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PHONETICS for MODERN GREEK

wikipedia: Ancient Greek phonology - Hellenistic Koine Greek phonology (and erasmic pronunciation), Medieval Greek#phonology, Modern Greek phonology
    
I.P.A. = International Phonetic Alphabet
PRONUNCIATION - IPA SOUND GUIDES
Fonts for I.P.A.

SOUNDS OF GREEK Intern.Phonetic.Alphabet
1) VOWELS
a e i o u
In precise transcription, the /e/ is pronounced as more open [ɛ]
Also the /o/, as more open [ɔ]
The y does not exist in Modern Greek, but only in ancient and medieval Greek.
2) CONSONANTS
b d δ f ɟ γ j
k c ʎ ɱ ɲ ŋ
p r s t θ v ç z

3) BINARY SOUNDS
BINARY CONSONANTS:
[ks] [ps] [t͡s] [d͡z]
VOWEL COMBINATIONS:
/i/ + a, e, o, uia ie io iu ai ei oi
DIACRITICS
 '  = primary stress, the only stress in Greek, is placed before the loud syllable marked here as ` to show the direction of the strees to the NEXT syllable.
Double identical consonants are NOT pronounced twice. Disregard them (except ΓΓ). They were (presumably) pronounced doubled until mediaeval times. Cypriots still do.

simplified easy-typing at webtopos:
   r for ɾ voiced alveolar flap
   γ Greek gamma for ɣ
   δ Greek delta for ð
   j for ʝ
 '  = stress is often marked here as ` to show the direction of the strees to the NEXT syllable.


TABLE of GREEK VOWELS
GREEK VOWELS
IPA
phonetic
symbol
as in the word...
(english or other)
description
Greek Script
CAP-small
 
in Modern-Standard
VOWELS: a e i o u (no variations in modern greek)
a
-- (english)
amo (latin)
ami (french)
open
front
unrounded
A α
/e/ is [ɛ] (more open)
ten
open-mid
front
unrounded
E ε     AI αι   AI αí
i
see
close
front
unrounded
I ι   H η   Y υ
EI ει EI εí   OI oι OI oí   YI υι

in erasmic only: I
o is [ɔ] (more open)
got
open-mid
back
rounded

O o   Ω ω
in erasmic only: O
u
zoo
close
back
rounded
OY oυ

TABLE of GREEK CONSONANTS and COMBINATIONS
b  d  δ  f  g  γ  k  l  m  n  p  r  s  t  θ  v  x  z  

CONSONANT
combinations
IPA
phonetic
symbol
as in the word...
(english or other)
description
Greek Script
CAP-small
 
in Modern-Standard
IPA
phonetic
symbol
as in the word...
(english or other)
description
b
boat
voiced
bilabial
plosive
MΠ μπ
Never [mb] at the beginning of a greek word.
in ancient Greek: B β
mb
ambitious
MΠ μπ
Always [mb] in the middle of a greek word,
but not a foreign word or a loanword.

d
day
voiced
alveolar
plosive
NT ντ
Never [nd] at the beginning of a word.
in erasmic: Δ δ
nd
end
NT ντ
Always [nd] in the middle of a greek word.
Note the difference between [ d ] and [ ð ]  
Also check coubld consonant dz
ð
this
but not thin
voiced
dental
fricative
Δ δ
Note the difference between [ d ] and [ ð ]  
f
foot
voiceless
labiodental
fricative
Φ φ
and
sometimes:AY EY HY
ɡ (simplified: like letter g)
go
voiced
velar
plosive
ΓK γκ
Never [ng] at the beginning of a greek word.
in erasmic: Γ γ
n Velar and g
could be written as
ng
anger
ΓK γκ
ΓΓ γγ
Always [ŋg] in the middle of word.
Note the difference between [ g ] and [ ŋg
gi as in gigna
could be written as g^
gift
voiced
palatal
plosive
n Velar and g Palatal
could be written as ng^
ΓK γκ
Never [ŋɟ] at beginning of a greek word.
Note the difference between [ g ] and [ ɟ
ɣ
close to gh
no english sound
voiced
velar
fricative
Γ γ
Note the difference between [ ʝ ] and [ ɣ ]  
ʝ
yes
palatal
approximant
no special symbol exists
check j (jot) hypothetical symbol
The sound occurs sometimes written as I (iota)
see [ia, ie...]
or Γ gamma+[i] or +[e]
Note the difference between [ ʝ ] and [ ɣ ]  
k
cool
voiceless
velar
plosive
K κ   KK κκ
Also, check double consonant ks sound

c

could be written as k^
cute
voiceless
palatal
plosive
before [i] or [e]
Note the difference between [ k] and [ c
l
love
alveolar
lateral approximant
Λ λ   ΛΛ λλ
li as in Cagliari
could be written as l^
tagliatelle
palatal
lateral approximant
before [i]
Note the difference between [ l ] and [ ʎ
m
mother
bilabial
nasal
M μ   MM μμ
mɲ
μια greek:
=one(fem.)

occurs sometimes before [i] sound
mp
imperium (latin)
MΠ μπ [mp] only for non greek words.
mb
ambitious
MΠ μπ Never [mb] at beginning of a greek word. Always [mb] in the middle of greek word.
Mu labiodental
could be written as superscript m...
labiodental
nasal
very rare
it may occur
in modern greek, when M [m] is followed by [f] or [v]
n
no
alveolar
nasal
N ν   NN νν
nd
end
NT ντ
Always [nd] in the middle of a greek word.
CHECK /d/.

ndz
-
NTZ ντζ
Always [ndz] in the middle of a word.
CHECK /d/. and CHECK /dz/

Nu palatalized
could be written as n^
new
palatal
nasal
(rare)
Note the difference between [ n ] and [ ɲ
n Velar as in Anglia
sing
velar
nasal
(rare)
rare sound called «άγμα» [ˈaɣma]
no particular symbol exists
Gamma plays its role. Occurs at these
ΓK γκ  ΓΓ γγ
ΓΞ γξ  ΓX γχ

combinations.
 
p
pool
voiceless
bilabial
plosive
NOT aspirated
Π π   ΠΠ ππ

Occurs sometimes when /p/ is followed by /ia, ie, io, iu/
Also check double consonant ps
ɾ voiced alveolar flap
arrow
similar to the spanishtap r
alveolar
trill
P ρ  PP ρρ
s
sex
voiceless
alveolar
fricative
Σ σ (ς) ΣΣ σσ
In greek, there is no ʃ  postalveolar sound as in shop
t
tool
voiceless
alveolar
plosive
NOT aspirated
T τ  TT ττ
Also check double consonant ts
θ
thin
but not this
voiceless
dental
fricative
Θ θ
v
vote
voiced
labiodental
fricative
B β BB ββ
and
binary (αυ, ευ, ηυ)
x
scottish Lokh
voiceless
velar
fricative
X χ
ç

could be written as
x^
similar to he
voiceless
palatal
fricative
X χ
before [i] and [e]
and sometimes I ι
Note the difference between [ x ] and [ ç
z
zoo
voiced
alveolar
fricative
Z ζ
Σ σ
before [v,γ,δ,m]
NOTE that in greek, there is no z  postalveolar sound as in french je
Also check double consonant dz

TABLE of GREEK BINARY UTTERANCES
(CONSONANTS)

IPA
phonetic
symbol
as in the word...
(english or other)
Greek Script
CAP-small
 
in Modern-Standard
and erasmic, if different

consonants: binary sounds
a) written with monogrammes
ks
sex
Ξ ξ
κσ
in the middle of compound words
ps
lips

Ψ ψ

 
[ ks ps  ]
consonants: binary sounds
b) written with digrammes
t͡s
nuts
TΣ τσ τς
NOTE that in greek there is no
tʃ sound as in  church
d͡z
dads
TZ τζ
in erasmic: zeta Z
NOTE that in greek there is no
dz  sound as in  judge
[ t͡s d͡z  ]


TABLE of GREEK BINARY UTTERANCES
(2 VOWELS pronounced fast)

At webtopos we underline them.
DIPHTHONGS (vowels)
(two vowel sounds)
[ia, ie, io, iu] are often pronounced in mod.gre. very fast, as [ʝa ʝe ʝo ʝu] or [ça çe ço çu].
The phaenomenon is called synizesis old gre: συνίζησις mod.gre: συνίζηση [si`nizisi].
Some greek speakers pronounce them this way, some others do not.
The very good {D.G.T.} says that research is not adequate to give definite rules and that the pronunciation of some words is dubious.
Such small nuances betray foreigners that otherwise speak greek very well.
Sometimes, a [i...] or a [j...] version could produce different meaning for one word.
e.g. gre.v. < βιάζoμαι > can be pronounced
[`vʝazome] = eng: I am in a hurry.
[vi`azome] = eng: I am raped.
IPA
phonetic
symbol
as in the word...
(english or other)
Greek Script
CAP-small
 
in Modern-Standard
and erasmic, if different

separate ia  `ia  i`a
together i`a = ˈi̯a  
IA ια   EIA εια
IA ιά   EIA ειά
In some cases, pronounced [ʝa, ça, ɲa]
but not always. sometimes, pronounced [i a]
i`e
IE ιέ   EIE ειέ
IE is also pronounced [ʝe]
but not always. sometimes, pronounced [ˈi̯e]
io  
i`o
ˈi̯o

IO ιo   EIO ειo
IO ιó   EIO ειό

IO is also pronounced [ʝo, ço]
but not always. sometimes pronounced [ˈi̯o]
iu  
i`u
ˈi̯u

IOY ιoυ   EIOY ειoυ   OIOY oιoυ
IOY ιoύ   EIOY ειoύ   OIOY oιoύ

IO is also pronounced [ʝu, çu]
but not always. sometimes pronounced [ˈi̯u]
ai  `ai
[a] [i]
AÏ αϊ  AH αη
AI άι  AH άη

but not always. sometimes, pronounced as one syllable [ˈai̯] (ice)
ei
[e] [i]
'EI έι EÏ εϊ
but not always. sometimes, pronounced as one syllable [ˈei̯] (mail)
oi  `oi
[o] [i]
 oϊ
OI όι

but not always. sometimes, pronounced as one syllale [ˈoi̯] (point)

NON-GREEK VOWELS for reference
IPA
phonetic
symbol
as in the word...
(english or other)
description
non-greek allophones
æ
cat
almost open
front
unrounded
schwa
schwa
ago [schwa'gschwaυ]
almost close-mid
central
unrounded
α
arm
open
back
unrounded
ʌ
cut
open-mid
back
unrounded
ε
père (french)
resembles erasmic pronunciation of ancient greek ETA
open-mid
front
unrounded
ı
i with no dot
sit
almost close
front
unrounded
o short
saw
open-mid
back
rounded
ʊ
put
almost close
back
rounded
y
tu (french)
exists in erasmic pronunciation of ancient greek UPSILON
close
front
rounded
non-greek semiphone
w
wet
approximant
see the early, abandoned greek letter digamma

    
katerina sarri, athens, october 2007