The following tables show the differences between the four main orthographies developed for the Lahu language. The Protestant orthography is given priority as it is the most widely used.

Protestant Matisoff Catholic Chinese

   a           a          a          a
   i           i          i          i
  u/uh         u         u/ö         u
   e           e          e          e
   o           o          o          o
   eh                     è         ie
   aw                     ò         aw
 ui/uh                   ü/ö        eu
   eu                     ë         eu
   ai          ay         ai        ai
   ao          aw         ao        ao
  u-i          wi                
  o-e          we                
  aweh         w                 

: [tab:vow-orth-comp]Vowel Orthographic Comparison (adapted from Matisoff[@JAM:2006])

Protestant Matisoff Catholic Chinese

   k’          q          q          q
  hk’          qh         qh        qh
   k           k          k          k
   hk          kh         kh        kh
   g           g          g          g
   ng                     ng        ng
  c/tc         c         c/tc       c/z
 ch/ts         ch       ch/ts      ch/zh
  j/dz         j         j/dz      j/dz
   t           t          t          t
   ht          th         th        th
   d           d          d          d
  n/ny         n         n/gn        n
  p/pf         p         p/pf        p
 hp/hpf        ph       ph/phf      ph
  b/bv         b         b/bv        b
  m/mv         m         m/mv        m
   h           h          h          h
   g’                     gh         x
  sh/s         s         sh/s      sh/s
  y/z          y         y/z        y/r
   f           f          f          f
   v           v          v          v
   l           l          l          l

: [tab:cons-orth-comp]Consonant Orthographic Comparison (adapted from Matisoff[@JAM:2006])

Protestant Matisoff Catholic Chinese

   ca          ca        caˍ        ca
  caˉ          cá         ca        caq
  caˇ          câ         ca        cad
  caˬ          cà        caˬ        cal
  caˍ          cā         ca        cal
  caˆ         câ?        caˆ        cat
  ca         cà?        ca        car

: [tab:tone-orth-comp]Tonal Orthographic Comparison (adapted from Matisoff[@JAM:2006])