Editing Isan language (section)

====Clusters====
Consonant clusters are rare in spoken Lao as they disappear shortly after the adoption of writing. In native words, only /kw/ and /kʰw/ are permissible, but these can only occur before certain vowels due to the [[diphthongization]] that occurs before the vowels /aC/, /am/, /aː/ and /aːj/. Isan speakers, who are educated in Thai and often use Thai spelling of etymological vocabulary to transcribe Isan, will generally not pronounce consonant clusters but may do so when code-switching to Thai or when pronouncing high-brow words of Sanskrit, Pali or Khmer derivation. Lao speakers from Laos will sometimes pronounce clusters in these borrowed loan words, but this is restricted to aging speakers of the Laotian diaspora.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Lack of consonant clusters in Isan 
|-
! colspan="2" | Isan
! colspan="2" | Thai
! colspan="2" | Lao
! colspan="2" | Isan
! colspan="2" | Thai
! colspan="2" | Lao
! colspan="2" | Isan
! colspan="2" | Thai
! colspan="2" | Lao
|-
| ก
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/k/}}
| ก
| {{IPA|/k/}}
| rowspan="3" | ກ
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/k/}}
| ค
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/kʰ/}}
| ค
| {{IPA|/kʰ/}}
| rowspan="3" | ຄ
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/kʰ/}}
| ป
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/p/}}
| ป
| {{IPA|/p/}}
| rowspan="3" | ປ
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/p/}}<br />
|-
| กร
| กร
| {{IPA|/kr/}}
| คร
| คร
| {{IPA|/kʰr/}}
| ปร
| ปร
| {{IPA|/pr/}}
|-
| กล
| กล
| {{IPA|/kl/}}
| คล
| คล
| {{IPA|/kʰl/}}
| ปล
| ปล
| /pl/
|-
| กว{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| {{IPA|/kw/}}{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| กว
| /kw/
| ກວ{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| {{IPA|/kw/}}{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| คว{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| {{IPA|/kʰw/}}{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| คว
| {{IPA|/kʰw/}}
| ຄວ{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| /kʰw/{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| ผ
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/pʰ/}}
| ผ
| {{IPA|/pʰ/}}
| rowspan="2" | ຜ
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/pʰ/}}
|-
| ข
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/kʰ/}}
| ข
| {{IPA|/kʰ/}}
| rowspan="3" | ຂ
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/kʰ/}}
| ต
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/t/}}
| ต
| {{IPA|/t/}}
| rowspan="2" | ຕ
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA|/t/}}
| ผล
| ผล
| {{IPA|/pʰl/}}
|-
| ขร
| ขร
| {{IPA|/kʰr/}}
| ตร
| ตร
| {{IPA|/tr/}}
| พ
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/pʰ/}}
| พ
| {{IPA|/pʰ/}}
| rowspan="3" | ພ
| rowspan="3" | {{IPA|/pʰ/}}
|-
| ขล
| ขล
| {{IPA|/kʰl/}}
| rowspan="2" colspan="6" | 
| พร
| พร
| {{IPA|/pʰr/}}
|-
| ขว{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| {{IPA|/kʰw/}}{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| ขว
| {{IPA|/kʰw/}}
| ຂວ{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| {{IPA|/kʰw}}/{{ref|LaoDiph|1}}
| พล
| พล
| {{IPA|/pʰl/}}
|}
*{{note|LaoDiph|1}} Before /aC/, /aː/, /aːj/ and /am/ [[diphthongization]] occurs which assimilates the {{IPA|/w/}} so it is only a true cluster in other vowel environments, only occurs in Isan and Lao.