Greek is one of the friendlier languages to pronounce, because each letter or letter pair has one main sound. The challenge is that a few sounds do not exist in English. The good news: you can learn all of them in an afternoon of practice.
The five consonants to practise first
| Letter | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| γ | Before ε, ι, η, υ it sounds like y in yes. Before other letters it is a soft, voiced gh. | γεια (ya) hello, γάλα (gala) milk |
| χ | A breathy kh like Scottish loch. Softer before ε and ι, like the h in huge. | χαρά (hara) joy, χέρι (heri) hand |
| θ | Always the th in think. | θέλω (thelo) I want |
| δ | Always the th in this. | δέκα (dheka) ten |
| ρ | A light tap of the tongue, a bit like Spanish r. | ρόδι (rodhi) pomegranate |
Vowels and vowel pairs
Greek has five vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, u. Several spellings share one sound, which is a historical quirk.
| Spelling | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| η, ι, υ, ει, οι | ee as in feet | είμαι (ime) I am, οικογένεια (ikoyenia) family |
| αι | e as in bed | και (ke) and |
| ε | e as in bed | έξι (exi) six |
| ο, ω | o as in off | όνομα (onoma) name, ώρα (ora) hour |
| ου | oo as in moon | ουρανός (ouranos) sky |
Letter pairs that make new sounds
| Spelling | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| μπ | b at the start of a word, mb in the middle | μπάνιο (banio) bath, κάμπος (kambos) plain |
| ντ | d at the start of a word, nd in the middle | ντομάτα (domata) tomato, πέντε (pende) five |
| γκ | g at the start of a word, ng in the middle | γκάζι (gazi) gas |
| γγ | ng as in finger | αγγλικά (angliká) English |
| τσ | ts as in cats | τσάι (tsai) tea |
| τζ | dz as in adze | τζάκι (dzaki) fireplace |
Stress changes everything
Every Greek word with two or more syllables has a stress mark (΄). It tells you which syllable to say louder. Always say the stress, because it makes you understood much more than perfect individual sounds. For example, πότε (pote, when) and ποτέ (pote, never) differ only in stress.
Practice routine: read ten words aloud every morning for a week. Pick words with γ, χ, θ and δ. Record yourself and compare with a native speaker. A tutor can catch habits that are very hard to hear yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce γ in Greek?
Before ε, ι, η and υ it sounds like the y in yes. Before other letters it is a soft, voiced gh sound made at the back of the mouth.
Why are there so many ways to write the ee sound in Greek?
Letters and pairs such as η, ι, υ, ει and οι were pronounced differently in ancient Greek and merged into one sound over time. The spelling kept the old forms.
How do I know which syllable to stress in Greek?
Every Greek word with two or more syllables has an accent mark over the stressed vowel. Say that syllable louder.