Lithuanian typing practice
Learn to touch type in Lithuanian, free in your browser: lessons built from real Lithuanian words, Lithuanian books to type, and the number-row letters ą to ž on a Lithuanian, US or UK keyboard.
What you can practise
Smart Lessons in Lithuanian
Real Lithuanian words, built around your slowest key. You start on six keys, and Lithuanian's own letters join as the others come up to speed.
The Lithuanian alphabet
Every letter in order against the clock, with how to type each Lithuanian letter on your keyboard.
Typing games in Lithuanian
Pilot and Spaceship: steer through the gaps or shoot down enemy ships by typing Lithuanian words.
6 Lithuanian books
Classic Lithuanian books, out of copyright, typed a passage at a time.
Lithuanian letters
Lithuanian adds nine letters to a to z: the nasal vowels ą, ę, į and ų with their ogonek tail, ė with a dot, long ū, and č, š and ž with a caron. They fill everyday words such as "ačiū" (thank you), "šiandien" (today), "žmonės" (people) and "gražu" (beautiful).
The Lithuanian keyboard is QWERTY with its letters where the digits usually are: ą, č, ę, ė, į, š, ų and ū on the keys 1 to 8, and ž on the = key. On a US or UK keyboard, Windows' United States-International cannot type them, so add the Lithuanian layout; on macOS ABC – Extended and on Linux, type the mark first (Option+V for a caron on a Mac), then the letter.
On a Lithuanian keyboard
Windows: Lithuanian · macOS: Lithuanian · Linux: Lithuanian
Add it in Windows under Settings > Time & language > Language & region, in macOS under System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, in Linux under Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources.
| Letter | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| ą | Ą | Ą | Ą |
| č | Č | Č | Č |
| ę | Ę | Ę | Ę |
| ė | Ė | Ė | Ė |
| į | Į | Į | Į |
| š | Š | Š | Š |
| ų | Ų | Ų | Ų |
| ū | Ū | Ū | Ū |
| ž | Ž | Ž | Ž |
On a US or UK keyboard
Windows: United States-International · macOS: ABC – Extended · Linux: English (US, intl., with dead keys)
Add it the same way. Windows' United States-International cannot type the Lithuanian letters; macOS and Linux can, a mark then the letter. On US-International and the Linux layout ' and " become dead keys: type a space after one for the mark itself.
| Letter | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| ą | Not on this layout | Option Mthen A | Shift AltGr 8then A |
| č | Not on this layout | Option Vthen C | Shift AltGr .then C |
| ę | Not on this layout | Option Mthen E | Shift AltGr 8then E |
| ė | Not on this layout | Option Wthen E | AltGr .then E |
| į | Not on this layout | Option Mthen I | Shift AltGr 8then I |
| š | Not on this layout | Option Vthen S | Shift AltGr .then S |
| ų | Not on this layout | Option Mthen U | Shift AltGr 8then U |
| ū | Not on this layout | Option Athen U | Shift AltGr 3then U |
| ž | Not on this layout | Option Vthen Z | Shift AltGr .then Z |
Tips for typing Lithuanian
The number row is part of every word
With ą to ū on the keys 1 to 8, the top row turns up in almost every sentence. Reach up with the finger that types that digit, the left little finger for ą on 1, and come straight back to the home row.
Ž is a long reach
Ž sits on the = key at the far end of the number row, a stretch for the right little finger. Words such as "žmogus" and "žodis" make good practice.
The marks carry grammar
The ogonek letters often mark a word's case, as in "skaitau knygą" (I am reading a book), so leaving one out changes the word, not only its look. Type each as you go rather than fixing it after.
One key beats two
On a US or UK keyboard, adding the Lithuanian layout and switching to it is quicker than dead keys: one key per letter instead of two, and the same keys on Windows, macOS and Linux.