ພຶດສະພາ
[pheut-sa-phah]
May Noun
Example —
ແມ່ນ ເດືອນ ພຶດ ສະ ພາ*
[maen deuan pheut sa phah]
It’s May.
* Note — Lao sentences and phrases are not typically spaced out by syllables. But, this is helpful for recognizing where syllables start and end.
Tips:
To keep it simpler, many Lao people simply say the number. Since May is the fifth month of the year, people would say ເດືອນຫ້າ [deuan hah] — “month five.”
Tone Breakdown
ພຶດ [pheut] — this syllable has a low-class consonant, a short vowel, and unreleased-stop final consonant. As a result, this produces a middle tone.
ສະ [sa] — this syllable has a high-class consonant and a short vowel. As a result, this produces a high tone.
ພາ [phah] — this syllable has a low-class consonant and a long vowel. As a result, this produces a high.