Romanization by Transcription for Mon Language

Consonants ()
Mon

Burmese

Roman (Transcription)

Variations

()

ka

ga, gka

kha

ka

kh

nga / ng

cha

cha

ch

nya

nya

nya / ny

nia

ta

dta, da

tha

ta

da

th

na

na/n

pa

bpa, ba

pha

pa

ph

ma / m

ya / y

ra / r

la / l

wa / w

sa

ha

la

ba

ca, kya, ja
gy

bpa, pa

35 consonants can be divided into 2 groups: Group I and Group II.

Group I ( )

Group II ( )

Note: , , , , , , and are included in both groups because they can be used in both ways. If 35 consonants
are divided into 3 groups, then they will be grouped as a different one than Group I and Group II.

Combinations ()
Mon

Burmese

Roman (Transcription)

Variations

()

ha

cha

cha

sa

jya

ja, gya

sa / s

za / z

ga

cha

ca, kya, ja

ca, kya, ja

na / n

ma / m

ya / y

wa / w

sa #

ha / h # #

ya

sha

sha

sha

???

Consonants combined with (all of them are in different colors) are quite different from any other combinations when
it comes to pronunciation. For example, -- in , , , is pronounced as ei when add other symbols to them:
is pronounced as gay with a glottal stop after, neim, yay with a glottal stop after, and hay with a

glottal stop after it. But -- in and is pronounced as aw such as in and which are pronounced chaw and

saw, with glottal stop after, respectively while is simply pronounced as ma or m so it becomes moa when

add -- to it. sometimes sounds like so as in , which is pronounced as so with a stop-sound after whereas --
in and as in and sounds like wu and hu with a stop-sound after them.

- ( )

()

- // //
//

- / / //
// //

Vowels (with Group I consonants)

( )
Mon

Burmese

Roman (Transcription)

Variation

()

()

(ch) ia

cia, jia, shia

aa, ar

i / ua

oa

ee / uar / ~we

ii / oi

u / au

ao, ow, ou

oo

uu, u

ay

ey, ai, ei

oa / uar

ua, oor / oar, oua

ao

au, ow

ao

au, ow

om

awm, orm

ah

aah, arh

aik

aaik, ike

ook

ohk

eem / m

iim / aem, ehm

om

awm, orm

o / ay

oh / ey, ai, ei

aai

ai, aie

uui

ui

ia

eer

oa

ua, oor

oey

oei, uay, ~way

am

aam, ahm, arm, um

oing

auing

uum / eim

oom / aim

em

eim, im

oom

ohm

au

ao, ow

i / ae / ay

ai, ei, ey

o / ay

aw / ai, ei, ey

Vowels (with Group II consonants)

( )
Mon

Burmese

Roman (Transcription)

Variation

, ae, a, eh

ee

oo

uu, u

ay

ey, ai, ei

ua / uar

oa / oua

oh

ea

air, ere

om

awm, orm

eh

aeh

aik

ike

ook

ohk

eem / em

iim / aem, ehm

om

awm, orm

o / ay

oh / ey, ai, ei

aai

ai, aie

ii

uui

ui

ia

eer

oa

ua

oey

uay, -way

em

ehm, aem

oing

oing

uum / eim

oom / aim

em

eim, im

oom

ohm

au

ao, ow

i / ae / ay

ai, ei, ey

o / ay

aw / ai, ei, ey

*Note: , , are only written as , , among Mon language users in their everyday lives, which
can be confused with such vowels as (om), (em), and (oom). Here, a new character ( _) is used to make

them different from each other before a different Mon character from dot above has been created. -- used to be killer
(), which had been changed for centuries.
*

(om) (em) (oom)

( _) --

-- - ()

Killers ()
Mon

Burmese

Roman (Transcription)

Variations

eak

ak, ek, eck

oik

oik

auik

awik

ek / awik

ik, oik

ok

awk, ork

aaik

aik, ike

Killer ()

Note: when it comes with killers , , or , it sounds the same as killer .

- - - -

Killer ()

ang

eang, eng, ung

aing

aaing

oing

oing

auing

iang

eng, ing

ong

ohng

ong

awng, orng

aaing

aaing

Note: sometimes --can be pronounced the same as killer especially as in , for examples,

/hongsavatoi/, /songsa/.

-- - -

// //
Killer ()

aot

ot, aawt

at

aat, aht, art, ut

iit / at

eet / aet

uut

ut

et

it

oot

ot

awt, ort

Note: when it comes with , , , , , , , , , , , or , then it sounds the same as killer .

Killer ()

aon

aawn, on, orn

an

aan, ahn, arn, un

een

iin

uun

oon

en

in

oon

on

awn

Note: when it comes with , , , , or , then it sounds the same as killer .

Killer ()

op

awp, orp

ap / ep

aap, arp / aep

eep

iip

uup / eip

oop / aip

ep

ip

oop

ohp

op

awp. orp

Note: when it comes with , , or , then it sounds the same as killer .

Killer ()

om

awm, orm

am

aam, ahm, arm, um

eem

iim

uum

oom

em

im

om

oom, ohm

om

awm, orm

Note: vowel combinations with -- can also be pronounced as killer but used in a bit different way when is

mostly used for loan words from foreign languages, e.g. (Transliterated) / (Burmanized) for
ammeter, (Transliterated) for Term drive , -- is simply used for Mon original words, e.g. , ,

, etc.

-- -

- - Ammeter
() (Transliterated) / (Burmanized) Term drive

() (Transliterated) --

-
Killer ()

oey

uey, uay, ~way

Note: in old Mon writing, killer is used more times than today. In the very old days of Mon writing history, the

symbol -- was not used, because it had not been created then, and instead killer alone was widely used by many Mon
language users. Nowadays, however, -- is much more popular words with are rarely found in common use in
these days. is used in both way - and but the latter is more popular.

-- -- -
-- -

Killer ()

o / aw

oh, o

ay
aao

aei
e, ae
ey, ai, ei
ao, aoh

oh

Note: now becomes (vowel combination) but both are still used in a bit different way, especially by some Mons
in Monland. Basically, these two words are all the same in reality - is old use and is used now. But now when
they two are used in a text, the former is pronounced as o and the latter aw or ay. Its still quite hard to say what
makes them different because they are supposed to be the same.

()

Killer ()

auh

aoh, owh

eeh

iih

ooh

uuh

ih
h
ayh
oh

aeih
eh, aeh
eyh, aih, eih

oh

awh

Note: instead of adding the killer after the related consonants or vowels -- is usually written as -- in which -- is maybe
the killer itself and -- the diacritical mark. But the whole can be said as a killer according to the writing rules ( and

are exceptions.) For an example, can be pronounced as dadh but thats not correct it should be only da
dauh which can be written for better understanding Mon writing rules. For another example, when it says

choh, itd better be written as not which can also be read chok as in . Its still a problem

many people are more likely to prefer -- to -- with no sound reasons. This could be the best creation for Mon writing
at the age of inscriptions but not now at the age of IT. In fact, -- is basically written as -- even now. For better
understanding, see the mentioned-below relationship.
+ =

+ =
But,
is pronounced as /chok/.
So,
should also be pronounced as /chok/ (same with aspiration.)

(The revolution of might be in the process of > -- > . might be in the process of >

-- > . In the killer has been included as -- just below the consonant but in the killer had
been omitted and only -- has been put above of the vowel combination -- . Both contractions had been created by
former Mon language users maybe for the reason of saving space in their writings on stone or ink inscription.)

--

) -- -- -- --

--

( )
dadh - da dauh
choh

 chok

+ =
+ =

( > -- >

> -- >

( ) )
Killer ()

au

ao, ow

aei
e, ae
ey, ai, ei

ay
o
o
o
o
ay

aw
aw
ey, ai, ei

Note: apart from the first three killers --, --, -- are also used, for examples; can be seen both in and

. is written in both way - and .

--, --, --

Posted by D.O. Jhaan

-
References:
1) Dho-ong Jhaan. 2010, Monization. Sangkhlaburi: www.rmndesa.blogspot.com, Thailand.

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Romanization by Transcription for Mon Language

April 6, 2010.
May 31, 2010.
D.O.Jhaan. Nai.
English and Burmese.