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