Help:IPA/Lao

These charts illustrate International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols used for pronunciations of the Lao/Isan (Lao script for Nongkhai-Vientiane dialect, a standard Lao in Laos; Thai script for Isan is from Khonkaen dialect, a standard Lao in Thailand) and Phu Thai in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see {{IPA-lo}}, and Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation § Entering IPA characters.

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 ຣ,ລ,ຫຼ,ຫຣ 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 — ร,หร — trilled r ɾ — ร,หร — butter s ສ,ຊ ฉ,ช,ฌ ,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 — ฉ,ช,ฌ — somewhat like cheese; like Mandarin qing w ວ,ຫວ ว,หว ว,หว way ʔ ອ อ, ะ อ, ะ the catch in uh'-oh   Tone IPA Description aː = āː mid [aː˧] àː low [aː˨˩] or [aː˩] âː high falling [aː˥˧] a̭ː low falling [aː˧˩] áː high [aː˦˥] or [aː˥] ǎː rising [aː˩˩˦] or [aː˩˦]

Vowels IPA Lao Isan/Phu Thai English approximation Short vowels 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◌ off u ◌ຸ ◌ุ, ◌ุ◌ shoot ɯ ◌ຶ ◌ึ, ◌ึ◌ Somewhat like North American good. [u] said with unrounded lips ɤ ເ◌ິະ, 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, ◌ื◌ Roughly like good ɤː ເ◌ີ เ◌อ, เ◌ิ◌ fur Diphthongs iaʔ, iəʔ ເ◌ັຽະ เ◌ียะ idea (shorter) ia, iə ເ◌ັຽ เ◌ีย, เ◌ีย◌ idea uaʔ, uəʔ ◌ົວະ ◌ัวะ poor (shorter) ua, uə ◌ົວ ◌ัว, ◌ว◌ poor (British English) ɯaʔ, ɯəʔ ເ◌ຶອະ เ◌ือะ pure (shorter) ɯa, ɯə ເ◌ຶອ เ◌ือ, เ◌ือ◌ pure (British English)