Pronunciation
Greek pronunciation — vowels, consonants, and basic sound system
Can pronounce Greek words with correct vowel and consonant sounds
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Και εγώ μιλάω ελληνικά.
I speak Greek too.
Πού είναι το ούζο;
Where is the ouzo?
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Pronunciation
Modern Greek has 5 vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) but many different spellings. This is the biggest spelling challenge.
| Sound | Spellings | Example |
|---|---|---|
| /a/ | α | μαμά (mom) |
| /e/ | ε, αι | ένα (one), και (and) |
| /i/ | ι, η, υ, ει, οι | τι, μη, μύ |
| /o/ | ο, ω | πολύ, ώρα |
| /u/ | ου | ούζο |
The /i/ sound has five different spellings — you must memorize which words use which spelling.
Try to pronounce αι as 'eye' (it's 'e'), ει as 'ay' (it's 'ee'), ου as 'ow' (it's 'oo'). Greek vowels are pure — never glide like English diphthongs.
Και εγώ μιλάω ελληνικά.
I speak Greek too.
και = 'ke' (not 'kai'), εγώ = 'eghó', ελληνικά = 'eliniká'
Πού είναι το ούζο;
Where is the ouzo?
ού = 'u', ει = 'i'. Πού (where) has stress on ού.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises