Greek > alphabet letters (script and their pronunciation in I.P.A.)

C l i c k     l e t t e r s     o r     s c r o l l     d o w n     t o     s e e     a l l     t h e    a l p h a b e t
International Phonetic symbols are used to represent pronunciation: Modern-Standard, Erasmic (if different)
and a hypothesized ancient (classic or earlier) pronunciation -if different from erasmic.
Letter
1
alpha

2
beta

3
gamma

4
delta

5
epsilon

 
F

6
zeta

7
eta

8
theta

9
iota

10
kappa

11
lambda

12
mu

13
nu

14
ksi

15
Oo

16
pi

 
M

 
koppa

17
rho

18
sigma

19
tau

20
upsilon

21
phi

22
chi

23
psi

24
omega

no
s
y
m
b
o
l

 
sampi

number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
 
90
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
p
h
o
n
e
t
i
c

Modern
a
v
gh sound
j
n Velar as in Anglia
dh sound as in THis
e
z
i
th sound as in THin
i
j
k
c
l
li palatal
m
n
n palatal
ks
o
p
r
s
z
t
i
f
x
ç
ps
o
Erasmic
b
g
d
e long eta sound
i
l
n
s
y
k
o:
Early
a
a long
v
zd
th
i
i:
c
ks
xs
s
k
u
ph
kh
ps
fs
j
l e t t e r s   d e r i v i n g   f r o m   t h e   N o r t h s e m i t i c   S c r i p t
a d d e d   l e t t e r s
MORE PAGES on BINARY SYMBOLS and DIACRITICS
BINARY (DIGRAPHS)
V
O
W
E
L
S

AI
alpha hypogegrammenon iota
EI
eta hypogegrammenon iota
OI
YI
omega hypogegrammenon iota
OY
AY
EY
HY
C
O
N
S
O
N


NT





TZ
Modern Pron. in IPA
e
(a)
i
(i)
i
i
(o)
u
af
av
ef
ev
if
iv
b
mb
d
nd
g, n Velar as in Angliag
g palatal, n Velar as in Angliag palatal
n Velar as in Angliag
n Velar as in Angliag palatal
n Velar as in Angliax
n Velar as in Angliaç
n Velar as in Angliaks
ts
dz
Erasmic Pron. in IPA
ai
ei
e long eta sound
oi
yi
o:

au
eu
e long eta soundu
mp
nt
n Velar as in Angliak

 
DIACRITIC
MARKS

Hellenistic Diacritics
polytonic system
(multiaccented)

STRESS: Okseia-Vareia Perispomene

BREATHING: Daseia    Psile

      PUNCTU  
ATION

[[addendum]]
Modern Diacritic Marks:
monotonic system
official since 1982
Stress: just the mark ' over the small vowel that is louder (or before an arctic capital vowel). At binary vowels, it is placed on the second. Monosyllabic words are not stressed at all (except to distinguish identical ones).
Dialytics (Umlaut) BINARY VOWELS PRONOUNCED SEPARATELY. The dialytics are placed over the second vowel. From the word: διαλύω dia-lyo = un-tie, dis-solve.
USEFUL LINKS
(click the following, to open a new window to accompany your study. Resize it and keep referring to it.)
Standard - Modern Greek: Greek Alphabet Lessons wav and mp3 by Philoglossia, Institute of Language and Speech Processing: ILSP of Thrace, GREECE Click on the letters to listen to their Modern-Standard greek pronunciation.
Ancient - Erasmic/Erasmian Pronunciation:Ancient Greek Tutorials by Berkeley University USA Click on the letters to listen to their Erasmic or Erasmian pronunciation.
International Phonetic Alphabet: LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS at the Phonetic Alphabet at Norwegian NTNU.

History of the greek alphabet

*links on greek language and alphabet.
*greek letters as numbers
*greek letters in SCIENCE
*Greek letters were also used as MUSIC NOTES in ancient Greece. (I promise to prepare a page on that). (check GREEK MUSIC NOTATION LINKS).

CONTENTS IN THIS CHART: CONCISE
If you are looking for even more concise, go directly to the Printable Concise Alphabet.

SPECIAL PAGES FOR EACH LETTER
If you wish to elaborate, you may click FULL discussion PAGE for each letter's:
SHAPE: Variants in cities of the ancient hellenic world.
SOUND: discussion of pronunciation's evolution from ancient times through hellenistic times to today's pronunciation.
ETYMOLOGY OF LETTER's NAME, SOUND EXAMPLES etc.
Also see note about letters (gender, minusculae-majusculae)


NOTE 1: Two identical consonants may never occur at the beginning of a word. Two identical consonants within a word: pronunciation is not affected in modern greek, they are pronounced as one. In older times they were pronounced twice. Cypriots still pronounce them both. (Exception: the pronunciation for ΓΓ).
NOTE 2: The small or capital letter followed by an acute diacritic mark is the symbol of a number in greek numerical system. If preceded by a stroke under the letter, it is the same number, multiplied by a thousand: e.g.:α´= 1 but ,α= 1000, or = 70 but ,o= 70000 (see greek numerals).
 

Greek LETTERS and their Pronunciation
Modern-Standard and (if different) Erasmic or Erasmian in International Phonetic Alphabet
examples of words:
greek-[modern greek pronunciation]
english-[english pronunciation]
or vice versa, according to the order of chronological appearance or the word
SOUND EXAMPLES = MODERN GREEK unless otherwise marked

order#)
greek number
LETTER
CAPITAL-small
I.P.A. Pronunc.
Standard
Erasmic
pronounced
as in the word...
(english or other)

Letter Name
in greek
in english

1) α´= 1
A α

transliteration: a
[a]
vowel
open front unrounded

latin: amo
french: ami
similar to english: father
άλφα
['alfa]
alpha
['ælfschwa]
άτoμoν = undividable/individual
['atomon]
atom
['ætschwam]
ανάλυσις
[a'nalisis]
analysis
[schwa'nælschwasıs]
αστρoνoμία
[astrono'mia]
astronomy
[schwa'stronschwamı]
at a new window ← full ALPHA discussion -> in this window
2) β´= 2
B β

transliteration: b
[v]
consonant
voiced labiodental fricative

erasmic [b]
vote
βήτα
['vita]
beta
['bitschwa]
U.S. ['beıtschwa]
βασικό
[vasi'ko]
basic
['beısık]
βυζάντιoν
[vi'zandio n]
byzantium
latin: [bi'zantium]
Byron (the poet)
[b'αırschwan]
Βύρων
['viron]
at a new window ← full BETA discussion -> in this window
3) γ´= 3
Γ γ

transliteration: g
[γ]
consonant
voiced velar fricative

erasmic [g]
close to gh
not exisiting in english

γάμ(μ)α
['γama]
gamma
['gæmschwa]
γαλαξίας
[γala'ksias]
galaxy
['gælschwaksı]
γιγάντιo
[ji'γandio]
gigantic
[dzαı'gæntık]
γραφικό
[γrafi'ko]
graphic
['græfık]
[j]
consonant semiphone
palatal approximant

before [i] [e]
yes
[jes]
γεωμετρία
[jeome'tria]
geometry
[dzı'omschwatrı]
γιγάντιo
[ji'γandio]
gigantic
[dzαı'gæntık]
γυμναστής
[jimna'stis]
gymnast
['dzımnæst]
[n Velar as in Anglia]
consonant
velar nasal

only in middle of composed words
anger
this sound is called άγμα
['aγma]
εγκυκλoπαίδεια
[en Velar and giklo'peδia]
encyclopa(e)dia
[ın'sαıklschwa'pidıschwa]
εν = in
κύκλoς = cycle
παιδεία = education
from: παις, παιδί = child
at a new window ← full GAMMA discussion -> in this window
4) δ´= 4
Δ δ

transliteration: d
[δ]
consonant
voiced dental fricative

erasmic [d]
this
but not thin
δέλτα
['δelta]
delta
['deltschwa]
δημoκρατία
[δimokra'tia]
democracy
[dı'mokrschwası]
διδακτικό
[δiδakti'ko]
didactic
[dı'dæktık]
δράμα
['δrama]
drama
['drαmschwa]
at a new window ← full DELTA discussion -> in this window
5) ε´= 5
E ε

transliteration: e
[e]
vowel close-mid
front unrounded

ten
έψιλoν
literally=
e light

['epsilon]
epsilon
[ep'sαılschwan]
U.S.['epsılon]
old gre: λληνικόν
erasmic: [hellεni'kon]
ελληνικό
[elini'ko]
hellenic
[he'linık]
εγώ
[e'γo]
ego
['egschwaυ]
U.S. ['igschwaυ]
εθνικό
[eθni'ko]
ethnic
['eθnık]
at a new window ← full EPSILON discussion -> in this window
was 6th at
earlier alphabet versions
ς´= 6 or στ´= 6
F

was pronounced
/v/

comes from Indoeuropean
/w/
δίγαμμα
['δiγama]
digamma
or βαυ
/'vav/
waw or vau
Indoeuropean hypothetical root:     *werg-
in old ancient greek, retained:      FEPΓON
in ancient and modern greek, dropped:   έργoν
english:    work      german:    Werk
at a new window ← full DIGAMMA discussion -> in this window
6) ζ´= 7
Z ζ

transliteration: z
[z]
consonant
voiced alveolar fricative

erasmic
[zd] or [dz]
zoo
ζήτα
['zita]
zeta
['zitschwa]
U.S.['zeıtschwa]
ζώo =animal
['zoo]
zoo
[zu]
ζωδιακό
[zoδia'ko]
zodiac
['zschwaυdıæk]
ζήλoς
['zilos]
zeal
[zil]
at a new window ← full ZETA discussion -> in this window
7) η´= 8
H η

transliteration: e
[i]
vowel
front close unrounded

erasmic [ε:]
(e long)

Greece
ήτα
pre-classical times: [hε:ta]
after classical times: ['ε:ta]
after hellenistic times:['ita]
eta
['itschwa] - U.S.['eıtschwa]
ηχώ
[i'xo]
echo
['ekschwaυ]
ηλεκτρικό
[ilektri'ko]
electric
[ı'lektrık]
at a new window ← full ETA discussion -> in this window
8) θ´= 9
Θ θ

transliteration: th
[θ]
consonant
voiceless dental fricative

thin
but not this
θήτα
['θita]
theta
['θitschwa]
U.S. ['θeıtschwa]
θεωρία
[θeo'ria]
theory
['θıschwarı]
θέατρo
['θeatro]
theatre
['θıschwatschwa(r)]
θέσις pl. θέσεις
= position
['θesis] - ['θesis]
thesis - theses
['θisıs] - ['θisız]
at a new window ← full THETA discussion -> in this window
9) ι´= 10
I ι

transliteration: i
[i]
vowel
close front unrounded

Greece
(γ)ιώτα
['jota]
iota
[αı'schwaυtschwa]
ιδέα
[i'δea]
idea
[αı'dιschwa]
'Iων
['ion]
ion
['αıschwan]
ιόν =going (anc.gre.)
[i'on]
ion
['αıschwan]
rarely
[j]
consonant sempiphone
palatal approximant

yes
[jes]
        but:
καρδιά    καρδιακό
[kar'δja]    [karδia'ko]
=heart      cardiac
              ['kαdıæk]
διαβoλικό
javoli'ko]
diabolic
[dαıschwa'bolık]
[ç]
consonant voiceless
palatal [x]
fricative

humour
πιάνω (=I grasp)
[pç'ano]
piano (italian: the musical instrument)
πιάνo
[pç'ano]
at a new window ← full IOTA discussion -> in this window
10) κ´= 20
K κ

transliteration: c
rarely k
[k]
consonant
voiceless velar plosive

car
κάπ(π)α
['kapa]
kappa
['kæpschwa]
κόσμoς
['kozmos]
cosmos
['kozmos]
καταστρoφή
[katastro'fi]
catastrophe
[kschwa'tæstrschwafı]
κατάλoγoς
[ka'taloγos]
catalogue
['kætschwalog]
[c]
consonant voiceless
palatal plosive
before [i] and [e]

cute
κύκλoς=circle
['ciklos]
cycle
['sαıkl]
κέντρo
['cendro]
centre
['sentschwa(r)]
κινητικό
[ciniti'ko]
kinetik
[cı'netık]
>cinema
at a new window ← full KAPPA discussion -> in this window
11) λ´= 30
Λ λ

transliteration: l
[l]
consonant
alveolar
lateral approximant non-fricative

love
λάμβδα
λάβδα

λάμδα
['lamδa]
lambda
['læmdschwa]
helium
['hilıschwam]
gre.polytonic: λιoν
gre.monotonic: ήλιoν
['ilion]
λoγικό
[loji'ko]
logic(al)
['lodzık]
λεξικόν
[leksi'kon]
lexicon
['leksıkschwan]
[li palatal]
consonant palatal
lateral approximant

italian
tagliatelle
gre.polytonic: λιoς
erasmic: ['helios]
gre.monotonic: ήλιoς
= sun
['ili palatalos]
anc. and old gre: ελαία = olive
[e'lea]
erasmic: [e'laia]
mod.gre: ελιά [e'li palatala]
at a new window ← full LAMBDA discussion -> in this window
12) μ´= 40
M μ

transliteration: m
[m]
consonant
bilabial nasal

mother
μυ
μι
[mi]
mu
[miu]
or [mju]
μελωδία
[melo'δia]
melody
['melschwadı]
μανία
[ma'nia]
mania
['meınıschwa]
μέθoδoς
['meθoδos]
method
['mschwad]
at a new window ← full MU discussion -> in this window
13) ν´= 50
N ν

transliteration: n
[n]
consonant
alveolar nasal

none
νυ
νι
[ni]
nu
[niu]
U.S. [nu]
νoσταλγία
[nostal'jia]
nostalgia
[no'stældzschwa]
νέoν=new
['neon]
neon
['nion]
ναυτικό
[nafti'ko]
nautical
['no shorttıkl]
[n palatal]
consonant
palatal nasal

new
italian bagno
9
εννέα [e'nea]
or εννιά [e'n palatala]
nine
έννoια ['enia] = meaning
έννoια ['en palatala] = a thought troubling the mind
at a new window ← full NU discussion -> in this window
14) ξ´=60
Ξ ξ

transliteration: x
[ks]

sex
ξι
[ksi]
xi
[ksαı]
ξυλόφωνo
[ksi'lofono]
xylophone
['zαılschwafschwaυn]
ξενoφoβία
[ksenofo'via]
xenophobia
['zenschwa'fschwaυbıschwa]
persian: Khshayarsha
Xerxes
Ξέρξης
['kserksis]
at a new window ← full KSI discussion -> in this window
15) o´=70
O o

transliteration: o
[o]
vowel close-mid
back rounded

log
όμικρoν
literally=
o small

['omikron]
omikron
[schwaυ'mαıkrschwan]
U.S. ['omıkron]
Oλυμπιακό
[olimbia'ko]
Olympic
[schwa'lımpık]
oκτάγωνo
[o'ktaγono]
octagon
[oktschwagschwan]
όζω
=I give out smell
ozone
['schwaυzschwaυn]
όζoν
['ozon]
at a new window ← full OMIKRON discussion -> in this window
16) π´= 80
Π π

transliteration: p
[p]
consonant
voiceless bilabial plosive
NOT ASPIRATED

papa
with NO aspiration
πι
[pi]
pi
[pαı]
πoλιτικό
[politi'ko]
political
[pschwa'lıtıkl]
πανόραμα
[pa'norama]
panorama
['pænschwa'rαmschwa]
πρόβλημα
['provlima]
problem
['problschwam]
at a new window ← full PI discussion -> in this window
early
alphabets
M

[s]
sex
σαν
[san]
san
San was used in some ancient cities to represent /s/ as a Sigma variation. Soon it faded out, and Sigma Σ took over. Its name probably derives from the Northsemitic (Phoenician) letter: şādhē which sounded like /ts/.
at a new window ← full SAN discussion -> in this window
early
alphabets

koppa
[k]
car
κόππα
['kopa]
koppa
early: koppaOPH
erasmic: ['korε]
anc. and mod: KOPH
mod.gre: ['kori]
κόρη=daughter, kore
(eng.)=archaic statue of girl
early: koppaOPINΘOΣ
anc. and mod.KOPINΘOΣ
['korinθos]
Corinth
(the city)
early: koppaYPIOΣ
possibly[kyrios]
anc. and mod. KYPIOΣ
κύριoς
mod.gre:['cirios]
=lord,main,principle
at a new window ← full KOPPA discussion -> in this window
17) ρ´= 100
P ρ

transliteration: r
[r]
consonant
alveolar trill

arrow
spanish accent
ρo
[ro]
rho
[rschwaυ]
ρητoρικό
[ritori'ko]
rhe'torical
[rı'torıkl]
ρυθμός
[riθ'mos]
rhythm
['rıδm]
ραψωδία
[rapso'δia]
rhapsody
['ræpsschwadı]
at a new window ← full RHO discussion -> in this window
18) σ´= 200
Σ σ

ς (as final small)
transliteration: s
[s]
consonant
voiceless alveolar fricative

or [z]
voiced alveolar fricative
before /v,γ,δ,m/

sex
σίγμα
['siγma]
sigma
['sιgmschwa]
στατικό
[stati'ko]
static
['stætık]
σεισμικό
[sizmi'ko]
seismic
['sαızmık]
σαρκασμός
[sarkaz'mos]
s
arcasm
['sαkæzm]
at a new window ← full SIGMA discussion -> in this window
19) τ´= 300
T τ

transliteration: t
[t]
consonant
voiceless alveolar plosive
NOT ASPIRATED

tea
ταυ
[taf]
tau
[tαυ]
τεχνική
[texni'ci]
technique
[tek'nik]
τηλε- + -φωνή
tele- = far away- + phone=voice
telephone
['telschwafschwaυn]
τηλέφωνo
[ti'lefono]
τραγωδία
[traγo'δia]
tragedy
['trædzschwadı]
at a new window ← full TAU discussion -> in this window
20) υ´= 400
Y υ

transliteration: y
[i]
vowel
close front unrounded

erasmic [y]
close front rounded
Greece
erasmic y: as in french: tu
german: ü

 
 
ύψιλoν
literally=
i light

['ipsilon]
upsilon
[jup'sαılschwan]
U.S. ['jupsılon]
old gre: πόθεσις
erasmic: [hy'poθesis]
mod.gre: υπόθεση
[i'poθesi]
hypothesis
['hαı'poθschwasıs]
old gre: πνωτικόν
mod.gre: υπνωτικό
[ipnoti'ko]
hypnotic
[hıp'notık]
old gre: μνoς
mod.gre: ύμνoς
['imnos]
hymn
[hım]
[f] or [v]
when after a vowel
CHECK OY and AY,EY,HY COMBINATIONS and YI.
at a new window ← full UPSILON discussion -> in this window
21) φ´= 500
Φ φ

transliteration: ph
in french: f
[f]
consonant
voiceless labiodental fricative

fast
φι
[fi]
phi
[fαı]
φαντασία
[fanda'sia]
phantasy
fantasy
[fæntschwası]
φιλoσoφία
[filoso'fia]
philosophy
[fı'losschwafı]
φωνητικό
[foniti'ko]
phonetic
[fschwa'netık]
at a new window ← full PHI discussion -> in this window
22) χ´= 600
X χ

transliteration: ch
or k
[x]
consonant
voiceless velar fricative

spanish: junta
scottish: Loch
(rough kh)
χι
[ci]
chi
[kαı]
χoρός=dance
[xo'ros]
chorus
['ko shortrschwas]
χαρακτήρ
χαρακτήρας
[xara'ktiras]
character
['kærıktschwar
χάρισμα
['xarizma]
charisma
[kschwa'rızmschwa]
[ç]
consonant voiceless
palatal fricative

humour
humour
['çumschwa(r)]
χιoύμoρ
['çumor]
χιλιόγραμμo
[çi'li palataloγramo]
kilogram(me)
['kılschwagræm]
χίλια
=thousand
['çili palatala]
kilo...
at a new window ← full CHI discussion -> in this window
23) ψ´= 700
Ψ ψ

transliteration: ps
[ps]

lips
ψι
[psi]
psi
[psαı]
ψυχή = soul
[psi'çi]
psyche
['sαıkı]
ψαλμός
[psal'mos]
psalm
[sαm]
ψευδώνυμo
[psev'δonimo]
pseudonym
['sjudschwanım]
at a new window ← full PSI discussion -> in this window
24) ω´= 800
Ω ω

transliteration: o
[o]
vowel close-mid
back rounded

erasmic [o:]
(o long)
pot
ωμέγα
literally=
o great

[o'meγa]
omega
['schwaυmıgschwa]
U.S. [schwaυ'megschwa]
ωκεανός
[ocea'nos]
ocean
['schwaυ∫n]
ωδή
[o'δi]
ode
[schwaυd]
Ωρίων
[o'rion]
Orion
[o short'rαıschwan]
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no known
symbol
[j]
consonant semiphone
palatal approximant

yes
jod
γιώτ
[jot]
βάλjω (early ancient)
βάλλω = attack, throw
hence: ball
χάρjω (early ancient)
χαίρω (anc. and mod.)
= I rejoice
/'xairo:/ (erasmic pronunciation)
/'çero/ (modern greek pron.)
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obsolete symbol
rotated Pi
sampi= 900
name: σαμπί
[sa'mbi]
In few ancient greek cities, the double sigma ΣΣ was represented as a T. This gradually took the form of a rotated Pi Π: sampi, and in the byzantine times it took the name σαμπεί from: «ως αν πει» → «σαν πι» (=as though -it was- Pi) [san`pi] → [san`pi] → [sam`pi] → [sam`bi].
Sampi represents the number 900.

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Also see: International Phonetic Symbols for Greek    Terms