Lao Keyboard: key facts
- Script: Lao, used across Laos.
- Writing direction: left to right.
- Layout: 45 keys, 45 base characters, 45 on Shift.
- Typing: direct key mode with Shift and AltGr layers.
- Variants: 1 (Standard).
- Native name: ພິມພາສາລາວ; speech synthesis locale: lo-LA.
Lao Keyboard in detail
Clavier laotien en ligne : écrivez ພາສາລາວ avec la disposition standard. The Lao Keyboard (ພິມພາສາລາວ) covers the Lao script as used across Laos. Text flows left to right in the editor, and every character below belongs to the authentic Lao repertoire — no transliterated approximations once you use the virtual keys.
This keyboard works in direct mode: every key inserts exactly the Lao character printed on it, with Shift and AltGr layers for capitals, variants and extended characters.
The page ships 1 built-in variants — Standard (Standard Lao layout.) — switchable without reloading. Your text never leaves the browser: copy it to any app, export it, listen to it with the lo-LA speech voice, or send it to Google, YouTube, Wikipedia, Translate, DuckDuckGo.
Every key on the Lao Keyboard
The layout holds 45 character keys: 45 distinct base characters, 45 Shift variants. The table below maps each physical position to the characters it produces, so you can learn the layout or verify coverage of a rare letter before you start typing.
| Position | Base | Shift | AltGr |
|---|
| Row 1, key 2 | ໑ | ໑ | — |
| Row 1, key 3 | ໒ | ໒ | — |
| Row 1, key 4 | ໓ | ໓ | — |
| Row 1, key 5 | ໔ | ໔ | — |
| Row 1, key 6 | ໕ | ໕ | — |
| Row 1, key 7 | ໖ | ໖ | — |
| Row 1, key 8 | ໗ | ໗ | — |
| Row 1, key 9 | ໘ | ໘ | — |
| Row 1, key 10 | ໙ | ໙ | — |
| Row 1, key 11 | ໐ | ໐ | — |
| Row 1, key 12 | - | – | — |
| Row 1, key 13 | = | + | — |
| Row 2, key 2 | ກ | ກ | — |
| Row 2, key 3 | ຂ | ຂ | — |
| Row 2, key 4 | ຄ | ຄ | — |
| Row 2, key 5 | ງ | ງ | — |
| Row 2, key 6 | ຈ | ຈ | — |
| Row 2, key 7 | ສ | ສ | — |
| Row 2, key 8 | ຊ | ຊ | — |
| Row 2, key 9 | ຍ | ຍ | — |
| Row 2, key 10 | ດ | ດ | — |
| Row 2, key 11 | ຕ | ຕ | — |
| Row 2, key 12 | ຖ | ຖ | — |
| Row 2, key 13 | ທ | ທ | — |
| Row 3, key 2 | ບ | ບ | — |
| Row 3, key 3 | ປ | ປ | — |
| Row 3, key 4 | ຜ | ຜ | — |
| Row 3, key 5 | ຝ | ຝ | — |
| Row 3, key 6 | ພ | ພ | — |
| Row 3, key 7 | ຟ | ຟ | — |
| Row 3, key 8 | ມ | ມ | — |
| Row 3, key 9 | ຢ | ຢ | — |
| Row 3, key 10 | ຣ | ຣ | — |
| Row 3, key 11 | ລ | ລ | — |
| Row 3, key 12 | ວ | ວ | — |
| Row 4, key 2 | ຫ | ຫ | — |
| Row 4, key 3 | ອ | ອ | — |
| Row 4, key 4 | ຮ | ຮ | — |
| Row 4, key 5 | ະ | ຳ | — |
| Row 4, key 6 | ັ | າ | — |
| Row 4, key 7 | ິ | ີ | — |
| Row 4, key 8 | ຶ | ື | — |
| Row 4, key 9 | ຸ | ູ | — |
| Row 4, key 10 | ເ | ແ | — |
| Row 4, key 11 | ໂ | ໄ | — |
Direct typing with Shift and AltGr
This keyboard has no phonetic engine, and that is deliberate: Lao spelling maps cleanly onto its own keys. Click a key — or press its physical counterpart with the hardware toggle on — and the exact character appears. Capitals and common variants live on Shift (45 characters), extended and rare forms on AltGr (0 characters).
Dead keys are enabled, so accents compose naturally: press the accent, then the vowel. On mobile, everything is tappable at full key size, and the editor keeps left to right ordering correct even when you mix Lao with Latin words or digits in the same sentence.
Getting the most out of this keyboard
Start with the Standard variant if you are unsure: Standard Lao layout. You can switch variants mid-text without losing what you typed.
Lao runs left to right, so mixing it with in-line Latin terms, brand names or URLs just works: the editor keeps each run in its own direction without manual markers.
For pronunciation, press the speaker button: the lo-LA voice reads exactly what is in the editor, which makes this page a practical dictation and shadowing tool. Export the text first if you want to rehearse offline.
Preferred typefaces here are Noto Sans Lao, Phetsarath OT, Noto Sans Lao Looped (fallback Noto Sans Lao). If a character shows as a box on your device, switch fonts in the toolbar — complex-script shaping varies between systems, especially on older phones.
Hidden characters tour
Beyond the base alphabet, this keyboard hides real value on its upper layers. On Shift: ໑ ໒ ໓ ໔ ໕ ໖ ໗ ໘ ໙ ໐ – + ກ ຂ ຄ ງ ຈ ສ ຊ ຍ ດ ຕ ຖ ທ …. On AltGr: . Hold the on-screen Shift or AltGr key (or your physical one in hardware mode) to reach them, exactly like a desktop layout.
Dictionaries and resources for Lao Keyboard
Below the keyboard, the resource hub gathers 8 hand-picked links for Lao Keyboard: 2 monolingual dictionaries (including Lexilogos — dictionnaire, Wiktionary (lo)), 2 bilingual translators, 0 grammar and conjugation reference, 1 vocabulary and phrase guide, and 3 encyclopedias, newspapers and general resources. Type a word in the editor first and the links marked with an arrow receive it automatically — look up a definition, a conjugation or a translation without retyping.
Keep exploring
If this is not quite your language, the closest alternatives each have their own virtual keyboard, transliteration engine and dictionary hub, so switching costs one click. The method guides embed the same keyboard, so you can practise while you learn.
- Arabic Keyboard (Arabic): Type Arabic with smart transliteration: “marhaba” becomes مرحبا as you type. Click the virtual keys or use your own keyboard.…
- Hebrew Keyboard (Hebrew): Type Hebrew right-to-left with smart transliteration or the virtual keyboard, including niqqud on the Shift layer.…
- Persian (Farsi) Keyboard (Perso-Arabic): Clavier persan en ligne : écrivez en farsi (فارسی) avec translittération phonétique instantanée.…
- Urdu Keyboard (Urdu (Perso-Arabic)): Clavier ourdou en ligne : tapez اردو avec un clavier virtuel complet et translittération phonétique.…
- Method guides: “Type Arabic without an Arabic keyboard: complete guide”, “Type Russian on a French/English keyboard: easy method”, “Type Hebrew with vowels (niqqud) online”.