| ວ | /ʋ/,/w/ | v | v, w | – | – | w |
| ຫ | /h/ | h | – | – | h | |
| ອ | /ʔ/ | – | – | – | o, – | |
| ຮ | /h/ | h | – | – | h | |
Vowel nuclei[]
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/ກັຽກ | /iə/ | ia | ia | ເກັຽ/ກຽກ | ia | īa | |||
| ກຶ | /ɯ/ | u | ư | y | ກື | /ɯː/ | u | ư̄ | yy | ເກຶອະ/ເກຶອກ | /ɯə/ | ua | ưa | ເກືອ | ua | ư̄a | |||
| ກຸ | /u/ | ou | u | u | ກູ | /uː/ | ou | ū | uu | ກົວະ/ກັວກ | /uə/ | oua | ua | ກົວ/ ກວກ | 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 | o̜ | ກໍ/ກອກ | /ɔː/ | o | ō̜ | ||||||||||||
| ເກິະ/ເກິກ | /ɤ/ | eu | œ | ເກີ/ ເກືກ | /ɤː/ | eu | œ̄ | ||||||||||||
| ໄກ/ໃກ/ກັຍ | /ai/ | ai | ai | ai/ay | ກາຍ/ກາຽ | /ai/ | āi | ||||||||||||
| ເກົາ | /au/ | ao | ao | ||||||||||||||||
| ກໍາ | /am/ | am | am | am |
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.
Categories:
- Lao language
- Romanization
- BGN/PCGN romanization