The Greek alphabet looks intimidating for about ten minutes. Then you notice that you already know half of it from maths, science and fraternity houses. There are only 24 letters, the spelling is far more regular than English, and once you can read the letters you can start sounding out every sign, menu and street name in Greece.
All 24 letters
| Letter | Name | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Α α | alpha | a in father | αγάπη (agapi) love |
| Β β | vita | v in vine | βιβλίο (vivlio) book |
| Γ γ | gamma | a soft y before e and i, otherwise a gentle throaty gh | γάλα (gala) milk |
| Δ δ | delta | th in this | δρόμος (dhromos) road |
| Ε ε | epsilon | e in bed | έξι (exi) six |
| Ζ ζ | zita | z in zoo | ζωή (zoi) life |
| Η η | ita | ee in feet | ήλιος (ilios) sun |
| Θ θ | thita | th in think | θάλασσα (thalassa) sea |
| Ι ι | yiota | ee in feet | ιστορία (istoria) history |
| Κ κ | kappa | k in kite | καφές (kafes) coffee |
| Λ λ | lamda | l in lemon | λεμόνι (lemoni) lemon |
| Μ μ | mi | m in mother | μητέρα (mitera) mother |
| Ν ν | ni | n in no | νερό (nero) water |
| Ξ ξ | xi | x in box | ξένος (ksenos) foreigner |
| Ο ο | omikron | o in off | όνομα (onoma) name |
| Π π | pi | p in pen | πατέρας (pateras) father |
| Ρ ρ | ro | a light rolled r | ρολόι (roloi) clock |
| Σ σ ς | sigma | s in sun (ς only at the end of a word) | σπίτι (spiti) home |
| Τ τ | taf | t in top | ταξίδι (taxidi) trip |
| Υ υ | ipsilon | ee in feet | υπέροχο (iperocho) wonderful |
| Φ φ | fi | f in fun | φίλος (filos) friend |
| Χ χ | hi | like the ch in Scottish loch | χαρά (hara) joy |
| Ψ ψ | psi | ps in lapse | ψωμί (psomi) bread |
| Ω ω | omega | o in off | ώρα (ora) hour, time |
Letters that trick English speakers
- Ρ looks like P but is an R sound. Π is the P.
- Ν looks like a backwards N but is simply N. Υ is not a Y sound, it is the same ee as Η and Ι.
- Β is V, not B. Χ is not X, it is the throaty kh sound. Ξ is the one that says ks.
- Three letters, one sound: η, ι and υ all say ee. That is why Greek spelling needs a little memorising.
A simple weekend plan
- Saturday morning (45 minutes): learn the letters that look like English ones and sound the same: Α, Ε, Ζ, Κ, Μ, Ο, Τ. Say each one out loud.
- Saturday afternoon (45 minutes): learn the look-alikes that sound different: Β, Η, Ν, Ρ, Υ, Χ. Write each example word three times.
- Sunday morning (45 minutes): learn the new shapes: Γ, Δ, Θ, Λ, Ξ, Π, Σ, Φ, Ψ, Ω.
- Sunday afternoon: read real Greek. Try place names, menu items and the example words above, without looking at the transliteration.
Try this: every time you see Greek letters, read them aloud, even if you do not understand the word. Reading is a skill you train, and Greek rewards it quickly because the letters are consistent.
Once you can read, the next step is combining letters into sounds such as ου, αι and μπ. Our free beginner course covers all of them step by step.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters are in the Greek alphabet?
The Greek alphabet has 24 letters: 7 vowels (α, ε, η, ι, ο, υ, ω) and 17 consonants.
How long does it take to learn the Greek alphabet?
Most English speakers can recognise all the letters in a weekend and read slowly after a few days. Reading smoothly takes a few weeks of regular practice.
Is the Greek alphabet hard to read?
No. Greek spelling is much more consistent than English. A few sounds, such as γ, χ and θ, need practice, but the rules are simple.