Long y and ū
Y is a long i and ū is a long u. Plain i and u are always short.
How It Works
Vowel length matters in Lithuanian. Some letters always stand for a long vowel, and some always stand for a short one:
- Always long: y and į (long i), ū and ų (long u), and also ė, ą, ę and o in inherited words (many international loanwords have short o).
- Always short: i and u.
A long vowel stays long even when the syllable is not stressed. In sūnus, the first vowel is long and the second is short, and the stress falls on the short one. This is different from English, where unstressed vowels often shrink.
Y and į sound exactly the same, and so do ū and ų. The spelling comes from history and grammar: endings use the nasal letters (brolį, vyrų), while word roots mostly use y and ū (rytas, būti). See the nasal letters.
Length can change the meaning of a word: lūpa means lip, but lupa means a magnifying glass. The word yra (is) starts with a long y, and it is one of the first words you will use.
A consonant before y or i is always soft, just as it is before e and ė. See i as a softness marker for how softness is shown before other vowels.
Examples (5)
- Labas rytas!
Good morning!
Word by Word: Good morning!
The y in rytas is long.
- Mano sūnus yra studentas.
My son is a student.
Word by Word: My son is student.
Sūnus has a long ū and then a short u. Yra starts with a long y.
- Vilkas gyvena miške.
The wolf lives in the forest.
Word by Word: Wolf lives in-forest.
Vilkas has a short i, and gyvena has a long y.
- Upė labai graži.
The river is very beautiful.
Word by Word: River very beautiful.
The u in upė is short.
- Gera būti namie.
It's good to be at home.
Word by Word: Good to-be at-home.
The ū in būti is long.
Common Mistakes
Writing short i where the word has a long y.
Labas ritas!Labas rytas!Rytas (morning) has a long y. Ritas is misspelled.
Writing short u where the word has a long ū.
Mano sunus yra studentas.Mano sūnus yra studentas.The first vowel of sūnus (son) is a long ū. Only the second one is a short u.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The long and short vowel pairs refine the alphabet's sound values.
Related Patterns
- Nasal Letters ą, ę, į, ųThe Nasal Letters Ą, Ę, Į and Ų
See why į sounds like y and ų sounds like ū.
Level 1 - ė / eThe Letters Ė and E
Compare the long, closed ė with the open e.
Level 1 - Diphthongs ie and uoThe Diphthongs Ie and Uo
Learn the gliding sounds that also count as long.
Level 1 - Free and Moving Stress
Learn how stress works alongside long and short vowels.
Level 1
Practice Long y and ū in Bubblegum
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