Laotisches Alphabet

The Lao alphabet was standardized in the 14th century, when the separated lands of the Mekong Valley were united under the rule of the Kingdom of Lan Xang. It originated from  Khmer 1780–17DD , which evolved from  Brahmi 11000–1104D . Therefore, it is a constant-syllabic abugida.

Lao writing is similar to Thai. They have common ancestors and similar fonts. There are fewer different letters denoting one sound in the Lao alphabet, and the symbols are more rounded. Thanks to the reform carried out in the 60s, spelling is simpler and closer to pronunciation. Just like in  Thai 0E01–0E4F , Lao vowels are indicated by diacritical marks that are placed around the consonant. When only a vowel needs to be displayed, it is written together with a silent consonant.

The letters in this alphabet are not divided into uppercase and lowercase, written from left to right. There are no spaces between words.