In Modern Greek, the pronunciation of γ, κ and χ changes before an e- or i-sound.

The important thing is the sound, not just the next visible letter:

• ε and αι represent /e/
• ι, η, υ, ει and οι represent /i/

Before these sounds, the tongue moves forward toward the hard palate. Linguists call this palatalization.

letter	before α, ο and ου	before e- and i-sounds
γ	/ɣ/	/ʝ/
κ	/k/	/c/
χ	/x/	/ç/

A rough guide to the three fronted sounds:

• /ʝ/ is close to an English y, but narrower and more friction-filled.
• /c/ is a very fronted k. It is not ch, and it is not really a sequence of k + y either.
• /ç/ is a soft hissy sound made near the front of the mouth.

The pronunciation column uses simplified IPA. The symbol ˈ appears immediately before the stressed syllable.

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γ before e- and i-sounds

Before α, ο and ου, γ is pronounced /ɣ/:

• ▶γάλα – /ˈɣala/ – milk
• ▶εγώ – /eˈɣo/ – I
• ▶γουρούνι – /ɣuˈruni/ – pig

Before an e- or i-sound, it becomes /ʝ/.

γε → /ʝe/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΓΕΝΙΚΗ ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ	/ʝeniˈci ˈisoðos/	general entrance
▶Γέφυρα	/ˈʝefira/	bridge
▶μέγεθος	/ˈmeʝeθos/	size

γαι → /ʝe/

Although an α appears between γ and the spoken /e/, the letters αι form a single /e/ sound. That is why γ is still palatalized.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΓΑΙΔΑΡΟΣ	/ˈʝeðaros/	donkey
▶Γαίδαρος	/ˈʝeðaros/	donkey
▶βγαίνω	/ˈvʝeno/	I go out

γι → /ʝi/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΓΙΝΕΤΑΙ	/ˈʝinete/	it happens
▶Γίνεται	/ˈʝinete/	it happens
▶μαγικό	/maʝiˈko/	magical

γη → /ʝi/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΓΗΠΕΔΟ	/ˈʝipeðo/	sports ground, stadium
▶Γήπεδο	/ˈʝipeðo/	sports ground, stadium
▶αφήγηση	/aˈfiʝisi/	narration

γυ → /ʝi/

The letter υ is pronounced /i/ in these words.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΓΥΡΟΣ	/ˈʝiros/	round; gyros
▶Γυναίκα	/ʝiˈneka/	woman
▶τριγυρίζω	/triʝiˈrizo/	I wander around

γει → /ʝi/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΓΕΙΤΟΝΑΣ	/ˈʝitonas/	neighbour
▶Γείτονας	/ˈʝitonas/	neighbour
▶μαγειρεύω	/maʝiˈrevo/	I cook

γι before another vowel

When γι is followed by another vowel, the ι is often not heard as a separate vowel. Its main job is to pull γ forward into /ʝ/.

So για is usually not pronounced /ʝia/. It is closer to /ʝa/.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΓΙΑΤΡΟΣ	/ʝaˈtros/	doctor
▶Γιορτή	/ʝorˈti/	celebration, holiday
▶άγιος	/ˈaʝos/	holy; saint

This blending happens when the i-sound and the following vowel belong to the same syllable.

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κ before e- and i-sounds

Before α, ο and ου, κ is an ordinary /k/:

• ▶καφές – /kaˈfes/ – coffee
• ▶κόκκινο – /ˈkokino/ – red
• ▶κουζίνα – /kuˈzina/ – kitchen

Before e- and i-sounds, it moves forward and becomes /c/.

κε → /ce/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΚΕΝΤΡΟ	/ˈcendro/	centre
▶Κέρκυρα	/ˈcercira/	Corfu
▶πακέτο	/paˈceto/	package

και → /ce/

The extremely common word και is pronounced /ce/. It does not rhyme with English sky.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΚΑΙ	/ce/	and
▶Καιρός	/ceˈros/	weather; time
▶δικαίωμα	/ðiˈceoma/	right, entitlement

κι → /ci/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΚΙΝΔΥΝΟΣ	/ˈcinðinos/	danger
▶Κίτρινο	/ˈcitrino/	yellow
▶δοκιμή	/ðociˈmi/	test, attempt

κη → /ci/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΚΗΠΟΣ	/ˈcipos/	garden
▶Κήπος	/ˈcipos/	garden
▶σκηνή	/sciˈni/	stage; tent

κυ → /ci/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ	/ciriaˈci/	Sunday
▶Κύπρος	/ˈcipros/	Cyprus
▶ακύρωση	/aˈcirosi/	cancellation

κει → /ci/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΚΕΙΜΕΝΟ	/ˈcimeno/	text
▶Κείμενο	/ˈcimeno/	text
▶εκείνος	/eˈcinos/	that one

κοι → /ci/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΚΟΙΝΟ	/ciˈno/	public; audience
▶Κοινωνία	/cinoˈnia/	society
▶δικοί	/ðiˈci/	one’s own people, relatives

κι before another vowel

Before another vowel, written ι may stop behaving like a full vowel and instead pull κ forward.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΚΙΑΛΙΑ	/ˈcaʎa/	binoculars
▶Κιόλας	/ˈcolas/	already, even
▶σκιά	/sca/	shadow

The κ in σκιά is not an ordinary /k/. The word is also not pronounced /skia/. In standard speech, it is essentially one syllable.

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χ before e- and i-sounds

Before α, ο and ου, χ is pronounced /x/, a rough sound produced farther back in the mouth:

• ▶χαρά – /xaˈra/ – joy
• ▶χώρα – /ˈxora/ – country
• ▶χούφτα – /ˈxufta/ – handful

Before e- and i-sounds, χ moves forward and becomes /ç/.

χε → /çe/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΧΕΡΙ	/ˈçeri/	hand
▶Χέρι	/ˈçeri/	hand
▶τυχερός	/tiçeˈros/	lucky

χαι → /çe/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΧΑΙΡΕΤΕ	/ˈçerete/	hello; greetings
▶Χαίρετε	/ˈçerete/	hello; greetings
▶τυχαίνει	/tiˈçeni/	it happens

χι → /çi/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΧΙΤΩΝΑΣ	/çiˈtonas/	tunic
▶Χίμαιρα	/ˈçimera/	chimera
▶ορχιδέα	/orçiˈðea/	orchid

χη → /çi/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΧΗΜΕΙΑ	/çiˈmia/	chemistry
▶Χήρα	/ˈçira/	widow
▶αρχή	/arˈçi/	beginning; authority

χυ → /çi/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΧΥΜΑ	/ˈçima/	loose, unpackaged
▶Χύμα	/ˈçima/	loose, unpackaged
▶ταχύτητα	/taˈçitita/	speed

χει → /çi/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΧΕΙΜΩΝΑΣ	/çiˈmonas/	winter
▶Χειμώνας	/çiˈmonas/	winter
▶αρχείο	/arˈçio/	file; archive

χοι → /çi/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΧΟΙΡΙΝΟ	/çiriˈno/	pork
▶Χοιρινό	/çiriˈno/	pork
▶αγριόχοιρος	/aɣriˈoçiros/	wild boar

χι before another vowel

Here too, written ι can merge with the following vowel instead of being pronounced separately.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΧΙΟΝΙ	/ˈçoni/	snow
▶Χιονίζει	/çoˈnizi/	it is snowing
▶βραχιόλι	/vraˈçoli/	bracelet

So Χιόνι is not pronounced /çiˈoni/. It has only two syllables: χιο-νι.

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The vowel sound is what matters

Palatalization follows the sound of the vowel, not the spelling alone. That is why different spellings can behave in exactly the same way:

spellings	pronunciation
γε, γαι	/ʝe/
γι, γη, γυ, γει	/ʝi/
κε, και	/ce/
κι, κη, κυ, κει, κοι	/ci/
χε, χαι	/çe/
χι, χη, χυ, χει, χοι	/çi/

The rare i-spelling υι has not been forced into the tables. In present-day Greek, it appears mainly in υιός, υιοθεσία and related words.

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Side-by-side comparison

γ: back or front?

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶γάλα	/ˈɣala/	milk
▶γέλιο	/ˈʝelio/	laughter
▶γόνατο	/ˈɣonato/	knee
▶γυναίκα	/ʝiˈneka/	woman

κ: ordinary k or fronted k?

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶καλό	/kaˈlo/	good
▶και	/ce/	and
▶κόσμος	/ˈkozmos/	world
▶κείμενο	/ˈcimeno/	text

χ: back or front?

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶χαρά	/xaˈra/	joy
▶χέρι	/ˈçeri/	hand
▶χώρα	/ˈxora/	country
▶χειμώνας	/çiˈmonas/	winter

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Reading practice

Read each sentence aloud before playing it. Pay special attention to whether γ, κ and χ are pronounced farther back or farther forward.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶Η γέφυρα είναι εκεί.	/i ˈʝefira ˈine eˈci/	The bridge is over there.
▶Η γυναίκα μαγειρεύει.	/i ʝiˈneka maʝiˈrevi/	The woman is cooking.
▶Το κέντρο είναι κλειστό.	/to ˈcendro ˈine cliˈsto/	The centre is closed.
▶Ο χειμώνας στην Κέρκυρα.	/o çiˈmonas stin ˈcercira/	Winter in Corfu.
▶Το παιδί βγαίνει από το κέντρο.	/to peˈði ˈvʝeni aˈpo to ˈcendro/	The child is coming out of the centre.
▶Έχει χιόνι και κρύο.	/ˈeçi ˈçoni ce ˈkrio/	There is snow and cold weather.
▶Η Κυριακή μαγειρεύει χοιρινό.	/i ciriaˈci maʝiˈrevi çiriˈno/	Kyriaki is cooking pork.
▶Ο γείτονας έχει έναν κήπο.	/o ˈʝitonas ˈeçi ˈenan ˈcipo/	The neighbour has a garden.

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The whole rule in one line

Before α, ο and ου, γ, κ and χ are pronounced farther back. Before /e/ and /i/, they move forward:

γ → /ʝ/, κ → /c/, χ → /ç/

Once this pattern becomes familiar, words such as γυναίκα, και, κείμενο, χέρι, χειμώνας and χοιρινό stop feeling unpredictable. You no longer decode them letter by letter. You simply read them.