Consonants
|
Greek alphabet |
IPA |
Examples |
English equivalent for Modern Greek
|
Anc. |
Mod.
|
῾
|
[h]
|
∅
|
ἥρως [hɛ̌ːrɔːs], [ˈiros]
|
hero
|
β
|
[b]
|
[v]
|
βίος [ˈvios]
|
vet
|
γ
|
[ɡ]
|
[ɣ]
|
γάλα [ˈɣala]
|
|
[ʝ][1]
|
γη [ʝi]
|
yellow
|
δ
|
[d]
|
[ð]
|
δημοκρατία [ðimokraˈtia]
|
then
|
ζ
|
[d͡z][2]
|
[z]
|
ζώνη [ˈzoni]
|
zero
|
θ
|
[tʰ]
|
[θ]
|
θεολογία [θe̞oloˈʝia]
|
thing
|
κ
|
[k]
|
[k]
|
καλός [kaˈlos]
|
sky
|
[c][1]
|
κύκλος [ˈciklos]
|
somewhat like key
|
λ
|
[l]
|
[l]
|
λεξικό [le̞ksiˈko]
|
lie
|
[ʎ][3]
|
ελιά [e̞ˈʎa]
|
million
|
μ
|
[m]
|
[m]
|
μηχανικός [mixaniˈkos]
|
mine
|
ν
|
[n]
|
[n]
|
νέος [ˈne̞os]
|
nine
|
[ɲ][3]
|
νιότη [ˈɲoti]
|
onion
|
ξ
|
ks
|
ξενοφοβία [kse̞nofoˈvia]
|
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 [tiˈle̞fono]
|
step
|
φ
|
[pʰ]
|
[f]
|
φαινόμενο [fe̞ˈnome̞no]
|
fly
|
χ
|
[kʰ]
|
[x]
|
χάος [ˈxaos]
|
loch (Scottish)
|
[ç][1]
|
χειρόγραφος [çiˈroɣrafos]
|
(often) human
|
ψ
|
ps
|
ψυχοθεραπεία [psixoθe̞raˈpia]
|
tips
|
γγ
|
|
ŋɡ, ŋɣ[7]
|
αγγούρι [aŋˈguri]/συγγραφέας [siŋɣraˈfe̞as]
|
finger
|
ɲɟ, ŋʝ[1][7]
|
άγγελος [ˈaɲɟe̞los]/εγγενής [eɲʝe̞ˈnis]
|
angel
|
γκ
|
|
[ɡ], ŋɡ[7]
|
εγκώμιο [e̞ŋˈgomio]
|
good, finger
|
[ɟ], ɲɟ[1][7]
|
εγκυκλοπαίδεια [e̞ɲɟikloˈpe̞ðia]
|
argue, angular
|
γχ
|
|
ŋx[7]
|
άγχος [ˈaŋxos]
|
|
ɲç[1][7]
|
εγχείριση [e̞ɲˈçirisi]
|
|
γξ
|
|
ŋks
|
έλεγξα [ˈe̞le̞ŋksa]
|
thanks
|
μπ
|
|
[b], mb[7]
|
εμπάθεια [e̞mˈbaθia]
|
book, amble
|
ντ
|
|
[d], nd[7]
|
εντάξει [e̞nˈdaksi]
|
duck, under
|
τσ
|
|
[t͡s]
|
τσάι [ˈt͡sai]
|
cats
|
τζ
|
|
[d͡z]
|
τζαζ [ˈd͡zaz]
|
pads
|
|
Vowels
|
Greek alphabet |
IPA |
Examples |
English equivalent for Modern Greek
|
Anc. |
Mod.
|
α
|
[a]
|
[ä]
|
αλφάβητο [alˈfavito]
|
tar, spa
|
aː
|
|
αι
|
ai̯, aj
|
[e̞]
|
|
between bet and bait
|
ε
|
[e̞]
|
ενέργεια [e̞ˈne̞rʝia]
|
ει
|
eː
|
[i][8][9]
|
ενέργεια [e̞ˈne̞rʝia]
|
seem
|
η
|
ɛː
|
ηθική [iθiˈci]
|
ι
|
[i]
|
ιστορία [istoˈria]
|
iː
|
|
υ[10]
|
[y]
|
υγιεινή [iʝiiˈni]
|
yː
|
|
οι
|
ɔi̯, oj
|
οικονομία [ikonoˈmia]
|
υι
|
ui̯
|
υιός [iˈos]
|
ο
|
[o]
|
[o̞]
|
οργανισμός [orɣanizˈmos]
|
hope
|
ω
|
ɔː
|
ώρα [ˈora]
|
αυ
|
au̯
|
av, af
|
αύρα [ˈavra] /αυθεντικός [afθendiˈkos]
|
[a] then [v] / [f]
|
ευ
|
eu̯
|
e̞v, e̞f
|
ευρώπη [e̞vˈropi] / ευφορία [e̞foˈria]
|
[e̞] then [v] / [f]
|
ηυ
|
ɛːu̯
|
iv, if
|
εφηύρα [e̞ˈfivra] / ηυξημένος [ifksiˈme̞nos]
|
[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.
|
|