Consonants | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Greek alphabet |
IPA | Examples | English equivalent for Modern Greek |
|
Anc. | Mod. | |||
῾ | h | ∅ | ἥρως [hɛ̌ːrɔːs], [ˈiros] |
hero (Ancient Greek only) |
β | b | v | βίος [ˈvios] | vet |
γ | ɡ | ɣ | γάλα [ˈɣala] | No English equivalent |
ʝ[1] | γη [ʝi] | yellow | ||
δ | d | ð | δῆμος [dɛ̂ːmos], [ðimos] |
then |
ζ | dz[2] | z | ζώνη [ˈzoni] | zero |
θ | tʰ | θ | θεολογία [θeoloˈʝia] | thing |
κ | k | k | καλός [kaˈlos] | sky |
c[1] | κύκλος [ˈciklos] | somewhat like key |
||
λ | l | l | λεξικό [leksiˈko] | lie |
ʎ[3] | ελιά [e̞ˈʎa] | million | ||
μ | m | m | μηχανικός [mixaniˈkos] |
mine |
ν | n | n | νέος [ˈneos] | nine |
ɲ[3] | νιότη [ˈɲoti] | onion | ||
ξ | ks | ξενοφοβία [ksenofoˈvia] |
tax | |
π | p | πρόγραμμα [ˈproɣrama] |
spy | |
ρ | r | r[4] | ρητορική [ritoriˈci] | trilled r, as in Italian and Spanish |
ῥ | r̥[5] | |||
σ[6] | s | σύστημα [ˈsistima] | sea | |
τ | t | τηλέφωνο [tiˈlefono] | step | |
φ | pʰ | f | φαινόμενο [feˈnomeno] |
fly |
χ | kʰ | x | χάος [ˈxaos] | loch (Scottish) |
ç[1] | χειρόγραφος [çiˈroɣrafos] |
(often) human | ||
ψ | ps | ψυχοθεραπεία [psixoθeraˈpia] |
tips | |
γγ | ŋɡ, ŋɣ[7] | αγγούρι [aŋˈɡuri]/ συγγραφέας [siŋɣraˈfeas] |
finger | |
ɲɟ, ɲʝ[1][7] | άγγελος [ˈaɲɟelos]/ εγγενής [eɲʝeˈnis] |
angel | ||
γκ | ɡ, ŋɡ[7] | εγκώμιο [eŋˈɡomio] | good, finger | |
ɟ, ɲɟ[1][7] | εγκυκλοπαίδεια [eɲɟikloˈpeðia] |
argue, angular | ||
γχ | ŋx[7] | άγχος [ˈaŋxos] | often ankh | |
ɲç[1][7] | εγχείριση [eɲˈçirisi] | sometimes ankhes | ||
γξ | ŋks | έλεγξα [ˈeleŋksa] | thanks | |
μπ | b, mb[7] | εμπάθεια [emˈbaθia] | book, amble | |
ντ | d, nd[7] | εντάξει [enˈdaksi] | duck, under | |
τσ | ts | τσάι [ˈtsai] | cats | |
τζ | dz | τζαζ [ˈdzaz] | pads |
Vowels | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Greek alphabet |
IPA | Examples | English equivalent for Modern Greek |
|
Anc. | Mod. | |||
α | a | a | αλφάβητο [alˈfavito] | tar, spa |
aː | ||||
αι | aj | e | between bet and bait |
|
ε | e | ενέργεια [eˈnerʝia] | ||
ει | eː | i[8][9] | ενέργεια [eˈnerʝia] | seem |
η | ɛː | ηθική [iθiˈci] | ||
ι | i | ιστορία [istoˈria] | ||
iː | ||||
υ[10] | y | υγιεινή [iʝiiˈni] | ||
yː | ||||
οι | oj | οικονομία [ikonoˈmia] | ||
υι | uj | υιός [iˈos] | ||
ο | o | o | οργανισμός [orɣanizˈmos] | hope |
ω | ɔː | ώρα [ˈora] | ||
αυ | aw | av, af | αύρα [ˈavra] /αυθεντικός [afθendiˈkos] |
[a] then [v] / [f] |
ευ | ew | ev, ef | ευρώπη [evˈropi] / ευφορία [efoˈria] |
[e̞] then [v] / [f] |
ηυ | ɛːw | iv, if | εφηύρα [eˈfivra] / ηυξημένος [ifksiˈmenos] |
[i] then [v] / [f] |
ου | oː | u | ουτοπία [utoˈpia] | boot |
Stress and tone | ||
---|---|---|
IPA | Examples | |
Ancient Greek | ||
á | Acute: High tone on short vowels | |
ǎː | Acute: Rising tone on long vowels and diphthongs | |
a | Grave: low tone ([à]) | |
âː | Circumflex: Falling tone on long vowels and diphthongs | |
Modern Greek | ||
ˈa | άλλος [ˈallos] |
Stress mark: placed before the stressed syllable or vowel. Represented in monotonic orthography by tonos. Occurs on one of final three syllables, including any enclitics. |