The Mon National Education Department is preparing to publish a Mon orthography book in 2025 to provide a standardized reference for Mon youth and students, according to department officials.
Currently, Mon people write using various spelling conventions based on personal preference, leading to inconsistencies in Mon orthography. To address this, the Mon National Education Department has initiated efforts to establish an official, standardized system for Mon spelling, an official from the publication team stated.
“There has never been a book like this before, and if we succeed in publishing it, this will be the first of its kind. Right now, Mon speakers write in different ways—some follow vocabulary-based approaches, while others use phonetic spelling. Since there are multiple variations, we are working on this orthography book to create a unified system,” said the official.
The vocabulary included in the orthography book will be based on the Nai That Lwin Dictionary (Mon-Burmese), ensuring accuracy and consistency.
To develop this book, the Mon National Education Department is collaborating with the Mon Literature and Culture Committee (Yangon), the Mon Literature and Culture Committee of Mawlamyine University, Mon literature scholars, and retired government officials. These experts are conducting research and compiling vocabulary to ensure the book’s accuracy and comprehensiveness.
“We have already held one workshop for this project, and another is scheduled after the Thingyan festival in May. The Mon College is responsible for letters (Ka to Ña), while the Mon Literature and Culture Committee in Yangon is working on (Ta to Tha), and the Mawlamyine team is handling (Da to Dha). Each team is systematically compiling data,” said an official from the Mon National Education College.
Additionally, from March 5 to 7, second- and third-year students studying Mon literature and culture at the Mon National College participated in selecting and compiling vocabulary based on the Nai That Lwin Dictionary (Mon-Burmese) as part of the project.
The Mon National Education Department aims for the book to be accessible to all Mon speakers. Initially, it will be distributed to Mon National Education College and Mon national schools at the primary, middle, and high school levels across various townships. The department plans to continue refining and expanding its use in the future.
