Khmer is written using the Khmer script, an abugida writing system
Unlike Latin-based alphabets, Khmer is built around consonant-based syllables, where each consonant carries an inherent vowel sound that can be modified or suppressed through additional vowel symbols. This creates a layered and structured syllabic system.
The Khmer script does not use uppercase or lowercase letters. Instead, meaning and pronunciation are shaped through combinations of consonants, dependent vowels, and diacritic marks that adjust sound values in context.
Khmer is written from left to right and is used in government, education, literature, and daily communication across Cambodia. It is a fully active modern writing system with deep historical continuity.
One of its defining features is its visual complexity: letters can combine and interact in dense clusters, producing a rich and compact written structure that differs significantly from linear alphabetic systems.
In summary, Khmer is a structured abugida writing system that encodes language through consonant cores modified by vowel positioning and contextual sound rules.
Khmer Script (អក្សរខ្មែរ)
| កk | ខkh | គg | ឃkh | ងng | ចch | ឆchh |
| ជj | ឈch | ញny | ដd | ឋth | ឌd | ណn |
| តt | ថth | ទt | ធth | នn | បb | ផph |
| ពp | ភph | មm | យy | រr | លl | វv |
| សs | ហh | ឡl |