The Greek alphabet and pronountiation rules

First of all, the Greek alphabet has 24 letters.

Specifically, the vowels are: α, ε, η, ι, υ, ο, ω and the consonants are: β, γ, δ, ζ, θ, κ, λ, μ, ν, ξ, π, ρ, σ, τ, φ, χ, ψ.

Also, all the /i/ types (η,ι,υ + combinations) are pronounced with the same way like a short /ee/ sound (like the /i/ in word fatigue) and all the /o/ like a short /o/ sound.

1) Uppercase – 2) Lowercase letters – 3) Name – 4) Pronountiation – 5) Sounds in words

• A       α       Alpha                  /α/                 as father   –  αγόρι

• Β       β        Vita                    /v/                  as vet    – βάρκα

•                                     Γ       γ     Gama    /y/ as year when is folllowed by the letters ”ε” or ”ι”- γέρος (yieros) or like a soft gargle /gh/ – γάτα (ghάta)

• Δ       δ        Thelta           /th/                 as the / this  –  δώρο

• Ε        ε        Epsilon            /e/                  as egg     –       ένα

• Ζ        ζ         Zita                /z/                   as zebra   –      ζώο

• Η       η        Ita               /i/                     as  fatigue  –   ήλιος

• Θ       θ        Thita           /th/                   as thief    –         θρανίο

• Ι         ι         Yiota         /i/                      as fatigue   –    Ιάσωνας

• Κ        κ         Kappa         /k/                     as kite      –         κερί

• Λ        λ        Lamtha        /l/                      as left     –          λιοντάρι

• Μ        μ        Mi               /m/                    as Mary    –       Μαρία

• Ν        ν         Ni                /n/                     as narrow   –     νέος

• Ξ         ξ         Xi                /x/                      as box      –         ξέρω

• Ο        ο       Omikron     /o/                       as orange   –    όχι

• Π        π         Pi               /p/                       as parrot    –     παπί

• Ρ        ρ        Rho             /r/                       as robot      –    ρόδι

• Σ     σ, ς       Sigma        /s/                         as sun     –     σπίτι, αέρας

• Τ         τ         Taf            /t/                          as train    –       τρένο

• Υ        υ       Ipsilon      /i/                       as fatigue  –      εσύ

• Φ       φ        Fi              /f/                           as fame     –       φως

• Χ         χ        Chi            /h/                         as Bach – house     –     χαρά

• Ψ        ψ       Psi           /ps/                        as caps     –     ψάρι

• Ω        ω      Omega  /o/                           as  olive     –       ώρα

Τhe lowercase «σίγμα» can be written with 2 different ways

σ: When it appears in the begging or in the middle of a word, e.g. σωστά

ς : When it appears as the last letter of a word, e.g. Νίκος

Vowels combinations

Additionally, in Greek sometimes when we have 2 vowels together are read like one. These vowels are the following:

1)  ε + ι = ει /i/

2) ο + ι = οι /i/

3) υ +ι = υι /i/

(All of these combinations are pronounced exactly like all the types of /i/ letters that we have in the Greek alphabet -short ee sound)

  α + ι = αι /e/ in word pet

o + υ = ου /u/ in word uber

α + υ = αυ /af/ when it comes before the following letters: κ,π,τ,φ,θ,χ,σ,ξ,ψ  or /av/ when in comes before the vowels or β,γ,δ,ζ,λ,ρ,μ,ν

ε + υ = ευ /ef/ when it comes before the following letters: κ,π,τ,φ,θ,χ,σ,ξ,ψ  or /ev/ when in comes before the vowels or β,γ,δ,ζ,λ,ρ,μ,ν

Finally, in Greek we have some consonants combinations:

μ + π = μπ /b/ – in word ”bar”

ν + τ = ντ /d/ – in word ”dance”

γγ / γκ = /g/ (”g” in the word go). Both are pronounced with the same way but the combination ”γκ” usually is for loan words in Greek and it can be at the beggining of a word. The combination ”γγ” never goes at the beggining of the words.

τ + σ = τσ /ts/ in word ”cats”

τ + ζ = τζ /dz/ in word ”rods”

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