You already know more Greek than you think. English borrowed thousands of words from Greek, especially for ideas, science and technology. Spotting the connections gives you a head start with vocabulary.
Twelve Greek words behind English words
| Greek | Say it like | Meaning | English cousin |
|---|---|---|---|
| φιλοσοφία | filosofia | love of wisdom | philosophy |
| δημοκρατία | dhimokratia | rule by the people | democracy |
| θέατρο | theatro | theatre | theatre |
| μουσική | musiki | music | music |
| ιστορία | istoria | history, story | history |
| φωτογραφία | fotografia | light writing | photograph |
| τηλέφωνο | tilefono | far sound | telephone |
| ενέργεια | energia | energy, action | energy |
| πρόβλημα | provlima | problem | problem |
| ρυθμός | rithmos | rhythm | rhythm |
| κόσμος | kozmos | world, people | cosmos, cosmetic |
| ωκεανός | okeanos | ocean | ocean |
Prefixes and endings you can reuse
Many English scientific words are built from Greek parts. Learn the parts and you can decode new words:
- τηλε- (tile) means far: telephone, television, telescope.
- μικρός (mikros) means small: microscope, microphone.
- βίος (vios) means life: biology, biography.
- λόγος (logos) means word or study: biology, psychology.
- αυτός (aftos) means self: automatic, autograph.
- φόβος (fovos) means fear: claustrophobia, phobia.
Learn words in sentences
Meanings sometimes drift between Greek and English, so check each word and learn it inside a short sentence. For example, Μου αρέσει η μουσική (mu aresi i musiki) means “I like music”.
Try this: when you meet an English word ending in -ology, -graphy or -phobia, look up the Greek roots. It is a fun way to remember vocabulary.
Frequently asked questions
How many English words come from Greek?
Thousands. Greek roots are especially common in science, medicine, philosophy, politics and the arts.
What does logos mean in Greek?
Λόγος (logos) means word, reason or study. It appears in English words ending in -logy, such as biology and psychology.
Are Greek letters used in English?
Yes. Letters such as π, α and β are used in maths and science, and Greek letters name many university societies.