Potassium-lithium niobiosilicate (KLiNS) glasses with a composition of (27 - x)K2O center dot xLi(2)O center dot 27Nb(2)O(5) center dot 46SiO(2) (x = 0, 3, 12 and 20) have been synthesized by a melt-quenching method. The glass structure and devitrification behavior have been studied by Raman spectroscopy, DTA, and XRD. By increasing the lithium content, less distorted niobium octahedra increase, indicating a niobium clustering. This change strongly affects the crystallization behavior. In the glasses x = 0 and x = 3, just above T-g, only nanocrystals of all unidentified phase are formed, while for x = 12 and x = 20 potassium lithium niobate (KLN) solid solutions with tetragonal tungsten-bronze structure crystallize by bulk nucleation. In these glasses, LiNbO3 crystallizes at higher temperature by surface nuclei. Ultimately, it is possible to produce nanostructured glasses based on KLN nanocrystals, by partial replacement of K by Li. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.