This page is used to describe the simplified system of Lithuanian phonetic transcription (in wikipedia). For more detail information on the phonetics of Lithuanian language see Lithuanian_language#sounds. Phonetics (from the Greek word phone = sound/voice) is the study of speech sounds (voice). ... Lithuanian is the official language of Lithuania, spoken by about 4 million native Lithuanians. ...

The simplified phonetic transcription of Lithuanian language (in wikipedia) is created to help users of wikipedia which want to know or to insert more precise pronouncing of certain words of Lithuanian language. Lithuanian language has no standard pronouncing marks for general usage (signs of the Prahan phonetic alphabet are mostly used for Lithuanian transcription in scientific texts). The simplified phonetic transcription of Lithuanian language (in wikipedia) may be used instead of the Prahan transcription for general not scientific purposes as less complicated and more understandable for majority of users. This system isn't adopted as official. Wikipedia is a Web-based, free-content encyclopedia, which is written collaboratively by volunteers. ... Lithuanian is the official language of Lithuania, spoken by about 4 million native Lithuanians. ... Transcription may be one of the following: In linguistics, transcription is the conversion of spoken words into written language. ...

The general rules

• The sign ⁱ above a consonant means soft pronouncing (the palatalization)) of it (the l' before a consonant mean soft-pronounced, or palatalized, l too, while l is always used for not palatalized l).
• An accented vowel is marked in bold.
• Vowels ā, æ, ē, ī, ō, ū are long, but a, e, i, o, u are short.
• The letters ǐ, ŭ are parts of diphthongs (aǐ, aŭ, eǐ, eŭ, ǐe, oǐ, ŭo, uǐ).
• The letters t^ʃ and d^ʒ mean tʃ and dʒ with ʃ weaker than t and ʒ weaker than d respectively.

Palatalization means pronouncing a sound nearer to the hard palate, making it more like a palatal consonant; this is towards the front of the mouth for a velar or uvular consonant, but towards the back of the mouth for a front (e. ... See also consonance in music. ... Look up Accent in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Accent may refer to— in linguistics, a method of pronouncing words common to a certain region. ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ...

The more explicit rules

Examples

• Akmenė [akmænē]
• Druskininkai: [druskininkaǐ]
• Kaunas: [kaŭnas]
• Klaipėda: [klaǐpēda]
• Kryžių kalnas (The Hill of Crosses): [krīʒⁱū kālnas]
• Lietuva: [lǐetuva]
• Nemunas (a river): [næmunas]
• Neris (a river): [neris]
• Panevėžys: [panevēʒīs]
• Šiauliai [ʃⁱaŭlⁱaǐ]
• Šventoji (a river): [ʃventōji]
• Telšių apskritis: [tel'ʃⁱū apskritis]
• Varėnos rajonas: [varēnōs rajonas]
• Vilnius: [vil'nⁱus]
• Žemaičių Naumiestis [ʒemaǐt^ʃiū naŭmiestis]
• Antanas Smetona: [antānas smetōna]
• Juozapas Skvireckas: [jǔozapas skvirætskas]
• Vytautas Didysis (Vytautas the Great): [vītaǔtas didīsis]
• apskritis, apskritys: [apskritis, āpskritīs]
• cepelinai: [tsepelinaǐ]
• litas, litai: [litas, litaǐ]
• vienybė težydi (let the Unity flourish!): [vienībē teʒīdi]