Lithuanian Stress and Intonation

If you've listened to Lithuanian, you might have noticed it has a "singing" quality. This comes from its pitch accent system. But don't panic! As a beginner, you just need to know where to put the stress (the "loud" part of the word).

The Golden Rule: Stress is Flexible

Unlike Polish (usually second-to-last syllable) or French (last syllable), Lithuanian stress is free. It can fall anywhere.

Labas (Hello) — Stress on the first syllable: LA-bas.
Dėkui (Thanks) — Stress on the first syllable: DĖ-kui.
Lietuva (Lithuania) — Stress on the last syllable: Lie-tu-VA.

Why It Matters

Moving the stress can sometimes change the meaning, but usually, it just sounds "foreign."

Example: "Namas" vs "Namie"

Namas (House): Stress is on the first syllable. NA-mas.
Namie (At home): Stress shifts to the end. Na-MIE.

Quick Practice

Try saying these loudly. The bold part is stressed.

A-čiū (Thank you)
Pra-šom (Please / You're welcome)
Ka-va (Coffee) — Wait! Actually, it's often heard as Ka-VA in standard, but colloquial speech varies. Standard is Ka-VA.
Sta-telė (Bus stop)

Hear Native Pronunciation

Don't guess the stress. Listen to native speakers pronounce every word in the LietuCoach app.

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Intonation Patterns

Statements

Drop your voice at the end. Aš noriu kavos. (I want coffee.) ↘

Questions

Raise your voice at the end for Yes/No questions. Ar tu nori kavos? (Do you want coffee?) ↗

Mini FAQ

Do I need to learn stress marks?

Not yet. In dictionaries, you'll see tildes (˜) and acute accents (´). As an A1 beginner, just listen and mimic.

Will people understand me if I stress the wrong syllable?

Usually, yes! Context is king. Don't let fear of stress stop you from speaking.

Lithuanian Stress and Intonation: A Beginner's Guide