Lao alphabet: every letter to copy
Lao (ພາສາລາວ) is the official language of Laos and is also spoken in northeast Thailand, where it is often called Isan. Around 30 million people speak Lao or closely related dialects. The Lao script is related to Thai, but its letters are rounder and simpler. This page lists the Lao consonants from ກ to ຮ, vowel signs, tone marks, Lao digits and signs.
Tap any letter to copy it.
What you will find
- Consonants: ກ ຂ ຄ ງ ຈ ສ ຊ ຍ ດ ຕ ຖ ທ ນ ບ ປ ຜ ຝ ພ ຟ ມ ຢ ຣ ລ ວ ຫ ອ ຮ.
- Vowels: ະ າ ິ ີ ຶ ື ຸ ູ ເ ແ ໂ ໃ ໄ and more.
- Tone marks: ່ ້ ໊ ໋.
- Digits: ໐ ໑ ໒ ໓ ໔ ໕ ໖ ໗ ໘ ໙.
- Signs: ໆ repeat mark, ຯ ellipsis and ₭ kip.
Lao and Thai
Lao and Thai come from the same older script, so many letters look alike, and speakers can often understand each other. Lao has fewer consonants, because spelling was simplified to match how words sound. Lao letters are also rounder and have fewer small loops. If you read Thai, you will recognise many Lao letters, and the opposite is true too.
Vowels and tones
Like Thai, Lao vowels can be written before, after, above or below a consonant. Lao has six tones in the Vientiane dialect, shown by a mix of consonant class, vowel length and tone marks. When you copy a vowel or tone mark alone, it may show on a dotted circle. Paste it next to a consonant and it lines up correctly.
Writing without spaces
Lao is written without spaces between words. Spaces mark the end of a phrase or sentence. This makes Lao look like a continuous flow of letters, which is beautiful but can be tricky for learners.
Lao digits and the kip
Lao has its own digits ໐ ໑ ໒ ໓ ໔ ໕ ໖ ໗ ໘ ໙, though 0 to 9 is common in daily life. The Lao kip sign ₭ is used for prices. The repeat mark ໆ doubles the word before it.
Typing Lao
Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone include Lao keyboards. Older Lao fonts may not show every character, so if you see boxes, update your device. For a single letter, tone mark or digit, copy it from this page.
Lao for travellers
Visitors to Vientiane and Luang Prabang often learn a few Lao words, like ຂອບໃຈ (khop chai, thank you) and ສະບາຍດີ (sabaidee, hello). Copy letters here to make flashcards, read menus or send greetings for Lao New Year (Pi Mai) in April.
Frequently asked questions
- How many consonants does Lao have?
- Modern Lao uses 27 consonant letters, plus a few combined forms.
- Is Lao the same as Thai?
- No, but they are closely related. Many letters look similar and speakers can often understand each other.
- Does Lao use spaces between words?
- No. Spaces separate phrases and sentences, not words.
- What is the symbol for the Lao kip?
- The kip sign is ₭.
- How do I say hello in Lao?
- Hello is ສະບາຍດີ (sabaidee).