Letters & sounds

Alphaa

a as in father

ἀγάπη — love

Betab

b as in boy

βιβλίον — book

Gammag

g as in girl; before γ, κ, ξ, χ it sounds like “ng” · γγ = ng (ἄγγελος = angelos)

γραφή — writing, scripture

Deltad

d as in door

δόξα — glory

Epsilone

e as in bed (short)

ἔργον — work

Zetaz

dz as in adze (or z as in zebra)

ζωή — life

Etaē

ay as in they (long e)

ἡμέρα — day

Thetath

th as in think

θεός — God

Iotai

i as in machine (or short, as in pit)

Ἰησοῦς — Jesus

Kappak

k as in king

κόσμος — world

Lambdal

l as in lion

λόγος — word

Mum

m as in mother

μαθητής — disciple

Nun

n as in night

νόμος — law

Xix

x as in box

δόξα — glory

Omicrono

o as in obey (short)

ὁδός — way, road

Pip

p as in park

πατήρ — father

Rhor

r as in run (lightly rolled)

ῥῆμα — word, saying

Sigmas

s as in sun · ς at the end of a word (λόγος)

σάρξ — flesh

Taut

t as in toy

τέκνον — child

Upsilony/u

German ü (say “ee” with rounded lips); “u” inside diphthongs

υἱός — son

Phiph

ph as in phone

φῶς — light

Chich

guttural ch, as in Bach or loch

Χριστός — Christ

Psips

ps as in lips

ψυχή — soul, life

Omegaō

o as in role (long o)

ὥρα — hour

Rough breathing

The little backwards comma over an opening vowel adds an “h” — ἁ = ha. Every word starting with υ or ρ takes it.

Smooth breathing

The forwards comma adds nothing — ἀ = a. Every vowel-initial word carries one breathing or the other.

Accents

Acute, grave, and circumflex mark the stressed syllable. For reading, just stress that syllable — the differences don’t change the sound for us.

Iota subscript

A tiny iota tucked under long vowels — silent, but it matters for grammar (often the dative case).

Diphthongs

αι = eye, ει = ay, οι = oy, αυ = ow, ευ = eu, ου = oo (as in food), υι = wee.

Raised dot

The Greek semicolon/colon. And the Greek question mark looks like our semicolon (;).