Editing Isan language (section)

====Initials====
Isan shares its consonant inventory with the Lao language whence it derives. The [[stop consonant|plosive]] and [[affricate consonant|affricate]] consonants can be further divided into three [[voice-onset time]]s of [[voiced consonant|voiced]], [[tenuis consonant|tenuis]] and [[aspirated consonant|aspirated]] consonants. For example, Isan has the plosive set of voiced {{IPAslink|b}}, tenuis {{IPAslink|p}} which is like the 'p' in 'spin' and aspirated {{IPAslink|pʰ}} like the 'p' in 'puff'. Isan and Lao lack the sound {{IPAslink|tɕʰ}} and its allophone {{IPAslink|ʃ}} of Thai, replacing these sounds with {{IPAslink|s}} in analogous environments. Similarly, {{IPAslink|r}} is rare. Words in Isan and Lao cognate to Thai word with {{IPAslink|r}} have either {{IPAslink|h}} or {{IPAslink|l}} in their place, although educated speakers in Isan or Laos may pronounce some words with {{IPAslink|r}}. In Central and Southern Thai, words with {{IPAslink|r}} may be pronounced as {{IPAslink|l}} ([[lambdacism]]) in casual environments although this is frowned upon in formal or cultivated speech.

Unlike Central and Southern Thai, Isan and Lao have a {{IPAslink|j}}–{{IPAslink|ɲ}} distinction, whereas cognate words from Isan and Lao with {{IPAslink|ɲ}} are all {{IPAslink|j}} in Central and Southern Thai. Substitution of {{IPAslink|w}} with {{IPAslink|ʋ}}, which is not used in Thai, is common in large areas of both Laos and Isan but is not universal in either region, but is particularly associated with areas influenced by Vientiane and Central Lao dialects. The glottal stop occurs any time a word begins with a vowel, which is always built around a null consonant.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Isan consonant distribution with Thai and Lao alphabets.
! colspan="2" | 
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Dental consonant|Dental]]/[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! ([[Alveolo-palatal consonant|Alveolo-]]) [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPAslink|m}} ม, หม{{ref|ligature|4}}ມ, ໝ{{ref|ligature|4}}/ຫມ{{ref|ligature|4}}
| {{IPAslink|n}} ณ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, น, หน{{ref|ligature|4}}ນ, ໜ{{ref|ligature|4}}/ຫນ{{ref|ligature|4}}
| {{IPAslink|ɲ}}{{ref|NotThai|2}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoFinal|5}} ญ{{ref|ThaiY|3}}, ย{{ref|ThaiY|3}}, หญ{{ref|ThaiY|3}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|ligature|4}}, หย{{ref|ThaiY|3}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|ligature|4}}ຍ{{ref|LaoFinal|5}}, ຫຽ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}/ຫຍ{{ref|ligature|4}}
| {{IPAslink|ŋ}} ง, หง{{ref|ligature|4}}ງ, ຫງ{{ref|ligature|4}}
|
|-
! rowspan="3" | [[Plosive]]/<br>[[Affricate]]
! <small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
| {{IPAslink|p}} ป ປ
| {{IPAslink|t}} ฏ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}},ต ຕ
| {{IPAslink|tɕ}} จ ຈ
| {{IPAslink|k}} ก ກ
| {{IPAslink|ʔ}}{{ref|glottalstop|10}} อ{{ref|glottalstop|10}} ອ{{ref|glottalstop|10}}
|-
! <small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]] [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]]</small>
| {{IPAslink|pʰ}} ผ, พ, ภ
ຜ, ພ
| {{IPAslink|tʰ}} ฐ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ฑ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ฒ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ถ, ท, ธ
ຖ, ທ
| {{IPAslink|tɕʰ}}{{ref|ThaiCH|6}} ฉ{{ref|ThaiCH|6}}, ช{{ref|ThaiCH|6}}, ฌ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|ThaiCH|6}}ຊ{{ref|ThaiCH|6}}
| {{IPAslink|kʰ}} ข, ฃ{{ref|obsolete|7}}, ค, ฅ{{ref|obsolete|7}}, ฆ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}ຂ, ຄ
|
|-
! <small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
| {{IPAslink|b}} บ ບ
| {{IPAslink|d}} ฎ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ด ດ
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
| {{IPAslink|f}} ฝ, ฟ
ຝ, ຟ
| {{IPAslink|s}} ซ, ศ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ษ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ส
ສ, ຊ
|
| {{IPAblink|x}}{{ref|Dialect|13}} ข, ฃ{{ref|obsolete|7}}, ค, ฅ{{ref|obsolete|7}}, ฆ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}ຂ, ຄ
| {{IPAslink|h}} ห, ฮ{{ref|LaoH|9}}ຫ, ຮ{{ref|LaoH|9}}
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
| {{IPAblink|ʋ}}{{ref|NotThai|2}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoFinal|5}} ว{{ref|LaoFinal|5}}, หว{{ref|ligature|4}}ວ{{ref|LaoFinal|5}}, ຫວ{{ref|ligature|4}}
| {{IPAslink|l}} ล, ฬ{{ref|Sanskrit|1}}, ร{{ref|informal|12}}, หล{{ref|ligature|4}}, หร{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|informal|12}}ຣ{{ref|OldLao|11}}, ລ, ຫຼ{{ref|ligature|4}}/ຫລ{{ref|ligature|4}}, ຫຼ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}/ຫຣ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}
| {{IPAslink|j}} ย, อย, หย{{ref|ligature|4}}ຢ, ຫຽ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}
| {{IPAslink|w}} ว, หว{{ref|ligature|4}}ວ, ຫວ{{ref|ligature|4}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]/[[Liquid consonant|Liquid]]
|
| {{IPAslink|r}}{{ref|LaoR|8}} ร{{ref|LaoR|8}}, หร{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoR|8}}
ຣ{{ref|LaoR|8}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}, ຫຼ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoR|8}}/ຫຣ{{ref|ligature|4}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|LaoR|8}}<sup>,</sup>{{ref|OldLao|11}}
|
|
|
|}
*{{note|Sanskrit|1}} Only used in Sanskrit or Pali loan words.
*{{note|NotThai|2}} Unique to Isan and Lao, does not occur in Thai but {{IPAslink|ʋ}} is only an allophone of {{IPAslink|w}} whereas {{IPAslink|ɲ}} is phonemic.
*{{note|ThaiY|3}} Central and Southern Thai spelling does not distinguish {{IPAslink|j}} from {{IPAslink|ɲ}}.
*{{note|ligature|4}} Lao ligature of silent {{IPAslink|h}} (ຫ) or digraph; Thai digraph with silent {{IPAslink|h}} (ห).
*{{note|LaoFinal|5}} Only as syllable-initial consonants.
*{{note|ThaiCH|6}} Use of {{IPAslink|tɕʰ}} is Thai interference in Isan and rare in Laos, usually interference from a northern tribal Tai language, almost always {{IPAslink|s}}.
*{{note|obsolte|7}} Still taught as part of the alphabet, 'ฃ' and 'ฅ' are obsolete and have been replaced by 'ข' and 'ค', respectively.
*{{note|LaoR|8}} Mark of interference from Isan or erudition in Laos. Usually replaced by {{IPAslink|l}} and even by 'ລ' {{IPAslink|l}} in modern Lao writing.
*{{note|LaoH|9}} Used to mark {{IPAslink|h}} in words that are etymologically {{IPAslink|r}}.
*{{note|glottalstop|10}} All words that begin with vowels must be written with the anchor consonant and are pronounced with a glottal stop.
*{{note|OldLao|11}} Generally used in pre-1970s Lao.
*{{note|informal|12}} Only in very casual, informal Thai.
*{{note|Dialect|13}} Allophone of {{IPAslink|kʰ}} in some dialects.