Lao Lern App for free
How to Learn Lao?
“How do you learn Lao?” is a question that cannot be answered as easily as it could for Spanish, English, or even Thai. There simply are not many good resources for learning Lao - especially once you want to progress beyond the basics.
Google Translate and Bing Translator do not translate Lao reliably enough to be trusted. And if you have not learned to read the Lao script, their translations are often difficult to use anyway.
Other learning resources come with another problem: almost every one uses a different system to represent Lao pronunciation. For example, the Lao word ພວກເຈົ້າ might be written as pûak-jâo, phuak chao, or phouag jao. This is not particularly helpful when you are trying to work out how a word should actually sound. And there is one thing you quickly learn when studying Lao: pronunciation is key.
Over time, I collected useful links and filled several Google Sheets with vocabulary. Fortunately, my Lao teacher was kind enough to record the words for me. But these were long audio recordings, which made finding and practising a single word difficult. My flashcard app could not save recordings.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have all my learning materials in one place?
Our Solution
So I sat down for a week and vibe-coded an app that would make learning Lao a little easier.
The app is currently in beta. It includes a vocabulary library of around 1,500 words, along with a vocabulary trainer that tracks your learning progress and provides useful statistics. There is also a notepad for your own notes, exercises, and grammar rules, as well as a section for learning the Lao alphabet.
In addition, the app includes two modes that have been particularly helpful to me: a random sentence generator and a tool for collecting and comparing similar-sounding words.
Because there are also very few resources for native Lao speakers who want to learn English, the app can be used in both directions. It offers a Lao-language interface and supports the Latin alphabet.
We are currently adding English and Lao audio recordings to the entire vocabulary library—but you do not have to wait until we are finished. Around 500 words already include Lao recordings, and you can add your own vocabulary or complete and edit the existing entries.Over the coming weeks, we will continue expanding the library and publish updated versions here for download.
Download the Free Lao Vocabulary Studio
Download the Lao Learn App here.
The app runs locally in your browser and requires no installation. Download the ZIP file, extract it, and open the HTML file in a modern browser.
After opening the app:
- Go to Settings.
- Select Restore/Update.
- Choose the included backup file to import the vocabulary library and learning data.
Your changes and learning progress are automatically saved in your browser. However, they remain on that particular device and browser, so you should create regular backups. The Update Backup button turns red whenever you have made changes that are not yet included in your latest backup.
Using the App on an iPhone
On an iPhone, the app currently needs to be opened with Microsoft Edge. After downloading and extracting the files, select the HTML file, tap Share, and choose Edge.
