The charts below show how the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents the Ancient Greek (AG) and Modern Greek (MG) pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. The Ancient Greek pronunciation shown here is a reconstruction of the Attic dialect in the 5th century BC. Do not use the same symbols for other Ancient Greek dialects, such as Doric, Aeolic, or Koine Greek, as they may be inaccurate.
See Ancient Greek phonology and Modern Greek phonology for a more thorough look at their sounds.
Consonants[1]
IPA |
AG |
MG |
Example |
English approximation
|
c
|
|
κ
|
κιόλας[2]
|
skew
|
k
|
κ, ξ
|
κατά, ξένος[3][2]
|
scar
|
kʰ
|
χ
|
|
χάρτης[2]
|
car
|
x
|
|
χ
|
similar to hat, Scottish English: loch
|
ç
|
|
χέρι[2]
|
hue
|
j
|
ι
|
|
εἴη[4]
|
toy yacht
|
ʝ
|
|
γ
|
γη[2]
|
yes
|
ɣ
|
|
γάλα[2]
|
similar to woman, but with spread lips
|
ɡ
|
γ
|
|
again
|
|
γκ γγ
|
εγκώμιο[2][5]
|
ɟ
|
|
άγγελος[2][5]
|
argue
|
p
|
π, ψ
|
πέτρα, ψυχή[3]
|
spy
|
pʰ
|
φ
|
|
φως
|
paint
|
f
|
|
φ
|
four
|
v
|
|
β, υ[6]
|
βέλος
|
vet
|
b
|
β
|
|
about
|
|
μπ
|
μπαμπάς[5]
|
w
|
υ
|
|
παύω[4]
|
well
|
t
|
τ
|
τάφος
|
stay
|
tʰ
|
θ
|
|
θεός
|
take
|
θ
|
|
θ
|
thought
|
ð
|
|
δ
|
δούλη
|
the
|
d
|
δ
|
|
today
|
|
ντ
|
εντάξει[5]
|
h
|
῾◌
|
|
ἥρως[7]
|
hat
|
l
|
λ
|
λόγος
|
look
|
ʎ
|
|
λ
|
ελιά
|
million
|
m
|
μ
|
μοίρα
|
mole
|
n
|
ν
|
ναι
|
no
|
ɲ
|
|
ν
|
νιότη
|
onion
|
ŋ
|
γ
|
άγχος
|
sing
|
r
|
ρ
|
ώρα
|
trilled r like in Spanish
|
r̥
|
ῥ
|
|
ῥίζα
|
similar to train
|
s
|
σ, ς ξ, ψ
|
σοφός, ψυχή, ξένος[3]
|
sow, usually retracted
|
z
|
ζ, σ
|
κόσμος, ζωή[3]
|
zoo, usually retracted
|
t͡s
|
|
τσ
|
τσάι
|
cats, retracted in most cases
|
d͡z
|
ζ
|
τζ
|
τζάκι
|
pads, retracted in most cases
|
|
Vowels
Monophthongs
|
IPA |
AG |
MG |
Example |
English approximation
|
a
|
ᾰ
|
α
|
άρτος
|
father, but shorter
|
aː
|
ᾱ
|
|
χώρᾱ
|
father
|
ɛː
|
η
|
|
ψυχή[8]
|
met, but longer
|
e
|
ε[9]
|
θεός
|
met
|
eː
|
ει
|
|
εἰμί[8]
|
bay
|
i
|
ῐ
|
ι[8]
|
ίδιος
|
like neat
|
iː
|
ῑ
|
|
πίνω[8]
|
like need
|
oː
|
ω
|
|
ἐγώ[9]
|
boil
|
o
|
|
ω
|
similar to note (American English)
|
ο[9]
|
οδός
|
uː
|
ου
|
|
μου
|
similar to mood
|
u
|
|
ου
|
pool
|
y
|
ῠ
|
|
φύσις[8]
|
few
|
yː
|
ῡ
|
|
ψυχή[8]
|
fume
|
Diphthongs[4]
|
IPA |
AG |
MG |
Example |
English approximation
|
ai̯
|
αι
|
|
αἴτιος, πάλαι, ψῡχαί[9]
|
tie
|
|
αϊ[10]
|
|
au̯
|
αυ
|
|
αὐτός[6]
|
how
|
|
αου
|
|
ei̯
|
ει
|
|
εἴη[8]
|
hey
|
|
έι[11]
|
|
eu̯
|
ευ
|
|
εὖ[6]
|
Italian and Spanish neutro
|
|
εου
|
|
oi̯
|
οι
|
|
οἶδα, λόγοι[8]
|
toy
|
|
όι[12]
|
|
yi̯
|
υι
|
|
υἱός[8]
|
|
aːi̯
|
ᾳ
|
|
ᾄδω, χώρᾳ[13]
|
|
ɛːi̯
|
ῃ
|
|
ᾖς, ψυχῇ[8][13]
|
|
ɔːi̯
|
ῳ
|
|
ᾠδή, λόγῳ[13]
|
|
|
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ancient Greek had geminate consonants, pronounced longer than single ones, which may be transcribed by a double consonant letter ⟨ss⟩ or the length symbol ⟨sː⟩. Modern Standard Greek does not have geminate consonants, but some nonstandard dialects do.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 In Modern Greek, ⟨κ; γκ, γγ; γ; χ⟩ are pronounced as palatal [c, ɟ, ʝ, ç] before the front vowels [e i], and velar [k, g, ɣ, x] in other cases.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 ⟨ζ⟩ represented the cluster [zd] in Classical Attic, but it represents [z] in Modern Greek. In both Ancient and Modern Greek, ⟨σ⟩ is pronounced as voiced [z] before a voiced consonant, and ⟨ξ, ψ⟩ represent [ks ps].
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 In Ancient Greek, a diphthong before a vowel was realised as a vowel and a double semivowel sequence: [jj, ww].
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 In Modern Greek, ⟨μπ, ντ, γκ, γγ⟩ are pronounced as prenasalised voiced stops [mb, nd, ɲɟ, ŋɡ] or voiced stops without nasalisation [b, d, ɟ, ɡ].
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 In Modern Greek, ⟨υ⟩, in ⟨αυ ευ ηυ⟩, is pronounced as [f] before a voiceless consonant and [v] otherwise. In Ancient Greek, ⟨αυ ευ ηυ⟩ were diphthongs [au̯ eu̯ ɛːu̯].
- ↑ The rough breathing ⟨῾⟩ represented [h] before a vowel, and the smooth breathing ⟨᾿⟩ represented the absence of [h].
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 In Modern Greek, ⟨η, ῃ, ει, ι, οι, υ, υι⟩ all represent [i], but they were pronounced [ɛː, ɛːi̯, eː, ei̯, i(ː) oi̯, y(ː), yi̯] in Ancient Greek. The large number of vowel mergers into [i] is called iotacism.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 In Modern Greek, ⟨ε, αι⟩ represent [e], and ⟨ο, ω⟩ represent [o]. In Ancient Greek, ⟨ε, ο⟩ represented [e, o], ⟨ω⟩ represented [ɔː] and ⟨αι⟩ represented the diphthong [ai̯].
- ↑ Also ⟨άι⟩ and sometimes ⟨άϊ⟩.
- ↑ Also ⟨εϊ⟩ and sometimes ⟨έϊ⟩.
- ↑ Also ⟨οϊ⟩ and sometimes ⟨όϊ⟩.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 In early Ancient Greek, ⟨ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ⟩ were diphthongs, but the second element [i̯] was lost soon after the Classical period, and they merged with ⟨ᾱ, η, ω⟩.
- ↑ The symbols used here for Ancient Greek pitch accent must be added as combining characters in some cases. Place the numeric character reference after the letter that on which the accent is to be put, press "Show preview" and copy the resulting accented character. ́ is the numeric character reference for combining acute tone mark (high tone), ̌ for combining caron (rising tone), ̂ for combining circumflex (falling tone).