Greek Alphabet

The Greek alphabet is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is the first and oldest alphabet in the narrow sense that it notes each vowel and consonant with a separate symbol. It is as such in continuous use to this day. The letters were also used to represent Greek numerals, beginning in the 2nd century BCE.

Classical Pronunciation

Alphabet

Greek Letter	IPA (Homeric)	IPA (Classical)	English	Greek Name	English Name	Modern Greek Pronunciation
Α, α	[a]	[ɑ]	a (father)	ἄλφα	alpha
Β, β	[b]	[b]	b (bet)	βῆτα	beta
Γ, γ	[g, ŋ]	[g, ŋ]	g (get), ng (king) wherever it precedes γ, κ, ξ, or χ2	γάμμα	gamma
Δ, δ	[d]	[d]	d (dog)	δέλτα	delta
Ε, ε	[e]	[é]	ě (pet)	ἔψῑλόν	epsilon
Ζ, ζ	[dʲ, gʲ]	[zd]	z3 (wisdom)	ζῆτα	zeta
Η, η	[ɑ:]	[ε:]	ai (hai'r)	ἦτα	eta
Θ, θ	[tʰ]	[tʰ]	t!4 (top)	θῆτα	theta
Ι, ι	[ɪ, i:]	[ɪ, i:]	ǐ (hit), ee (seem)	ἰῶτα	iota
Κ, κ	[k]	[k]	k (skip)	κάππα	kappa
Λ, λ	[l]	[l]	l (lame)	λάβδα	lambda
Μ, μ	[m]	[m]	m (mile)	μῦ	mu
Ν, ν	[n]	[n]	n (no)	νῦ	nu
Ξ, ξ	[kʰs]	[kʰs]	x (axe)	ξῖ	xi
Ο, ο	[o]	[o]	ǒ (top) short o	ὂμῑκρόν	omicron
Π, π	[p]	[p]	p (spot)	πῖ	pi
Ρ, ρ	[r]	[r]	r ('Scottish' r)	ῥῶ	rho
Σ, σ, ς	[s]	[s]	s (sit)	σίγμα	sigma
Τ, τ	[t]	[t]	t (stop)	ταῦ	tau
Υ, υ	[u]	[y]	u (run)	ὒψῑλόν	upsilon
Φ, φ	[pʰ]	[pʰ]	p! (tophat)	φῖ	phi
Χ, χ	[kʰ]	[kʰ]	c! (Scottish loch)	χῖ	chi
Ψ, ψ	[pʰs]	[pʰs]	ps (apse)	ψῖ	psi
Ω, ω	[o:]	[ɔ:]	ō (low) long o	ὦμέγα	omega

See Also

Greek Lexicon