Lao Language
& Script
ພາສາ ແລະ ອັກສອນລາວ
The Lao language is spoken by over 30 million people across Laos and northeastern Thailand. Its script — one of the most elegant in Southeast Asia — descended from ancient Indian Brahmi writing and was developed to transmit the words of the Buddha. A beginner’s guide to the language at the heart of Lao Buddhist culture.
A script born to carry
the Buddha’s words
ອັກສອນທີ່ເກີດມາ ເພື່ອ ຮັກສາ ພຣະທຳ
Lao (ພາສາລາວ · Phasa Lao) is a member of the Tai-Kadai language family, closely related to Thai and the Isan dialect of northeastern Thailand. It is a tonal language with six tones — meaning the same syllable spoken at different pitches carries entirely different meanings. It is spoken by approximately 7 million people in the Lao PDR and an estimated 20+ million in northeastern Thailand (Isan), plus diaspora communities worldwide.
The Lao script (ອັກສອນລາວ) is an abugida — a writing system in which consonants carry an inherent vowel that can be modified by additional vowel markers. It is written left to right without spaces between words. Like all the scripts of mainland Southeast Asia, it descended from the ancient Indian Brahmi script through the Pallava and Old Khmer writing systems — arriving in Laos through the Mon and Khmer Buddhist cultural influence. The script was developed and standardized to transmit Buddhist scripture, and the oldest surviving Lao texts are Buddhist texts inscribed on stone and palm leaves.
The Lao alphabet — consonants
ພະຍັນຊະນະລາວThe Lao alphabet has 27 consonants grouped into three classes (high, mid, low) that determine the tone of the syllable. Here are the most common initial consonants with their romanized pronunciation:
| Lao | Romanization | Sound (approx.) | Example word |
|---|---|---|---|
| ກ | k | as in “go” | ກິນ (kin) — to eat |
| ຂ | kh | aspirated k | ຂອບໃຈ (khob jai) — thank you |
| ງ | ng | as in “sing” | ງາມ (ngam) — beautiful |
| ຈ | ch/j | as in “joy” | ຈ່ວຍ (chuai) — to help |
| ນ | n | as in “no” | ນ້ຳ (nam) — water |
| ບ | b | as in “boy” | ບ້ານ (ban) — village/home |
| ພ | ph | aspirated p | ພຣະ (phra) — monk |
| ມ | m | as in “me” | ເມືອງ (mueang) — city/land |
| ລ | l | as in “love” | ລາວ (lao) — Lao |
| ວ | v/w | as in “very” | ວັດ (wat) — temple |
| ສ | s | as in “see” | ສາທຸ (sadhu) — well done |
| ຫ | h | as in “he” | ຫຼວງ (luang) — great/royal |
Essential Lao words — for Buddhist life
ຄຳສໍາຄັນ ທີ່ໃຊ້ ໃນຊີວິດ ສາສະໜາThroughout this site, Lao script appears alongside every English passage — using the font Noto Serif Lao, which displays Lao characters correctly on all modern devices. Reading the Lao text even without full comprehension is valuable — it familiarizes the eye with the script’s character and rhythm. LaoDharma.org is committed to bilingual presentation as a form of cultural preservation: the English makes the content accessible globally; the Lao ensures the tradition is honored in its own voice.