Editing Lao script (section)

== Vowels==
In its earlier form, Lao would be considered a full [[abugida]], in which the ''inherent vowel'' is embedded in the consonant letters. The 1975 spelling reform by the Lao government shallows the orthography: the main vowels are now written explicitly, but the rest of vowel diacritics still apply.<ref>Unicode Consortium. (2019). Lao. In ''The Unicode Standard Version 12.0'' (p. 635). Mountain View, CA: Unicode Consortium.</ref> However, many Lao outside of Laos, and some inside Laos, continue to write according to former spelling standards. For example, the old spelling of ສເຫຼີມ<ref>Allen Kerr, with the assistance of Sing Bourommavong, Houmpheng Phetmongkhonh, Samreung Singhavara, and Somsangouane Loungsisomkham, "Lao-English Dictionary" (1972, Catholic University Press, reprinted 1992 by White Lotus Co., Ltd., Bangkok)</ref> "to hold a ceremony, celebrate" contrasts with the new ສະເຫລີມ/ສະເຫຼີມ.<ref>William L. Patterson and Mario E. Severino, "Lao-English Dictionary" (1995, Dunwoody Press)</ref>

Vowels are constructed from only a handful of basic symbols, but they can be combined with other vowel forms and semi-vowels to represent the full repertoire of diphthongs and triphthongs used in the language.
Vowels cannot stand alone or begin a syllable, so the silent consonant ອ, which can function as a vowel in its own right, is used as a base when spelling a word that begins with a vowel sound.

The names of the vowels are just as easy as saying ''sala'' (ສະຫຼະ, {{IPA|lo|sā.lāʔ|}}) before the vowel sign.
Some vowels have unique names, and these are ໃ◌ (ໄມ້ມ້ວນ, {{IPA|/mâj mûan/}}, "rolled stem"), ໄ◌ (ໄມ້ມາຍ, {{IPA|/mâj máːj/}}, "unwound stem"), ◌ົ (ໄມ້ກົງ, . {{IPA|/mâj kòŋ/}}, "straight stem"), ◌ັ (ໄມ້ກັນ, . {{IPA|/mâj kàn/}}, "ear stem"), ◌ຽ (ວິລາມ, {{IPA|/wīʔ láːm/}}), and ◌ໍ (ນິກຄະຫິດ, {{IPA|/nīk kʰāʔ hǐt/}}).<ref>Southeast asian language resource lao dictionary. (2005). Retrieved from http://sealang.net/lao/dictionary.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612172359/http://sealang.net/lao/dictionary.htm |date=12 June 2010 }}</ref>

Although a dotted circle ◌ is used on this page to represent the consonant, in standard Lao orthography a small x symbol is used for this purpose.<ref name="DoES" />
Traditionally this was a simple, stylized, sans-serif x and it was included in Lao fonts before Unicode became widespread.
Unicode does not make it available as part of the Lao alphabet set, and a lower-case sans-serif x is often used instead.

Some vowels change their forms depending on whether they appear in the final or medial position.

=== Short and long vowels ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan=7|Short vowels!!rowspan=15| !!colspan=7|Long vowels
|-
!colspan=2|Letter!!rowspan=2|IPA!!rowspan=2|BGN/PCGN!!rowspan=2|LC!!rowspan=2|RTGS!!rowspan=2|Unicode
!colspan=2|Letter!!rowspan=2|IPA!!rowspan=2|BGN/PCGN!!rowspan=2|LC!!rowspan=2|RTGS!!rowspan=2|Unicode
|-
!Final!!Medial
!Final!!Medial
|- align=center
|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ະ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ັ◌</span>||{{IPA|/aʔ/}}, {{IPA|/a/}}||colspan=3|a||a
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌າ</span>||{{IPA|/aː/}}||a||ā||a||aa
|- align=center
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ິ</span>||{{IPA|/i/}}||colspan=3|i||i
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ີ</span>||{{IPA|/iː/}}||i||ī||i||ii
|- align=center
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ຶ</span>||{{IPA|/ɯ/}}||u||ư||ue||y
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ື</span>||{{IPA|/ɯː/}}||u||ư̄||ue||yy
|- align=center
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ຸ</span>||{{IPA|/u/}}||ou||u||u||u
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ູ</span>||{{IPA|/uː/}}||ou||ū||u||uu
|- align=center
|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ະ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ັ◌</span>||{{IPA|/eʔ/}}, {{IPA|/e/}}||é||e||e||
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌</span>||{{IPA|/eː/}}||é||ē||e||e
|- align=center
|<span style="font-size:190%;">ແ◌ະ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">ແ◌ັ◌</span>||{{IPA|/ɛʔ/}}, {{IPA|/ɛ/}}||è||æ||ae||
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">ແ◌</span>||{{IPA|/ɛː/}}||è||ǣ||ae||ei
|- align=center
|<span style="font-size:190%;">ໂ◌ະ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ົ◌</span>||{{IPA|/oʔ/}}, {{IPA|/o/}}||ô||o||o||
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">ໂ◌</span>||{{IPA|/oː/}}||ô||ō||o||o
|- align=center
|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌າະ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ັອ◌</span>||{{IPA|/ɔʔ/}}, {{IPA|/ɔ/}}||o||ǫ||o||
|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ໍ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ອ◌</span>||{{IPA|/ɔː/}}||o||ǭ||o||
|- align=center
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ິ</span>||{{IPA|/ɤʔ/}}||eu||œ||oe||
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ີ</span>||{{IPA|/ɤː/}}||eu||œ̄||oe||
|- align=center
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ັຍ</span>||{{IPA|/iaʔ/}}||colspan=3|ia||
|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ຍ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ຽ◌</span>||{{IPA|/ia/}}||ia||īa||ia||
|- align=center
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ຶອ</span>||{{IPA|/ɯaʔ/}}||ua||ưa||uea||
|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ືອ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ືອ◌</span>||{{IPA|/ɯa/}}||ua||ư̄a||uea||
|- align=center
|colspan=2|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ົວະ</span>||{{IPA|/uaʔ/}}||oua||ua||ua||
|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ົວ</span>||<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ວ◌ </span>||{{IPA|/ua/}}||oua||ūa||ua||
|}

=== Special vowels ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Letter!!IPA!!BGN/PCGN!!LC!!RTGS!!Unicode!!Old Alternative
|- align=center
|<span style="font-size:190%;">ໄ◌, ໃ◌<sup>*</sup></span>||{{IPA|/aj/}}||colspan=3|ai||ai ''or'' ay||<big>◌ັຍ</big>
|- align=center
|<span style="font-size:190%;">ເ◌ົາ</span>||{{IPA|/aw/}}||colspan=3|ao|| ||
|- align=center
|<span style="font-size:190%;">◌ໍາ</span>||{{IPA|/am/}}||colspan=3|am||||<big>◌ັມ</big>
|}

:<small><sup>*</sup> In the Northern ([[Luang Prabang]]) dialect of Lao, ໃ◌ is pronounced as {{IPA|[aɰ]}} rather than {{IPA|[aj]}}; similarly, in the Northeastern ([[Houaphanh Province|Houaphanh]]) dialect,  ໃ◌ is pronounced as {{IPA|/ɯ/}}.</small>

As in the neighboring [[Thai alphabet|Thai script]], [[Visarga|◌ະ]] is used to represent a [[glottal stop]] after a vowel.