Lao romanization systems are transcriptions of the Lao script into the Latin alphabet.
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 | pronounced as //k// | k | pronounced as //k̚// | k | |||
| ຂ | pronounced as //kʰ// | kh | — | — | |||
| ຄ | pronounced as //kʰ// | kh | — | — | |||
| ງ | pronounced as //ŋ// | ng | pronounced as //ŋ// | ng | |||
| ຈ | pronounced as //tɕ// | ch | — | — | — | ||
| ສ | pronounced as //s// | s | — | — | — | ||
| ຊ | pronounced as //s// | x | s | — | — | — | |
| ຍ | pronounced as //ɲ// | gn | ny | pronounced as //j// | y | y | |
| ດ | pronounced as //d// | d | pronounced as //t̚// | t | d | ||
| ຕ | pronounced as //t// | t | — | — | |||
| ຖ | pronounced as //tʰ// | th | — | — | — | ||
| ທ | pronounced as //tʰ// | th | — | — | — | ||
| ນ | pronounced as //n// | n | pronounced as //n// | ne | n | ||
| ບ | pronounced as //b// | b | pronounced as //p̚// | p | b | ||
| ປ | pronounced as //p// | p | — | — | |||
| ຜ | pronounced as //pʰ// | ph | — | — | — | ||
| ຝ | pronounced as //f// | f | — | — | — | ||
| ພ | pronounced as //pʰ// | ph | — | — | — | ||
| ຟ | pronounced as //f// | f | — | — | — | ||
| ມ | pronounced as //m// | m | pronounced as //m// | m | |||
| ຢ | pronounced as //j// | y | — | — | — | ||
| ຣ | pronounced as //r/, /l// | r | — | — | — | ||
| ລ | pronounced as //l// | l | — | — | — | ||
| ວ | pronounced as //ʋ/, /w// | v | v, w | pronounced as //w// | w | w | |
| ຫ | pronounced as //h// | h | — | — | — | ||
| ອ | pronounced as //ʔ// | — | — | — | — | ||
| ຮ | pronounced as //h// | h | h | — | — | ||
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 | pronounced as //a// | a | a | a | ກາ | pronounced as //aː// | a | ā | aa | |||||||||||
| ກິ | pronounced as //i// | i | i | i | ກີ | pronounced as //iː// | i | ī | ii | ເກັຽະ/ເກັຍ | pronounced as //iaʔ// | ia | ia | ເກັຽ/ເກຍ/ກຽກ | pronounced as //ia// | ia | īa | |||
| ກຶ | pronounced as //ɯ// | u | ư | y | ກື | pronounced as //ɯː// | u | ư̄ | yy | ເກຶອ | pronounced as //ɯaʔ// | ua | ưa | ເກືອ | pronounced as //ɯa// | ua | ư̄a | |||
| ກຸ | pronounced as //u// | ou | u | u | ກູ | pronounced as //uː// | ou | ū | uu | ກົວະ | pronounced as //uaʔ// | oua | ua | ກົວ/ ກວກ | pronounced as //ua// | oua | ūa | |||
| ເກະ/ເກັກ | pronounced as //e// | é | e | ເກ | pronounced as //eː// | é | ē | e | ||||||||||||
| ແກະ/ແກັກ | pronounced as //ɛ// | è | æ | ແກ | pronounced as //ɛː// | è | ǣ | ei | ||||||||||||
| ໂກະ/ກົກ | pronounced as //o// | ô | o | ໂກ | pronounced as //oː// | ô | ō | o | ||||||||||||
| ເກາະ/ກັອກ | pronounced as //ɔ// | o | o̜ | ກໍ/ກອກ | pronounced as //ɔː// | o | ō̜ | |||||||||||||
| ເກິ/ເກິະ | pronounced as //ɤ// | eu | œ | ເກີ | pronounced as //ɤː// | eu | œ̄ | |||||||||||||
| ໄກ/ໃກ/ກັຍ | pronounced as //aj// | ai | ai | ai/ay | ກາຍ/ກາຽ | pronounced as //aːj// | ai | āi | ||||||||||||
| ເກົາ | pronounced as //aw// | ao | ao | |||||||||||||||||
| ກໍາ | pronounced as //am// | am | am | am |