Laos is in the heart of Southeast Asia, sitting between Thailand and Vietnam. Laos is known for its rich culture and beautiful landmarks. It holds two massive waterfalls, Tad Fane and Don Hua Sao. This country is home to 7.5 million people. Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian, is used around the world, including the United States. Approximately two hundred thousand ethnic Laotians are in the U.S., while eleven thousand Americans are of mixed Lao. Understanding Lao speech and language development is essential for speech-language pathologists working with Lao-speaking clients, as it provides insight into both linguistic structure and the cultural values that influence communication styles and language acquisition.
Laotians speak the language of Laos, a tonal language that includes six tones. It combines the Tai and Kra-Dai languages, which originated in southern China. Seven million speak the language of Laos in the home country. Three million people around the world speak the language of Laos. Lao is the official language of the Isaan region of northeastern Thailand, known as Thailand’s largest region.
As for the writing system for the language of Laos, it includes two different scripts called the Lao and Akson scripts. The Lao script originated from the Khmer script written by the Theravada Buddhists in the 14th century. The orthography of the Laos language includes more symbols than sounds. A common Laos word consists of consonants, vowels, and tone markers.
In this essay, we will explore Lao speech and language development, examining how its tonal structure, oral traditions, and cultural influences shape communication and learning within Lao communities.
Interesting Facts About Lao Speech and Language Development
- Before starting a conversation with someone, an individual will say several words for the speaking partner to know the social rank of that individual. If the speaking partner is unclear about the social status rank, they will not respond to continue the conversation.
- Instead of using letters, the Laotian language uses symbols to create words and sentences. The Laos language’s orthography includes more symbols than sounds.
- Lao is a tonal language, meaning that changing the pitch of a word can completely change its meaning. Depending on the Laotian dialect, there are five or six tones.
- Buddhist monks in Laos are often fluent in Pali, the sacred language of Theravāda Buddhism, which influences many Lao religious terms and chants.
- The Lao lunar calendar influences cultural life and festivals, with songs, chants, and prayers often recited during the Lao New Year (Pi Mai).
- Laos has no word for “please” in the Western sense, but politeness is built into the structure of speech through tone, phrasing, and social rituals.
- In daily conversation, Lao speakers often use onamatopoeia and playful rhyming, especially with children—adding fun and musicality to the language.
- Because Lao has no spaces between words in writing, children and language learners must develop a strong sense of phrasing and context to read fluently.
Lao Speech and Language Development
Lao Consonants in Comparison to English
| Lao Consonants Not Shared with English | Aspirated voiceless stops: /pʰ, tʰ, kʰ/; voiceless alveolo-palatal affricates: /tɕ, tɕʰ/; voiceless glottal fricative /ɦ/; palatal nasal /ɲ/; labial approximant /ʋ/ (distinct from /v/, /w/) |
| Consonants Shared With English | /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/, /f/, /s/, /h/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /j/, /l/ |
| English Consonants Not Shared with Lao | /v/ (English approximant), /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/, /ð/, /θ/, /ɹ/, /w/ |
Lao Vowels in Comparison to English
| Lao Vowels Not Shared with English | Phonemic long vs. short vowel pairs (/iː, uː, eː, oː, aː/) and diphthongs (/iə̯, uə̯, ɛːw/, etc.) |
| Vowels Shared With English | /a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/ |
| English Vowels Not Shared with Lao | /ɚ/, /ɔ/, /ʌ/, /ʊ/, /ɛ/, /I/, /æ/, /ə/ |
Notes on Lao Phonology
Consonants: Lao contrasts aspirated vs. unaspirated stops in plosive series and includes affricates /tɕ, tɕʰ/, the palatal nasal /ɲ/, and a labial‑velar approximant /ʋ/ distinct from English. English fricatives like /ʃ/ and liquids like /ɹ/ and /w/ are absent in Lao.
Vowels: Lao features vowel length contrasts and diphthongs that English lacks, while English has a broader range of lax and reduced vowels not present in Lao .
The Use of Phonotactic Constraints in Lao Speakers
Here are the main phonotactic constraints for Lao speakers, modeled after the Turkish example. These reflect native Lao syllable structure, consonant/vowel patterns, and tone interactions that influence English pronunciation—essential information for SLPs to differentiate language transfer from speech disorders.
Lao is an isolating, tonal language with a clear, structured phonotactic system. Its syllables follow strict rules regarding consonant clusters, tone patterns, and vowel–consonant interactions. These native patterns frequently transfer into English speech, and recognizing them helps clinicians avoid misdiagnosing typical transfer effects as speech errors.
Key Phonotactic Constraints in Lao:
- Syllable Structure: (C)V(C), No Complexity
Lao syllables allow at most one consonant in the onset and one in the coda (e.g., CV, VC, CVC). Complex consonant clusters such as “st-“ or “pl-“ are not permitted (en.wikipedia.org). - Limited Onset Clusters Only with /w/
Only the sequences /kw/ and /kʰw/ occur, typically before certain vowels. Other consonant clusters are simplified (e.g., “pr-” → “p-”) (paul-marciano.fandom.com). - Restricted Coda Consonants
Only nasals (/m, n, ŋ/), unreleased voiceless stops (/p, t, k/), /w/, /j/, and glottal stop /ʔ/ may appear in syllable codas (paul-marciano.fandom.com). - Vowel Length and Tone Interdependence
All vowels have phonemic short–long contrasts. The tone system (6 tones in open syllables, 4 in checked syllables) interacts with vowel length and syllable closure (r12a.github.io). - Labialization Constraints
A consonant may be labialized (e.g., /kʷ/) in the onset but only before non-rounded vowels. Labialization does not occur in codas (en.wikipedia.org).
Implications for English Speech
- Expect simplification or vowel epenthesis in onset clusters like “st-” (“street” → “se-trit”).
- Final clusters are often reduced (e.g., “desk” → “des”), or final consonants may be unreleased or voiced differently.
- Tone and vowel length features of Lao do not transfer into English intonation—they may result in unusual stress or duration patterns.
- English sounds in codas such as /ð/ or /θ/ will likely be omitted or substituted.
Language Specific Differences Between English and Lao
Lao and English both typically use Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) word order, although Lao allows more flexibility in emphasis and topic focus. Unlike English, Lao has no verb inflection for tense or person, relying instead on time adverbs or aspect markers. Lao lacks articles, plurals, and gender distinctions in nouns or pronouns, using classifiers and context instead. Questions are formed using particles or intonation, not auxiliary inversion. Understanding these differences helps SLPs recognize expected transfer patterns rather than language impairments.
| Language Features | Lao | English |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence Word Order | SVO; can topicalize by moving object or subject to front | SVO |
| Adjectives/Noun Modifiers | Adjectives follow nouns (baan yai = house big) | Adjectives precede nouns |
| Possessives | Use noun + khong + possessor (e.g., baan khong khai) | Possessor + ’s |
| Possessive Pronouns | Independent pronouns (e.g., khong phom) follow noun; no clitics | my, your, his, her, etc. |
| Verb inflection | No conjugation; tense/aspect via particles/time words (kin laeo = eaten already) | Verbs change for tense |
| Pronouns | Pronouns can be dropped; pronouns often vary by politeness | Independent pronouns required |
| Pronoun Gender | No gender distinctions; same pronoun for “he/she” khaw | he, she, it |
| Subjects of Sentences | Often dropped in context (kin laeo = ate already) | Normally expressed |
| Regular Past Tense | No past suffix; use time words or aspect markers | verb + -ed |
| Irregular Past Tense | Same as regular; no irregular past forms | irregular forms (went, saw) |
| Negatives | Use pre-verbal bo/mai (e.g., bo khaw kin) | Uses “not” or auxiliary verbs |
| Double Negatives | Not standard; not used in polite speech | Present in dialects |
| Question formation | Question particles or rising intonation; no inversion | Auxiliary inversion (“Do you…?”) |
| Definite Articles | None | “the” |
| Indefinite Articles | None | “a,” “an” |
| Prepositions | Use SVO + nouns + classifiers; prepositions fixed before NPs | in, on, at |
| Present Progressive Form | No –ing form; context or verb particles indicate ongoing action | verb + -ing |
| Modal Verbs | Use mood particles or context; no auxiliary modals | can, will, must |
| Copula/”To Be” Verbs | Often omitted; use pen or leave out in descriptions | is, are, am |
| Auxiliary Verbs | No do/have auxiliaries; particles serve some functions | do, have, be |
| Passive Voice | Rare; expressed with periphrastic constructions or omission | “be” + past participle |
| Direct Object Pronouns | Direct object pronouns not cliticized; pronoun or noun used | me, him, her |
| Conjunctions | lae (and), tɛɛ (but), tɯ̌a (or) | and, but, or |
| Plurals | No plural suffix; use numeral or classifier plus noun | noun + -s |
Additional Sino-Tibetan and Southeast Asian Languages
This is just one of the Sino-Tibetan and Southeast Asian languages included in our World Language Library. Click below to learn more about tonal languages.
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Contributors:
A special thanks to Alicia Winsor-Contreras with Our Lady of the Lake University for data compilation and research that went into this article!
