Help:IPA for Thai and Lao

These charts illustrate International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols used for pronunciations of the Thai and Lao languages in Wikipedia articles.

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/) 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 — 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 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˨˩] or [aː˩] âː falling [aː˥˩] (Thai), high falling [aː˥˧] (Lao) a̭ː low falling [aː˧˩] (Lao only) áː high [aː˦˥] or [aː˥] ǎː rising [aː˩˩˦] or [aː˩˦]

Vowels IPA Thai Lao English approximation Short vowels a ◌ะ, ◌ั◌ ◌ະ, ◌ັ◌ cut e เ◌ะ, เ◌็◌ ເ◌ະ, ເ◌ັ◌ mate ɛ แ◌ะ, แ◌็◌ ແ◌ະ, ແ◌ັ◌ bat i ◌ิ, ◌ิ◌ ◌ິ happy o โ◌ะ, ◌◌ ໂ◌ະ, ◌ົ◌ boat without u sound ɔ เ◌าะ, ◌็อ◌ ◌ໍ lot u ◌ุ, ◌ุ◌ ◌ຸ shoot ɯ ◌ึ, ◌ึ◌ ◌ຶ Somewhat like North American good ɤ เ◌อะ ເ◌ິະ, ເ◌ິ◌ the Long vowels aː ◌า, ◌า◌ ◌າ bra eː เ◌, เ◌◌ ເ◌ play ɛː แ◌, แ◌◌ ແ◌ man iː ◌ี, ◌ี◌ ◌ີ green oː โ◌, โ◌◌ ໂ◌ go without u sound ɔː ◌อ, ◌อ◌ ◌ໍ, ◌ອ lawn uː ◌ู, ◌ู, ◌ູ moon ɯː ◌ือ, ◌ื◌ ◌ື Roughly like good ɤː เ◌อ, เ◌ิ◌ ເ◌ີ fur Diphthongs iaʔ, iəʔ เ◌ียะ ເ◌ັຽະ idea (shorter) ia, iə เ◌ีย, เ◌ีย◌ ເ◌ັຽ idea uaʔ, uəʔ ◌ัวะ ◌ົວະ poor (shorter) ua, uə ◌ัว, ◌ว◌ ◌ົວ poor (British English) ɯaʔ, ɯəʔ เ◌ือะ ເ◌ຶອະ adventure (shorter) ɯa, ɯə เ◌ือ, เ◌ือ◌ ເ◌ຶອ adventure

Notes