Editing Khmer script (section)

=== Variation in pronunciation ===
The aspirated consonant letters (''kh-'', ''chh-'', ''th-'', ''ph-'') are pronounced with aspiration only before a vowel. There is also slight aspiration with ''k'', ''ch'', ''t'' and ''p'' sounds before [[Khmer language#Consonants|certain consonants]], but this is regardless of whether they are spelt with a letter that indicates aspiration.

A Khmer word cannot end with more than one consonant sound, so subscript consonants at the end of words (which appear for etymological reasons) are not pronounced, although they may come to be pronounced when the same word begins a compound.

In some words, a single medial consonant symbol represents both the final consonant of one syllable and the initial consonant of the next.

The letter {{lang|km|ប}} ''bâ'' represents {{IPA|[ɓ]}} only before a vowel. When final or followed by a subscript consonant, it is pronounced {{IPA|[p]}} (and in the case where it is followed by a subscript consonant, it is also romanized as ''p'' in the UN system). For modification to ''p'' by means of a diacritic, see [[#Supplementary consonants|Supplementary consonants]]. The letter, which represented /p/ in Indic scripts, also often maintains the {{IPA|[p]}} sound in certain words borrowed from Sanskrit and Pali.

The letters {{lang|km|ដ}} ''dâ'' and {{lang|km|ឌ}} ''dô'' are pronounced {{IPA|[t]}} when final. The letter {{lang|km|ត}} ''tâ'' is pronounced {{IPA|[ɗ]}} in initial position in a weak syllable ending with a nasal.

In final position, letters representing a {{IPA|[k]}} sound (''k-'', ''kh-'') are pronounced as a glottal stop {{IPA|[ʔ]}} after the vowels {{IPA|[ɑː]}}, {{IPA|[aː]}}, {{IPA|[iə]}}, {{IPA|[ɨə]}}, {{IPA|[uə]}}, {{IPA|[ɑ]}}, {{IPA|[a]}}, {{IPA|[ĕə]}}, {{IPA|[ŭə]}}. The letter {{lang|km|រ}} ''{{transliteration|km|rô}}'' is silent when final (in most dialects; see [[Northern Khmer language|Northern Khmer]]). The letter {{lang|km|ស}} ''{{transliteration|km|sâ}}'' when final is pronounced {{IPA|/h/}} (which in this position approaches {{IPA|[ç]}}).