"Lao typewriter" entry of Lao text

Keyboard layout

The standard (modified Lao typewriter) layout for entering Lao is shown below. Changes from the original Lao typewriter layout are circled in red.

Lao numerals

If the CAPS LOCK key is on, then the typewriter keys normally used for the international (European-language) digits 0,1,2,...9 will produce the Lao digits ໐,໑,໒,...໙ instead. no other keyboard mappings depend on the CAPS LOCK status, and the number-pad keys can always be used for the 0,1,2,...9 digits.

Suggestions for entering and editing text

Enter "diacritic" vowels (normally written above or below a consonant, such as ັ, ິ, ື, ູ) after the consonant.
Enter tone marks after any diacritic vowel, but before any non-diacritic vowel symbol (such as າ, ວ, ອ).
Do not insert a line break by pressing the Enter key, unless at the end of a paragraph and you always want the following text to start a new line.
Only insert a space at the end of a line if you want that space to remain visible if the layout is changed so that it occurs in the middle of a line. Otherwise, let LaoScript 8 manage the wrapping.
After editing a paragraph of existing Lao text, if using MS Word (or another MS Office application), select the Wrap function to to ensure that breaks are inserted correctly. For other applications, it is best to delete and re-enter entire words, to prevent breaks from being inserted incorrectly.

Using AZERTY (or other non-English layout) keyboards

If using a different physical keyboard (e.g. AZERTY layout), remember that the Lao keys still follow the positional layout shown above, not the Latin letters on each key cap.