Khmer Translation & Interpretation Services
Khmer language
Providing Professional Translation, Interpretation, and Localization services in Khmer and more than 300 other languages and dialects.
Autonym(s)
Phéasa Khmêr / Khémôrôphéasa, ភាសាខ្មែរ / ខេមរភាសា
Number of Speakers
Native Speakers: 19 million; L2 Speakers: 1 million
Geographic Distribution
Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam
Official or Recognized Status
Cambodia (recognized minority language in Thailand and Vietnam)
Classification
Austroasiatic
Features
An Austroasiatic language with several distinctive features. Unlike many neighboring languages, Khmer is not tonal, but it has a complex system of consonant clusters, vowel length, and register contrasts that affect meaning. Its analytic grammar relies heavily on word order and particles rather than inflection, with a typical SVO (subject–verb–object) structure. Khmer also makes extensive use of compounding and reduplication to create new words or intensify meaning. The language has a large inventory of vowels (over 20 monophthongs and diphthongs), giving it rich phonetic variety. Written in the Khmer script, an abugida derived from the ancient Brahmi system, Khmer orthography reflects both Sanskrit and Pali influence, particularly in formal and religious vocabulary.
Dialects
Khmer has several regional dialects that are all mutually intelligible but show noticeable differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and sometimes grammar. The Central dialect, spoken in and around Phnom Penh, serves as the basis for the national standard and is widely used in education, government, and media. Northern and Western dialects often feature more conservative phonology and share some lexical influence from Thai and Lao due to geographic proximity. The Southern dialect, spoken in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam (often called Khmer Krom), preserves older features and has distinct vocabulary shaped by contact with Vietnamese. In Thailand, the Surin (Northern Khmer) variety is spoken by a large Khmer minority and has incorporated significant Thai influence. Despite these regional differences, Khmer speakers across Cambodia and neighboring countries can generally understand one another without difficulty.
Writing System
Khmer script
U.S. Distribution
In the U.S., Khmer is spoken primarily within Cambodian-American communities, many of which were established by refugees who resettled after the Khmer Rouge era. The largest concentrations are found in Long Beach, California—home to the largest Cambodian community outside of Southeast Asia—as well as in Lowell, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode Island, and parts of Minnesota, Washington, and Texas. While first-generation immigrants often maintain Khmer as their primary language, younger generations are increasingly bilingual, using English in schools and workplaces while preserving Khmer within families, cultural associations, and Buddhist temples. Khmer is thus both a heritage language and a marker of cultural identity in the U.S., with ongoing efforts to sustain it through community schools, media, and festivals.
At Latitude Prime, we offer Khmer translation, Khmer interpretation, and Khmer localization services in numerous specialized subject areas and multiple dialects. Whether you need to translate legal documents from Khmer into English for immigration purposes, need a Khmer interpreter for a business meeting in Phnom Penh, or want to localize your website into Khmer to market your products or services in Cambodia, Latitude Prime has the customized language solution to meet all your Khmer (Cambodian) language needs.
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