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.