Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Greek-Letters-and-Pronunciation

Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar → Introduction to Greek Alphabet → Greek Letters and Pronunciation

As a Modern Greek (1453-) language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce students to the Greek alphabet and pronunciation. This lesson is a vital foundation for your journey towards becoming proficient in Modern Greek.

The Greek alphabet has played a significant role in shaping the world with its contributions to literature, science, mathematics, and more. It comprises 24 letters, including both consonants and vowels, each with its sound and unique pronunciation. In this lesson, we will cover all the 24 Greek letters and their corresponding pronunciation in Modern Greek.

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: The degrees of the adjective & Greek voices verbs Φωνή και συζυγίες ρημάτων.

Greek Alphabet and Pronunciation

The Greek alphabet is the ancestor of the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets and is still widely used today. As a complete beginner in Modern Greek, learning the Greek alphabet is crucial before anything else. Knowing the Greek letters and pronunciation is fundamental to learning to read, speak, and write the language properly.

Below is a table of the Greek alphabet showing each letter, its uppercase and lowercase forms, pronunciation, and an example of an English word that has that sound.

Greek Letter	Uppercase	Lowercase	Pronunciation	English Example
Alpha	Α	α	ah	father
Beta	Β	β	vee	love
Gamma	Γ	γ	gh	goat
Delta	Δ	δ	dh	this
Epsilon	Ε	ε	eh	pen
Zeta	Ζ	ζ	zee	zoo
Eta	Η	η	ee	feet
Theta	Θ	θ	th	think
Iota	Ι	ι	ee-oh-tah	ski
Kappa	Κ	κ	kah	keep
Lambda	Λ	λ	lah	love
Mu	Μ	μ	mee	man
Nu	Ν	ν	nee	now
Xi	Ξ	ξ	xee	six
Omicron	Ο	ο	oh	go
Pi	Π	π	pee	peace
Rho	Ρ	ρ	ree	roll
Sigma	Σ	σ/ς	see	sign (σ) or dessert (ς)
Tau	Τ	τ	tah	time
Upsilon	Υ	υ	ee-oo	blue
Phi	Φ	φ	fee	phone
Chi	Χ	χ	hee	hat
Psi	Ψ	ψ	psee	lips
Omega	Ω	ω	oh-meh-gah	so

Note that Sigma has three forms: uppercase (Σ), lowercase (σ), and final form (ς). The final form appears only at the end of a word.

Please practice pronouncing the Greek letters correctly. It is vital to get comfortable with the Greek alphabet and pronunciation to progress in Modern Greek.

As we move forward in this course, you will realize how significant the Greek alphabet is to the language's rules and structures. It is the key to understanding not just the spoken Greek language, but also the written language.

Now that you have familiarized yourself with the Greek alphabet and pronunciation, you are ready to proceed to the next lesson. I hope you continue on this amazing journey and be proud of each step you take towards learning Modern Greek.

Table of Contents - Modern Greek (1453-) Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Greek Alphabet

• Greek Letters and Pronunciation
• Diphthongs and Special Combinations

  ---

Basic Greetings and Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Common Everyday Phrases

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Noun Gender and Plurals

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering in a Restaurant

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Greek Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Greek Cuisine

  ---

Greek History and Geography

• Historical Overview
• Geographical Regions

Other Lessons

• The final v
• Questions
• Prepositions
• Give your Opinion
• Greek phonology of the consonants : Φφ Θθ
• Past Tense
• Present perfect and past perfect tense
• The paronyms
• Discours direct indirect
• Various Greek linguistic terms