Latvian Alphabet | Latviešu alfabēts
The Latvian alphabet consists of 33 letters using the Latin script with special diacritical marks including macrons and cedillas.
A a
A
a
Ā ā
Garais A
aa
B b
Be
b
C c
Ce
ts
Č č
Če
ch
D d
De
d
E e
E
e
Ē ē
Garais E
ee
F f
Ef
f
G g
Ge
g
Ģ ģ
Ģe
gj
H h
Ha
h
I i
I
i
Ī ī
Garais I
ii
J j
Je
j
K k
Ka
k
Ķ ķ
Ķe
kj
L l
El
l
Ļ ļ
Ļe
lj
M m
Em
m
N n
En
n
Ņ ņ
Ņe
nj
O o
O
o
P p
Pe
p
R r
Er
r
S s
Es
s
Š š
Eš
sh
T t
Te
t
U u
U
u
Ū ū
Garais U
uu
V v
Ve
v
Z z
Ze
z
Ž ž
Že
zh
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About the Latvian Alphabet
The Latvian alphabet uses the Latin script with 33 letters. It features macrons (ā, ē, ī, ū) to indicate long vowels and cedillas (ģ, ķ, ļ, ņ) for palatalized consonants. The alphabet also includes č, š, and ž for specific consonant sounds. Latvian is one of only two surviving Baltic languages.
History
The Latvian alphabet was standardized in the 1920s after Latvia gained independence. It replaced earlier German-influenced orthographies. The current system uses macrons for long vowels and cedillas for soft consonants, making it distinct from other Baltic and Slavic alphabets.
Key Features
- Written from left to right
- 33 letters with diacritics
- Macrons indicate long vowels
- Cedillas for palatalized consonants
- Based on Latin script
- Standardized in 1920s