ພໍ່ເຖົ້າ
[paw-tao]
grandfather/grandpa (maternal) Noun
* Note — Lao sentences and phrases are not typically spaced out by syllables. But, this is helpful for recognizing where syllables start and end.
Tips:
Other words that can be heard or used are: ພໍ່ຕາ [paw-thah] or ພໍ່ຕູ້ [paw-thuu]. Though, this may be dependent on dialect/region.
Tone Breakdown
ພໍ່ [paw] — this syllable has a low-class consonant and a long vowel. This normally produces a high tone, but this syllable has a ໄມ້ເອກ /mai ehk/ tone mark. Therefore, the tone of the syllable is a middle tone.
ເຖົ້າ [tao] — this syllable has a high-class consonant and a special vowel. This normally produces a high tone, but this syllable has a ໄມ້ໂທ /mai toh/ tone mark. Therefore, the tone of the syllable is a low-falling tone.