CLASS 5 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE
The Latvian alphabet and diacritical marks: Basics
How it works
The Latvian alphabet consists of 33 letters. These include letters with a macron such as ‹ā›, ‹ē›, ‹ī›, ‹ū›, with a caron such as ‹č›, ‹š›, ‹ž›, as well as letters such as ‹ģ›, ‹ķ›, ‹ļ› and ‹ņ› with a diacritical mark below. These signs change pronunciation and often also the meaning of a word. For example, ‹kazas› means “goats,” but ‹kāzas› means “wedding.” The correct use of diacritical marks is very important for correct writing and understanding in Latvian.
Note
In Latvian, diacritical marks such as the macron in ‹ā›, ‹ē›, ‹ī›, ‹ū›, the caron in ‹č›, ‹š›, ‹ž› and the mark below in ‹ģ›, ‹ķ›, ‹ļ›, ‹ņ› must be written correctly, since they change pronunciation and often also meaning.
In Latvian, diacritical marks such as the macron in ‹ā›, ‹ē›, ‹ī›, ‹ū›, the caron in ‹č›, ‹š›, ‹ž› and the mark below in ‹ģ›, ‹ķ›, ‹ļ›, ‹ņ› must be written correctly, since they change pronunciation and often also meaning.
An example
Which letter is NOT part of the Latvian alphabet: ‹č›, ‹ģ›, ‹q› or ‹ž›?
‹q› is not a letter of the Latvian alphabet.
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: Latvian. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.