Learn the Greek Alphabet

Pronounce the 20 Most Common Biblical Greek Words

Pronounce the 20 Most Common Biblical Greek Words

Alphabet

Lower Case	Upper Case	Name	Pronunciation
α	Α	Alpha	Father
β	Β	Beta	Bible
γ	Γ	Gamma	Great
δ	Δ	Delta	Dog
ε	Ε	Epsilon	Pet
ζ	Ζ	Zeta	Zebra
η	Η	Eta	Hey
θ	Θ	Theta	They
ι	Ι	Iota	Bee or Bit
κ	Κ	Kappa	Carrot
λ	Λ	Lambda	Love
μ	Μ	Mu	Moo
ν	Ν	Nu	Nazareth
ξ	Ξ	Xi	Axe
ο	Ο	Omicron	Paw
π	Π	Pi	Pickle
ρ	Ρ	Rho	Red
σ/ς	Σ	Sigma	Super
τ	Τ	Tau	Total
υ	Υ	Upsilon	Whoo
φ	Φ	Phi	Phone
χ	Χ	Chi	Loch Ness
ψ	Ψ	Psi	Lapse
ω	Ω	Omega	Phone

Dipthongs

Dipthong	Pronunciation
αι	Aisle
αυ	Owl
ει	Ace
ευ/ηυ	You
οι	Boy
ου	Hoot
υι	We

When two vowels are next to each other but are not a dipthong there will be two dots, known as diaeresis, over the second vowel to show the vowels are separate, e.g. αῒ instead of αι.

Notes

Gamma Case

When γ appears before a γ, κ, χ, or ξ, it is pronounced as an “n”. For example, ἄγγελος is pronounced as angelos.

Double Consonants

The consonant sound is held for twice as long.

Iota Subscript

No effect on pronunciation but important in translation. In capital letters the subscript is written next to the main vowel.

Breathing Marks

When a word begins with a vowel or dipthong, it must include a breathing mark.

Smooth Breathing

ἀ, ἐ, ἰ, etc. -- No h sound at the beginning of the word.

Rough Breathing

ἁ, ἑ, ἱ, etc. -- Word begins with "h" sound. Can also appear over ῥ, which has no affect on pronunciation.

Accents

Originally accents indicated changes in pitch. Now they are used to indicate which syllable is to be stressed. Make sure to emphasize the accented syllable when reading out loud as this creates consistent sounds that aid in memorization.

Accent Marks

• Acute - ά
• Grave - ὰ
• Circumflex - ᾶ

Punctuation

Punctuation	Greek
.	Same as English period
,	Same as English period
·	Same as English semicolon
;	Same as English question mark