A1 · 1/8
The alphabet and pronunciation
The rules
The Lithuanian alphabet has 32 letters. It has no q, w or x, but it does have letters with marks: ą, č, ę, ė, į, š, ų, ū, ž. Those marks are not decoration — they change what a word means. The good news is that Lithuanian is spelled as it is spoken: a letter almost always sounds the same wherever it appears.
Letters with marks
| Letter | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ą | long a | kąsnis |
| ę | long open e, as in “bad” | kęsti |
| ė | long closed e | ėjo |
| į | long i, as in “see” | įdomus |
| ų | long u, as in “moon” | namų |
| ū | long u, as in “moon” | sūris |
| y | long i, as in “see” | lyja |
| č | ch, as in “church” | čia |
| š | sh, as in “shop” | šuo |
| ž | s, as in “pleasure” | žuvis |
Letters the Lithuanian alphabet does not have
| Letter | Written in Lithuanian as | Example |
|---|---|---|
| w | v | Vašingtonas |
| x | ks | taksi |
| q | kv | kvarcas |
Two letters, one sound
| Written | Pronounced | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ch | one sound, like German ch | choras |
| dz | one sound | dzūkas |
| dž | one sound | džiaugiasi |
Examples
- Ačiū už pagalbą.Thank you for the help.
- Šiandien šalta.It is cold today.
- Mano vardas Žygimantas.My name is Žygimantas.
Speaking practice
Play
Play as often as you like
—Laba diena. Koks jūsų vardas ir pavardė?
—Laba diena. Mano vardas Achmedas, pavardė Hasanas.
—Ar galite pasakyti pavardę paraidžiui?
—Žinoma. Ha, a, es, a, en, a, es.
—Dėkoju, viską užrašiau.
Dabar pasakykite patys — now say it yourself. Nothing is recorded and nothing is graded; the exam's speaking part is a live interview, so this is here to be imitated out loud.
Lesson quiz
9 questions on this lesson, including a listening item. You get the answer and an explanation after each one.