The term "cais countries" refers to five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. The spelling of the word "cais" is based on the initial letters of each country's name. It is pronounced /keɪs/ in IPA phonetic transcription. This acronym is commonly used in political, economic, and social contexts to refer collectively to this group of neighboring countries sharing a similar cultural and historical background. Despite some variations in spelling and pronunciation, the term has gained popularity in the English language over the years.