The Hmong language uses the Roman Popular Alphabet (RPA) or what many of us know as the American English ABC’s. In doing so, the good news is that if you know American English, you already know all the Hmong language letters and can write them. The bad news is that some of the same letters have the same sounds in English and Hmong (e.g., D) but also can have different sounds (e.g., X). Additionally, some letters will have a sound in the Hmong RPA that does not exist in American English.

The Hmong language divides the RPA into 3 broad categories: