Latvian's learning curve is shaped almost entirely by one thing: its seven-case noun system. Everything else — the alphabet, pronunciation, basic vocabulary — is comparatively approachable for an English speaker. A good roadmap manages the case system deliberately rather than letting it overwhelm the early stages.
Because Latvian spelling is close to phonetic (see Latvian Alphabet), this stage is genuinely quick — most learners are reading comfortably within a week or two, much faster than the equivalent stage in a language with an unfamiliar script.
Build vocabulary in its nominative, dictionary form together with gender, before worrying about how each word changes across all seven cases. This gives you real, usable words quickly, with case endings layered on afterward rather than blocking early progress.
These two cases alone let you form real, useful sentences and cover a large share of beginner communication — treat the remaining five cases as later additions, not prerequisites to saying anything at all.
Add dative, genitive, instrumental, locative, and vocative progressively as your sentences grow more complex, rather than trying to master all seven at once early on.
Alphabet and basic pronunciation: one to two weeks. Basic conversational ability using nominative/accusative-heavy sentences: a few months of consistent study. Comfortable use of the full case system: closer to a year or more — which is genuinely comparable to other case-marked languages, not unusually slow.
See also the reference page: Learn Latvian.
The seven-case noun system, by a wide margin — the alphabet, pronunciation, and basic vocabulary are comparatively approachable for English speakers.
No — nominative and accusative alone cover a large share of beginner communication; the remaining five cases are worth adding gradually as sentences grow more complex.
Often just one to two weeks, thanks to Latvian's close-to-phonetic spelling — much faster than the equivalent stage in a language with an unfamiliar script.
Not particularly — mastering it fully takes roughly a year or more of consistent study, comparable to the timeline for other case-marked languages like Russian or German.