ScriptLookup

Lao

ລາວ
lo 3M speakers

Lao (ລາວ) is a Tai-Kadai language with approximately 3M speakers speakers. It is written using the Lao script. Its BCP 47 language code is lo.

Lao (ພາສາລາວ) is a Tai-Kadai language and the official language of Laos. It is spoken by approximately 3 million people in Laos as a first language. Lao is closely related to Thai — speakers of standard Thai can understand Lao to a significant degree.

Lao is written in the Lao script, an abugida derived from the Khmer script, which in turn descends from the ancient Brahmi script. Lao is a tonal language with six tones in the Vientiane dialect. Buddhist texts in Lao use Pali terminology extensively.

Writing Systems Used for Lao

Lao
ອັກສອນລາວ
Primary
ສະບາຍດີ
LTR Laoo

Frequently Asked Questions

What alphabet or script does Lao use?
Lao is written using the Lao script (ISO 15924 code: Laoo). Lao is written left-to-right.
What direction is Lao written?
Lao is written Left-to-right. Text runs from left to right, the same direction as most European languages.
How many people speak Lao?
Lao has approximately 3M speakers speakers worldwide. It is a member of the Tai-Kadai language family.
What language family does Lao belong to?
Lao belongs to the Tai-Kadai language family. It is written with the Lao script.
What is the language code for Lao?
The BCP 47 language code for Lao is "lo". This code is used in software, web standards (the HTML lang attribute), and internationalization contexts.

Language Facts

BCP 47 Code
lo
ISO 639-3
lao
Status
living
Speakers
3M speakers
Language Family
Tai-Kadai
Scripts
1
Primary Script
Lao

Other Lao Languages

Hmong Njua kjg

Data sourced from Unicode CLDR and ISO 639-3. Last updated April 20, 2026.