Lietuvų abėcėlė or Lithuanian alphabet
You must be asking why the Lithuanian alphabet was not the first lesson? I hear you! In this module, we're finally tackling the 32 letters of the Lithuanian alphabet or the Lietuvų abėcėlė.
Similarly with English, the Lithuanian alphabet also uses the latin alphabet. If you're an English speaker, you are most probably aware of the letters and its corresponding sounds. I have been a language student myself for many years and I know and understand the excitement that you're feeling to be able to say a few phrases after the first lesson. This is the reason why I first indulged you with lessons on some conversation starters before the alphabet. Reciting the alphabet is not the first thing you say to a person, now is it?
With this lesson on the Lithuanian alphabet, I hope you become a more independent learner, being more informed on how to better pronounce words. This lesson will not make you pronounce words with 100% accuracy (yet) but it will drastically aid you to read the Lithuanian words you will encounter for the rest of our modules more properly. Feel free to review the three preceding lessons and see how better (and faster) you're able to read them now.
Click to enlarge or download the PDF file.
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet and 28 in the Filipino alphabet, which both use the latin script. However, it's not that we're adding "more" letters but pretty much like how there's an additional ñ (derived from the letter n) and ng (a combination of letters n and g) in the Filipino alphabet, their are also some additional "symbols" in already familiar letters in the Lithuanian alphabet.
Careful not to call these "symbols" accents because they most certainly are not! They are separate letters by themselves and are pronounced slightly different from the "original" form.
▼ Download this PDF file and have a look at all 32 Lithuanian letters. In this guide, you will also find words that start with the letters so you can try pronouncing them!
✏️ Comment below if you’re able to decipher what the sample words mean!
Some notable information about the Lithuanian alphabet (compared to the English alphabet) :
the Lithuanian alphabet does not have the letters Q, W, and X
it has the following additional consonants:
Č pronounced /ch/ as in church as opposed to the letter C pronounced more like a /ts/ in tsunami than an /s/
Š pronounced /sh/ as in sheep and
Ž pronounced /zh/ as in pleasure.
and has the following additional vowels: Ą, Ę, Ė, Į, Ų, Ū which do not have a very distinct sound from one another except that
the Ė is pronounced with a more closed mouth (listen here) than the regular, more open-mouth E (listen here)
I is pronounced shorter than Į
Bonus: Y is considered a vowel than a semi-vowel
Maybe the alphabet song can help? Let’s go back to preschool for a few minutes and sing the Lithuanian alphabet song to the same tune. So you can sing along the lyrics “now I know my ABCs…” here’s the lyrics (thanks to Dora for confirming the lyrics I was able to decipher with my beginner level) :
O dabar ir tu dainuok, (And now you sing,)
Viską viską pakartok (Repeat everything)
I tried to explain the pronunciation as simple as I can but for those seeking for a more technical explanation using the IPA as a more accurate guide, Wikipedia provides a helpful guide.
SPELLING USING THE LITHUANIAN ALPHABET
Aside from knowing how these letters sounds to help you read and speak Lithuanian, it may also be helpful and practical to know how to spell. Spelling helps avoid misunderstanding especially when you have to spell out your name or give out your email address. Note that the name of the letters does not necessarily indicate how it is pronounced i.e. it is more descriptive that literal. Below are the names of the Lithuanian alphabet:
K - ka
L - el
M - em
N - en
O - o
P - pė
R - er
S - es
Š - eš
T - tė
U - u trumpoj
Ų - u nosinė
Ū - u ilgoji
V - vė
Z - zė
Ž - žė
A - a (pronounced /ah/)
Ą - a nocinė
B - bė
C - cė
Č - čė
D - dė
E - e
E - e nosinė
Ė - ė
F - ef
G - gė
H - ha
I - i trumpoji (short)
Į - i nosinė
Y - i ilgoji (long)
J - jot
Notice how the “e” is pronounced differently whether it is found before the consonant (as in the case of F, L, M, N, R, S and Š) vs if it is found after the consonant (as in the case of B, C, Č, D, G, P, T, V, Z and Ż).
How to type in Lithuanian
The Lithuanian keyboard is designed differently from the universal English QWERTY keyboard. You may need to download a language pack and install it additionally with your regular keyboard.
If you’re using an international english keyboard
You may have access to certain “accented” letters with your international English keyboard. For Mac users, simply long press a letter and choose the “symbol” you need by hitting the designated numbers as should be displayed on your screen (see photo). For Windows users, hit CTRL + punctuation mark + letter. For a list of shortcuts, click here. This option provides limited access to certain letters only.
If you’re using the LIthuanian language keyboard pack
You may need to get used to hitting additional keys to access numbers and punctuation marks as they are replaced with keys for the additional letters. Good news, the keys for the 26 letters are found on the same location. For a layout of the Lithuanian keyboard, see this photo for reference. I don’t memorize them myself so whenever I had to type in Lithuanian, I have to activate and display the “show keyboard viewer” option (especially because I also get it mixed up with the French AZERTY keyboard layout too).
Alternatively, try writing them down first and have a feel for yourself! Whenever I’m taking notes in Lithuanian, I still write my notes with a pen and paper (I’ve since upgraded to an iPad and Apple pencil in 2019 but same idea).
What was your main takeaway with today’s module about the Lithuanian alphabet?
Was this helpful? There’s more to come! Let me know which topics you want to cover on future modules.
Follow this Pinterest board for other trivial information about the lietuviškai (Lithuanian language) and Lietuva (Lithuania).
Lietuviškos knygos, books written in Lithuanian, sold in a retro bookstore in Klaipėda
MY SHORT LITHUANIAN LINGUISTIC BIOGRAPHY
In 2017, 2018 and 2019, I was a recipient of the Lithuanian government scholarship for the winter and summer Lithuanian language and culture courses. However, I only chose to attend the summer courses given my work schedule. In those two months, I have learned as much as to introduce myself, get around, let others know what I need and am looking for and describe myself and those in my immediate surroundings. In the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), these skills are categorized in the A2 level. In this level, the language user is able to talk and ask questions about themselves and those of their immediate surroundings, regarding their immediate and personal needs. This level is enough to get you through the day to day necessities such as lodging, restaurant, hotel reservations, ordering food, buying in shops… just about anything you need to function better as a tourist or temporary visitor. Read more…
