There have been numerous statements in the public media suggesting that the Lithuanian residents of Vilnius pronounce words Vilnius, lietuviai, visi, kartu like Vylnius, lietūviai, visy, kartū. This linguistic feature is commonly referred to as vowel lengthening. Typically, the language standardizers perceive the vowel lengthening depending on whether such vowels are pronounced within the stem or at the end of a word. The vowel lengthening in the stem (as in Vylnius and lietūviai) is considered characteristic of certain dialects, thus is generally accepted. On the other hand, the vowel lengthening at the end of a word (as in visy and kartū) is deemed uncharacteristic of any Lithuanian dialect. Consequently, it is associated with the Lithuanian-speaking Russians, bilingual individuals, or Lithuanians influenced by the Russian language. This speech feature is strongly stigmatized as a sign of low social status and is often associated with uneducated speakers.
The experiments were conducted in Vilnius schools to investigate the subconscious attitudes associated with the lengthening of vowels and to determine the social meanings attached to it by the residents of Vilnius. The assumption underlying the experiments was that by exploring subconscious attitudes, it might be possible to reveal the evaluations of language or its specific forms that are not typically expressed or acknowledged due to political correctness. The objective was to gain insights into why the lengthening of vowels, a characteristic feature of the speech of Lithuanian residents of Vilnius, continues to persist despite open stigmatization.
The experiments have revealed that although the vowel lengthening at the end of a word (as in visy and kartū) is extremely rare in the speech of Lithuanian residents of Vilnius, it carries significant social meaning and can be associated with specific social groups. When individuals of Russian or Polish origin in Vilnius employ vowel lengthening at the end of a word, it is perceived as foreign and indicative of non-Lithuanian speakers. In contrast, the vowel lengthening used by the Lithuanian residents of Vilnius does not evoke associations with a foreign language. Instead, it is associated with positive social meanings such as education, success, youthfulness, high social status, power, and professional competence. It also conveys the identity of a cosmopolitan city resident. Furthermore, the individuals from Vilnius who pronounce vowels in the stem longer (as in Vylnius and lietūviai) are associated with the genuine folks from rural areas.