How does word stress work differently in Lithuanian and Latvian?

The primary difference in word stress between Lithuanian and Latvian lies in its placement and flexibility.

Lithuanian is characterized by a free stress, meaning the placement of the accent is not restricted to a specific syllable within a word. In contrast, Latvian utilizes a fixed stress, which consistently falls on the first syllable of a word.1

These languages also differ in how they handle intonations inherited from Proto-Baltic. Latvian is considered more archaic in this regard, as it has preserved the falling character of the Proto-Baltic circumflex intonation, whereas it became rising in Lithuanian. Conversely, the Proto-Baltic acute intonation retained its rising character in Latvian but became falling in Lithuanian. In some instances, stress retraction in Latvian has further modified these intonations, leading to the development of a broken intonation.1