| Consonants |
| IPA | Thai | Lao | English equivalent |
| b |
บ | ບ | abash |
| d |
ฎ,ด | ດ | ado |
| f |
ฝ,ฟ | ຝ,ຟ | food |
| h |
ห,ฮ | ຫ,ຮ | head |
| j |
ญ,ย,อย,หย | ຢ | yak |
| k |
ก | ກ | scan |
| kʰ |
ข,ฃ,ค,ฅ,ฆ | ຂ,ຄ | can |
| l |
ล,ฬ,หล | ລ,ຫຼ | leaf |
| m |
ม,หม | ມ,ໝ | much |
| n |
ณ,น,หน | ນ,ໜ | not |
| ŋ |
ง,หง | ງ,ຫງ | bang |
| ɲ |
— | ຍ,ຫຍ | canyon (Lao only) |
| p |
ป | ປ | span |
| pʰ |
ผ,พ,ภ | ຜ,ພ | pan |
| r |
ร,หร | ຣ,ຫຼ ,ຫຣ | trilled r |
| s |
ซ,ศ,ษ,ส | ສ,ຊ | sue |
| t |
ฏ,ต | ຕ | stable |
| tʰ |
ฐ,ฑ,ฒ,ถ,ท,ธ | ຖ,ທ | table |
| tɕ |
จ | ຈ | catch |
| tɕʰ |
ฉ, ช, ฌ | — | choose |
| w |
ว,หว | ວ,ຫວ | way, quick |
| ʔ |
อ, ะ | ອ | the catch in uh-oh |
| |
| Tone |
| IPA | Description |
| aː = āː |
mid [aː˧] |
| àː |
low [aː˨˩] |
| âː |
falling [aː˥˩] (Thai), high falling [aː˥˧] (Lao) |
| a̭ː |
low falling [aː˧˩] (Lao only) |
| áː |
high [aː˦˥] |
| ǎː |
mid rising [aː˨˦] |
|
| Vowels |
| IPA | Thai[1] | Lao | English equivalent |
| Short vowels |
| a |
◌ะ, ั◌ | ◌ະ, ັ◌ | far |
| e |
เ◌ะ, เั◌ | ເ◌ະ, ເັ◌ | let |
| ɛ |
แ◌ะ, แั◌ | ແ◌ະ, ແັ◌ | mat |
| i |
ิ | ິ | feet |
| o |
โ◌ะ | ໂ◌ະ, ົ◌ | boat |
| ɔ |
เ◌าะ | ໍ | lot |
| u |
ุ | ຸ | book |
| ɯ |
ึ | ຶ | luck |
| ɤ |
เ◌อะ, เิ◌ | ເິະ, ເິ◌ | hut |
| Long vowels |
| aː |
◌า | ◌າ | bra |
| eː |
เ◌ | ເ◌ | plain |
| ɛː |
แ◌ | ແ◌ | pan |
| iː |
ี | ີ | green |
| oː |
โ◌ | ໂ◌ | home |
| ɔː |
◌อ | ໍ, ◌ອ | lawn |
| uː |
ู | ູ | moon |
| ɯː |
ื | ື | lure |
| ɤː |
เ◌อ | ເີ | fur |
| Diphthongs[2] |
| iə |
เียะ | ເັຽະ | |
| iːə |
เีย | ເັຽ | beer |
| uə |
ัวะ | ົວະ | |
| uːə |
ัว | ົວ | poor |
| ɯə |
เือะ | ເຶອະ | |
| ɯːə |
เือ | ເຶອ | pure |
|