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, usually retracted
|
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 ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr or the length symbol ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr. 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, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr 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 ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr represented the cluster [zd] in Classical Attic, but it represents [z] in Modern Greek. In both Ancient and Modern Greek, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr is pronounced as voiced [z] before a voiced consonant, and ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr 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, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr 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, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr, in ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr, is pronounced as [f] before a voiceless consonant and [v] otherwise. In Ancient Greek, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr were diphthongs [au̯ eu̯ ɛːu̯].
- ↑ The rough breathing ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr represented [h] before a vowel, and the smooth breathing ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr 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, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr 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, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr represent [e], and ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr represent [o]. In Ancient Greek, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr represented [e, o], ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr represented [ɔː] and ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr 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, ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr were diphthongs, but the second element [i̯] was lost soon after the Classical period, and they merged with ਫਰਮਾ:Angbr.
- ↑ 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).