Consonant alternation happens in the stem of the words if the ending requires its palatalization.
Letter replacement
| b | → | bj |
|---|---|---|
| c | → | č |
| d | → | ž |
| l | → | ļ |
| m | → | mj |
| n | → | ņ |
| p | → | pj |
| s | → | š |
| t | → | š |
| z | → | ž |
Consonants ģ and ķ do not change.
Sequences of two or more consonants also undergo the above changes.
| dz | → | dž |
|---|---|---|
| kst | → | kš |
| ll | → | ļļ |
| ln | → | ļņ |
| nn | → | ņņ |
| sn | → | šņ |
| sl | → | šļ |
| zl | → | žļ |
| zn | → | žņ |