Modern Greek is far more regular than it first appears. The real difficulty is that several letter combinations look familiar to English speakers while representing completely different sounds.

For example, ει does not sound like the vowel in eight. In Modern Greek, it is simply pronounced /i/. And while μπ is written with the letters for m and p, at the beginning of a word it is usually pronounced /b/.

The tables below show each spelling in several useful positions:

1. in full capitals, as you might see it on a sign,
2. at the beginning of a normally written word,
3. inside a word,
4. and, where possible, at the end of a word.

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

A few useful IPA symbols: /θ/ is the sound in think, /ð/ is the sound in this, /x/ is a rough sound made farther back in the mouth, and /ç/ is a softer sound made closer to the front. /ʝ/ is a soft, friction-filled sound somewhere near English y.

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Six spellings for the sound /i/

Modern Greek has six common ways to write the sound /i/:

ι, η, υ, ει, οι, υι

For reading, this is good news: they all sound the same. For spelling, of course, Greek eventually makes you learn which one belongs in which word. Greek gives with one hand and takes with the other.

ι → /i/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΙΑΤΡΕΙΟ	/iaˈtrio/	doctor’s office
▶Ιταλία	/itaˈlia/	Italy
▶σπίτι	/ˈspiti/	house, home
▶ταξί	/taˈksi/	taxi

η → /i/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΗΣΥΧΙΑ	/isiˈçia/	quiet
▶Ημέρα	/iˈmera/	day
▶μητέρα	/miˈtera/	mother
▶φωνή	/foˈni/	voice

υ → /i/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΥΠΟΔΟΧΗ	/ipoðoˈçi/	reception
▶Υγεία	/iˈʝia/	health
▶λύση	/ˈlisi/	solution
▶βράδυ	/ˈvraði/	evening

ει → /i/

To an English-speaking eye, ει looks as if it ought to form some kind of diphthong. It does not. In Modern Greek, it is simply /i/.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ	/ˈisoðos/	entrance
▶Είσοδος	/ˈisoðos/	entrance
▶κλείνω	/ˈklino/	I close
▶μπορεί	/boˈri/	he, she or it can

οι → /i/

The combination οι is also pronounced /i/. It is not a two-part vowel sound in Modern Greek.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΟΙΚΟΓΕΝΕΙΑ	/ikoˈʝenia/	family
▶Οικογένεια	/ikoˈʝenia/	family
▶τοίχος	/ˈtixos/	wall
▶άνθρωποι	/ˈanθropi/	people

υι → /i/

The spelling υι is rare. You mostly meet it in υιός and related words.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΥΙΟΣ	/iˈos/	son
▶Υιός	/iˈos/	son
▶υιοθεσία	/ioθeˈsia/	adoption

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Other vowel combinations

αι → /e/

The Greek combination αι is pronounced like a plain /e/. It does not sound like the vowel in rain or aisle.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΑΙΘΟΥΣΑ	/ˈeθusa/	room, hall
▶Αίγινα	/ˈeʝina/	Aegina
▶παιδί	/peˈði/	child
▶και	/ce/	and

ου → /u/

The combination ου is pronounced as a single /u/ sound, much like the vowel in food.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΟΥΡΑ	/uˈra/	queue, tail
▶Ουρανός	/uraˈnos/	sky
▶μουσική	/musiˈci/	music
▶παντού	/panˈdu/	everywhere

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αυ and ευ: v or f?

The pronunciation of αυ and ευ depends on the sound that follows.

Before a vowel or a voiced consonant, you usually hear:

• αυ → /av/
• ευ → /ev/

Before a voiceless consonant, you hear:

• αυ → /af/
• ευ → /ef/

The main voiceless consonants to watch for are:

κ, π, τ, φ, θ, χ, σ, ξ, ψ

αυ → /av/ or /af/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΑΥΤΟΚΙΝΗΤΑ	/aftoˈcinita/	cars
▶Αυλή	/avˈli/	courtyard
▶μαύρο	/ˈmavro/	black
▶καύσιμο	/ˈkafsimo/	fuel

In Αυλή and μαύρο, the next sound is voiced, so you hear /av/.

In αυτοκίνητα, the next consonant is τ. In καύσιμο, it is σ. Both are voiceless, so you hear /af/.

ευ → /ev/ or /ef/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ	/efxariˈsto/	thank you
▶Ευρώπη	/eˈvropi/	Europe
▶φεύγω	/ˈfevɣo/	I leave
▶λευκό	/lefˈko/	white

In Ευρώπη, the next consonant is the voiced ρ. In φεύγω, it is the voiced γ. That gives you /ev/.

In ευχαριστώ, the next consonant is the voiceless χ. In λευκό, it is the voiceless κ. That gives you /ef/.

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Consonant combinations

μπ → /b/ or /mb/

At the beginning of a word, μπ is normally pronounced /b/.

Inside a word, many speakers pronounce it as /mb/. The nasal element may be strong, light, or almost absent depending on the speaker and speaking style.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΜΠΑΡ	/bar/	bar
▶Μπάλα	/ˈbala/	ball
▶κουμπί	/kumˈbi/	button

So the μπ in ΜΠΑΡ is not pronounced as an English m followed by p. It is simply /b/.

ντ → /d/ or /nd/

At the beginning of a word, ντ is normally pronounced /d/.

Inside a word, it is often pronounced /nd/, although the strength of the nasal sound varies.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΝΤΟΥΣ	/dus/	shower
▶Ντομάτα	/doˈmata/	tomato
▶πέντε	/ˈpende/	five

The ντ in ΝΤΟΥΣ therefore does not sound like the cluster in English winter. It sounds like /d/.

γκ → /g/ or /ŋg/

At the beginning of a word, γκ normally represents /g/.

Inside a word, it is often pronounced /ŋg/, with a nasal sound similar to the ng in finger.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΓΚΟΛ	/gol/	goal in football
▶Γκολ	/gol/	goal in football
▶αγκαλιά	/aŋgaˈʎa/	hug, embrace

γγ → /ŋg/

Inside a word, γγ behaves much like γκ. Ordinary Modern Greek words do not normally begin with γγ.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΑΓΓΟΥΡΙ	/aŋˈguri/	cucumber
▶Αγγούρι	/aŋˈguri/	cucumber
▶φεγγάρι	/feŋˈgari/	moon

In the all-capitals example, γγ is still inside the word. The entire word has simply been capitalized.

τσ → /ts/

The combination τσ is pronounced /ts/, like the final sound in cats.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΤΣΑΪ	/tsaˈi/	tea
▶Τσίρκο	/ˈtsirko/	circus
▶έτσι	/ˈetsi/	like this, this way

τζ → /dz/

The combination τζ is the voiced partner of τσ. It is usually pronounced /dz/, close to the sound at the beginning of jazz, but with the two parts slightly more noticeable.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΤΖΑΜΙ	/ˈdzami/	windowpane, glass
▶Τζάμι	/ˈdzami/	windowpane, glass
▶πιτζάμα	/piˈdzama/	pyjamas

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When two vowels are pronounced separately

A pair of vowels is not always read as a single sound. A diaeresis—the two dots above a vowel—shows that the vowels must be pronounced separately.

Compare:

• αι → /e/
• αϊ → /a.i/
• οι → /i/
• οϊ → /o.i/

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶ΜΑΪΟΣ	/ˈma.i.os/	May
▶Μαΐου	/maˈiu/	of May
▶καΐκι	/kaˈici/	small boat
▶προϋπόθεση	/pro.iˈpoθesi/	prerequisite

In full capitals, the accent mark normally disappears. The diaeresis stays when it is needed to preserve the pronunciation:

Μαΐου → ΜΑΪΟΥ

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Mixed reading practice

Read each sentence aloud before playing it. Then compare your version with the recording.

Greek	pronunciation	meaning
▶Η οικογένεια πίνει τσάι.	/i ikoˈʝenia ˈpini tsaˈi/	The family is drinking tea.
▶Το παιδί κλείνει την πόρτα.	/to peˈði ˈklini tin ˈporta/	The child closes the door.
▶Αύριο φεύγω για την Ευρώπη.	/ˈavrio ˈfevɣo ʝa tin eˈvropi/	Tomorrow I’m leaving for Europe.
▶Ένα αγγούρι και μία ντομάτα.	/ˈena aŋˈguri ce ˈmia doˈmata/	One cucumber and one tomato.
▶Το φεγγάρι είναι λευκό.	/to feŋˈgari ˈine lefˈko/	The moon is white.

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The core rules at a glance

spelling	pronunciation
ι, η, υ, ει, οι, υι	/i/
αι	/e/
ου	/u/
αυ	/av/ or /af/
ευ	/ev/ or /ef/
μπ	/b/ or /mb/
ντ	/d/ or /nd/
γκ	/g/ or /ŋg/
γγ	usually /ŋg/
τσ	/ts/
τζ	/dz/

You do not need to memorize every rule as an abstract formula. The goal is to see and hear these combinations often enough that words such as ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ, ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ, ΜΠΑΡ and ΝΤΟΥΣ stop looking like puzzles and start sounding like words.