Pronunciation

Vowels

Written Latvian is based on the Latin alphabet and uses 33 letters: Aa, Āā, Bb, Cc, Čč, Dd, Ee, Ēē, Ff, Gg, Ģģ, Hh, Ii, Īī, Jj, Kk, Ķķ, Ll, Ļļ, Mm, Nn, Ņņ, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Šš, Tt, Uu, Ūū, Vv, Zz, Žž.

Vowels

a

as in 'u' in "cup"

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ā

as in 'a' in "another" long sound

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e

as in 'e' in "pet" and 'a' in "fat"

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ē

as in 'ai' in "fair" and 'a' in "spar" but longer

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i

as in 'i' in "pin"

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ī

as in 'ee' in "speed" long sound

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o

as in 'o' in "pot" and 'oa' in "oats"

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u

as in 'u' in "pull"

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ū

as in 'oo' in "pool" long sound