Lao Alphabet: Complete Guide to the 27 Consonants

The Lao alphabet looks like art. Its graceful, looping characters are closely related to Thai script, and learners of one often find the other familiar.

Good news for learners: Lao has fewer consonants than Thai (27 vs 44), making it one of the more approachable Southeast Asian scripts. But like Thai, it's a tonal language with a class system that determines how tones work.

Lao has 13 vowels and 27 consonants (5 high, 8 middle, 14 low class) and 5 tone marks for 6 tones.

Overview of the Lao Script

Lao is an abugida - each consonant carries an inherent vowel sound that can be modified by vowel signs and tone marks. The script descended from ancient Brahmi through the Khmer script.

The most important concept is the consonant class system - every consonant belongs to one of three classes (high, middle, low), which affects tone pronunciation.

The Three Consonant Classes

Like Thai, Lao divides consonants into three classes that determine tone rules:

The class system means the same tone mark produces different tones depending on the consonant's class.

The 27 Consonants

High Class

Middle Class

Low Class

The 6 Tones

Lao has six distinct tones. Unlike Chinese, where tone marks appear on every syllable, Lao tones are determined by a combination of:

1. Consonant class (high/middle/low)
2. Vowel length (short/long)
3. Syllable type (live/dead)
4. Tone marks (if present)

Tone Marks

Lao uses four tone marks placed above the consonant:

Vowels

Lao vowels can appear in different positions around the consonant:

Relationship to Thai

Lao and Thai scripts share a common ancestor and are remarkably similar:

If you know Thai, you'll recognize many Lao letters immediately. The differences are mostly in style - Lao letters tend to be rounder and more flowing.

Learning Tips

What's Easier About Lao

• Fewer consonants than Thai (27 vs 44)
• Simplified spelling - Lao underwent spelling reforms
• Phonetic consistency - less historical spelling
• Similar to Thai - transferable skills

What's Challenging

• Six tones - one more than Thai
• Consonant classes - affects tone rules
• Limited learning resources - fewer than Thai
• Vowel positioning - takes practice to read fluently

Recommended Learning Order

1. First: Master the 5 basic vowels (ະ, າ, ິ, ີ, ຸ)
2. Second: Learn middle class consonants (easiest tones)
3. Third: Add high class consonants
4. Fourth: Learn low class consonants
5. Fifth: Practice tone rules with simple words

Common Words to Practice

Practice Tools

Quick Reference

All 27 Consonants by Class

High Class:

Middle Class:

Low Class:

Ready to start? Our Lao Script Display tool lets you look up all 27 consonants with pronunciation and character details.