Alphabet Letters in Latvian Language

Alphabet in Latvian Language

Understanding the Latvian alphabet is vital in learning the Latvian Language. Latvian alphabet configuration is applied in a day-to-day conversation. Without the Latvian alphabet, it is impossible to speak the Latvian words correctly even if you learn how to write those terms in Latvian. Learn More

Like any language, the far better a person articulate a letter in a word, the easier understood you will be in speaking the Latvian language. Here are some links which redirects you to the Latvian alphabet and how it can be pronounced in English.

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• Latvian Vowels
• Latvian Consonants
• Latvian Diphthongs

Vowels in Latvian Alphabet

Notice that there are long and short vowel sounds in Latvian.
a	as in 'u' in "cup"
ā	as in 'a' in "bark", a long sound
e	as in 'e' in "pet" and 'a' in "fat"
ē	as in 'ai' in "fair" and 'a' in "spar", but longer
i	as in 'i' in "pin"
ī	as in 'ee' in "speed", a long sound
o	as in 'o' in "pot" and 'oa' in "oats" or 'aw' in "law"
u	as in 'u' in "put"
ū	as in 'oo' in "pool", a long sound

Consonants in Latvian Alphabet

b	as 'b' in "ball"
c	as 'ts' in "bits"
č	as 'ch' in "chest"
d	as 'd' in "dog"
dz	as 'ds' in "beds"
dž	as 'j' in "job"
f	as 'f' in "fish"
g	as 'g' in "grass" [hard g sound]
ģ	as 'ju' in "judge"
h	as 'h' in "hot"
j	as 'y' in "yes"
k	as 'k' in "kite"
ķ	as 'c' in "cute"
l	as 'l' in "lid"
ļ	as 'li' in "million"
m	as 'm' in "money"
n	as 'n' in "noise"
ņ	as 'ny' in "new"
p	as 'p' in "pet"
r	trilled as spanish 'r'
s	as 's' in "sand"
š	as 'sh' in "ship"
t	as 't' in "top"
v	as 'v' in "vest"
z	as z' in "zebra"
ž	as 'su' in "pleasure"

Semi Vowels/ Diphthongs in Latvian Alphabet

In Latvian, the stress is almost always on the first syllable.

[table id=latvian filter=”Special Consonant Cluste