Wikipedia:Simplified phonetic transcription for Lithuanian
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This page is used to describe the simplified system of Lithuanian phonetic transcription (in wikipedia). For more detailed information on the phonetics of the Lithuanian language see Lithuanian language#sounds.
The simplified phonetic transcription of Lithuanian language (in Wikipedia) is created to help users of Wikipedia who want a more precise pronunciation of certain words in the Lithuanian language. Lithuanian has no standard pronunciation marks for general usage (signs of the Prahan phonetic alphabet are mostly used for Lithuanian transcription in scientific texts). The simplified phonetic transcription of the Lithuanian language (in Wikipedia) may be used instead of the Prahan transcription for general (not scientific) purposes as it is less complicated and more understandable for the majority of users. This system has not been officially adopted.
The general rules[edit]
- The sign i above a consonant means soft pronunciation (the palatalization) of it (the l' before a consonant means soft-pronounced, or palatalized, l too, while l is always used for unpalatalized 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 tʃ and dʒ mean tʃ and dʒ with ʃ weaker than t and ʒ weaker than d respectively.
The more explicit rules[edit]
Examples[edit]
- 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 [ʒemaǐtʃiū 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 Unity flourish!): [vienībē teʒīdi]