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Thai dialect

Lanna

Also known as: Northern Thai, Kham Mueang

The Tai language of Thailand's Northern region around Chiang Mai. Carries its own historical script and a literary tradition tied to the former Lanna kingdom.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Lanna?

Lanna is a dialect of the Thai language.

Where is Lanna spoken?

Lanna is primarily spoken in Thailand.

Which region is Lanna associated with?

Lanna is part of the Southeast Asia region on DialectAtlas.

Is Lanna known by other names?

Yes — Lanna is also referred to as Northern Thai, Kham Mueang.

What are the other dialects of Thai?

Thai also includes Central Thai, Isan. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.

Other Thai dialects

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Isan

Northeastern Thai · Lao-Isan

The Tai language of Thailand's Northeast region. Closer to Lao than to Central Thai; spoken by the largest non-Central-Thai population in the country.

Nearby dialects

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Mlabri

162 km away

A Khmuic (Austroasiatic) language of formerly nomadic hunter-gatherers in the highlands of Nan and Phrae provinces, northern Thailand, and adjacent Laos. Roughly 100–300 speakers; its numeral system allows only one and two to modify nouns, and it lacks the register contrasts typical of related languages.

Mon

294 km away

An Austroasiatic language of Lower Burma and adjacent Thailand. Once the dominant cultural language of mainland Southeast Asia, displaced over centuries by Burmese and Thai expansion.

Standard Burmese

369 km away

The Yangon-area variety that forms the basis of standard Burmese. The national lingua franca and the medium of education and broadcasting in Myanmar.

Lao

392 km away

A Tai-Kadai language and the official language of Laos. Closely related to Thai Isan; written in a script derived from the same source as Thai but distinct in several letters and vowel signs.

Mandalay Burmese

466 km away

The Burmese of Mandalay and Upper Myanmar. Often described as the more conservative variety, especially in pronunciation of historical consonant clusters.

Isan

484 km away

The Tai language of Thailand's Northeast region. Closer to Lao than to Central Thai; spoken by the largest non-Central-Thai population in the country.

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