More than 220,000 foreigners live in Lithuania, comprising nearly 8% of the population, according to the Migration Information Center (MiCenter).

The contest is being organized by the MiCenter, which is managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.

“Lithuanians have been choosing the most beautiful word in their language for many years, and the word ‘Ačiū’ (thank you) has won several times,” said Edita Urbanovič, the head of MiCenter.

“We thought it would be interesting to find out what is the most beautiful word for foreigners living in our country,” she added.

MiCenter says that the winning word will be chosen in two rounds. In the first, running until October 1, foreigners are invited to suggest words by filling out a form.

The ten most often cited words will move to the second and final round. The winning word will be announced on October 9, Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reported.

“This way, we want not only to involve foreigners even more in learning the language, but also to show the public how many foreigners living in our country love the Lithuanian language and are willing to learn it,” Urbanovič said.