Greek

Table of Contents

Alphabet

Greek Latin
α ἄλφα a álpha
β βῆτα b bē̂ta
γ γάμμα g gámma
δ δέλτα d délta
ε ἒψιλόν (εἶ) e èpsilón (ī̂)
(Ϝ) (δίγαμμα) (—) (dígamma)
ζ ζῆτα z zē̂ta
η ἦτα é ē̂ta
θ θῆτα th thē̂ta
ι ἰῶτα i íō̂ta
κ κάππα c cáppa
λ λάμβδα l lámbda
μ μῦ m
ν νῦ n
ξ ξεῖ x xī̂
ο ὂμικρόν o òmicrón
π πεῖ p pī̂
(ϻ) (σάν) (s) (sán)
(ϙ/ϟ) (κόππα) (c) (cóppa)
ρ ῥῶ r rhō̂
σ/ς σῖγμα s sîgma
τ ταῦ t taû
υ ὖψιλόν (ὑ) y ŷpsilón (hy)
φ φεῖ ph phī̂
χ χεῖ ch chī̂
ψ ψεῖ ps psī̂
ω ὦμέγα ó ō̂méga
(ϡ) (σαμπί) (—) (sampí)

It should be known that the use of the macron (◌̄) above e & o for η & ω is a contemporary, not traditional, practice. The traditional custom was to translate them as é & ó, which can be problematic if we intend to translate the tones. So, when translating names from Greek, I use the acute mark, but when translating words with tones, I use the macron.

Further, the following digraphs are translated thus:

Greek Latin
αι æ
αυ au
γγ ng
γκ nc
γξ nx
γχ nch
ει ī
ευ eu
ηυ ēu
οι œ
ου u
υι ui
ωυ ōu

When translating names from Greek into Latin, -οc is translated as -us, -ια as -y, -ρος as -er, and -ων as , or, if not a person, -um.

When translating certain sounds into Greek which it naturally doesn’t have, i.e. gi & sh, put τζ & τσ respectively.

Tones

See grammar in Language.

If diacritics are unavailable on a keyboard, the grave accent may be either omitted or replaced with \ after the letter, the acute, with ' or / after, and the circumflex, either with ~, ', or \ after, or omitted. This can also be useful on a keyboard with diacritics but unable to put more than one on a letter. Here is a website that can impose more diacritics on a letter.

Ligatures

There are a number of ligatures, e.g. ϗ for καί, ȣ for ου, and ϛ for στ. More which don’t have digital characters yet:

Pronounciation

See the pronunciation chart on the previous page for how to read the English letters.

Letter Sound
α á
αυ áv/áf
β v
γ g
γγ, γκ, γξ, γχ g/ng, c/ng, cs/ngs
δ ð
ε, αι e
ευ ev/ef
(Ϝ) (—)
ζ
η, ι, ει, οι, υ, υι í
θ þ
κ (ϙ/ϟ) c
λ l
μ m
μπ b, mb
ν n
ντ d, nd
ξ cs
ο, ω ó
ου ú
π p
ρ r
σ/ς (ϻ) s
τ t
τζ dsð
φ f
χ h
ψ ps
(ϡ) (—)

The pairs αυ & ευ are pronounced áf & ef when the following letter is unvoiced—e.g θ, τ—but áv & ev when voiced—e.g. β.

Punctuation

Greek Latin Name
, , cómma
. . telī́a
· ; ánō telī́a
: : ánō cátō telī́a
; ? erōtēmatikó
! ! thaymastikó
' apóstrophos
- henōticón

Coptic

The Copts (Ægyptians) adopted the Greek alphabet for writing, but added seven letters:

Coptic Translation Pronounciation
ϣ sh sh
ϥ ph f
ϧ ch h
ϩ ch h
ϫ dj gi
ϭ tj tsh
ϯ ti s