Greek Alphabet for Beginners

A new script, not a new mystery

How the Greek alphabet works

Modern Greek uses 24 letters. Each has an uppercase and lowercase form, and sigma has a second lowercase form, ς, used only at the end of a word. You will see uppercase forms in names, signs, and the beginning of sentences, but most continuous text is lowercase.

The alphabet is not a one-letter-to-one-sound code in every situation. Some letters change slightly before front vowels, and common two-letter combinations represent sounds such as b, d, g, u, or i. This chart is a recognition guide. Symbols in brackets give a more precise sound reference; English comparisons remain approximate. Use the linked pronunciation guide and native audio for the detail that a short written cue cannot supply.

All 24 letters

Modern Greek alphabet chart

Notice final sigma: write σ inside a word and ς at the end, as in σας. They represent the same sound.

Reset English expectations

Letters that may surprise you

Some Greek letters resemble familiar Latin letters but represent a different sound. Β β is v, not b. Ρ ρ is r, not p. Η η and Υ υ usually represent the same i sound as Ι ι. Χ χ is not the English x sound.

Greek also writes some sounds with pairs. μπ, ντ, and γκ can supply b, d, and g sounds. αι is usually e, ει and οι are usually i, and ου is u. Learn these as high-frequency patterns rather than exceptions to be annoyed by.

Common Greek letter combinations

Learn these patterns alongside individual letters. The examples below show why reading a pair as two English letters can give the wrong sound.

For αυ and ευ, the voiceless consonants are κ, π, τ, φ, θ, χ, σ, ξ, ψ. Nasal sounds in μπ, ντ, γκ, γγ vary by word and speaker; follow the recording of the word you are learning.

The dots called diaeresis show that adjacent vowels are read separately: compare παιδί (pedí, child) with παϊδάκι (païdáki, a small chop of meat). An accent on the first vowel can also signal separation, as in τσάι (tsái, tea).

Read whole words

The accent mark shows stress

In a Greek word with more than one syllable, the acute accent normally marks the stressed vowel. Compare νερό (neró) and τώρα (tóra). Paying attention to this mark improves both pronunciation and listening because the stressed syllable helps shape the rhythm of the word.

All-capital writing often omits the accent, so a road sign may not show the same detail as lowercase text. In ordinary beginner material, use the accent as a helpful instruction rather than decoration.

Use scaffolding wisely

Why transliteration should be temporary

A form such as kaliméra can help you say καλημέρα during your first lessons. It cannot fully represent the Greek sound system, and different books may spell the same sound in different ways. If you only read transliteration, you also miss the chance to recognise Greek on menus, signs, messages, and subtitles.

1. Read the Greek and transliteration together.
2. Listen and point to the Greek form.
3. Cover the transliteration and retrieve the pronunciation.
4. Look for the same letters and combinations in a new word.
5. Write a few familiar words by hand or on a Greek keyboard.

Five minutes at a time

A practical alphabet routine

Choose four to six letters rather than reciting the whole alphabet. Mix uppercase and lowercase forms, name each letter, then find it in a useful word. Group lookalikes that confuse you, such as Ν and Η, and revisit them the next day. Reading real words early is more motivating than treating letters as isolated symbols. Try recognising letters in our basic Greek phrases, then follow the beginner’s guide to learning Greek to connect reading with listening and conversation.