If you're trying to learn the Lithuanian Alphabet you will find some useful resources including a course about pronunciation, and sound of all letters... to help you with your Lithuanian grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and memorize the sounds. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Lithuanian. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Lithuanian alphabet is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. Without it, you will not be able to say words properly even if you know how to write those words. The better you pronounce a letter in a word, the more understood you will be in speaking the Lithuanian language.
Below is a table showing the Lithuanian alphabet and how it is pronounced in English, and finally examples of how those letters would sound if you place them in a word.
| Lithuanian Alphabet | English Sound | Pronunciation Example |
|---|---|---|
| A a | a | a as in car |
| Ą ą | aa | u as in father |
| B b | b | b as in back |
| C c | ts | ts as in cats |
| Č č | ch | ch as in check |
| D d | d | d as in dear |
| E e | e | e as in eat |
| Ę ę | aa | aa as in man |
| Ė ė | ai | ai as in chair |
| F f | f | f as in fact |
| G g | g | g as in get |
| H h | h | h as in hope |
| I i | i | i as in sit |
| Į į | ee | ee as in meet |
| Y y | i | i as in machine |
| J j | y | y as in yacht |
| K k | k | k as in keep |
| L l | l | l as in look |
| M m | m | m as in mother |
| N n | n | n as in neat |
| O o | o | o as in more |
| P p | p | p as in pool |
| R r | r | r as in Roma |
| S s | s | s as in sat |
| Š š | sh | sh as in sheep |
| T t | t | t as in tall |
| U u | u | u as in put |
| Ų ų | oo | oo as in loot |
| Ū ū | oo | oo as in moon |
| V v | v | v as in vat |
| Z z | z | z as in zoo |
| Ž ž | s | s as in plesure |
In Lithuanian language we read text as it is written, here we have no pronounciation rules.
Only some letters you need to read different from regular latin letters in Latin language (You can apply no English reading rules in Lithuanian!):
so “a” is just “ah”, “i” is just “ee”, “u” is just “oo (short)”
But remember some differences:
y – is long “ee” (here are 3 sounds for “i”: short, long and nasal – i, y, į);
j – never reads as in “john” but it always reads as in “yawn”;
c – never reads as in “cocoon”, but always as “ts” (or German “z”) – so Lithuanian “cukrus” (sugar) you must read
“tsookroos”.
So you must remember: “y” is “ee” like in “tree”, “j” is “y” like “yawn”, and “c” is always “ts”.
r – in Lithuanian is much more like in Latin or Greek, but never like in English, German or French.
Other unusual letters: ą, ę, ė, į, ų, ū. You can read it like basic a, e, u for beginning.
č = ch - česnakas (garlik); š = sh – širdis (heart); ž = zh – žaislas (toy).
That is enough for beginner.
You saw how a letter is written and might be pronounced, but there is nothing better than hearing the sound of the letters in a video or audio. Below you will be able to hear how the letters above are pronounced, just press the play button:
| Lithuanian Pronunciation |
|---|
The alphabet and its pronunciation have a very important role in Lithuanian. Once you're done with Lithuanian alphabet, you might want to check the rest of our Lithuanian lessons here: Learn Lithuanian. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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