The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Ancient Greek and Modern Greek pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. The Ancient Greek pronunciation shown here is a reconstruction of the Attic dialect in the 5th century BC.
See Ancient Greek phonology and Modern Greek phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of these languages.
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 |
μπάρμπας[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, retracted in most cases. |
z |
ζ, σ |
κόσμος, ζωή[3] |
zoo, retracted in most cases. |
t͡s |
|
τσ |
τσάι |
cats, retracted in most cases. |
d͡z |
|
τζ |
τζάκι |
pads, retracted in most cases. |
|
Vowels
Monophthongs |
IPA |
AG |
MG |
Example |
English approximation |
a |
ᾰ |
α |
άρτος |
cut |
aː |
ᾱ |
|
χώρᾱ |
father |
ɛː |
η |
|
ψυχή[8] |
heir |
e |
ε[9] |
θεός |
met |
eː |
ει |
|
εἰμί[8] |
similar to kid |
i |
ῐ |
ι[8] |
ίδιος |
like neat |
iː |
ῑ |
|
πίνω[8] |
like need |
ɔː |
ω |
|
ἐγώ[9] |
nose |
o |
|
ω |
similar to note (American English) |
ο[9] |
οδός |
uː |
ου |
|
μου |
similar to mood |
u |
|
ου |
pool |
y |
ῠ |
|
φύσις[8] |
similar to cute |
yː |
ῡ |
|
ψυχή[8] |
similar to cue |
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] |
|
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] |
|
|
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ancient Greek had geminate consonants, pronounced longer than single ones, which may be transcribed as a double consonant letter ⟨ss⟩ or with the length symbol ⟨sː⟩. Modern Standard Greek does not have geminate consonants, but 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 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 the clusters [ks ps].
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 In Ancient Greek, a diphthong before a vowel was realized 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 either pronounced as prenasalized voiced stops [mb, nd, ɲɟ, ŋɡ] or as voiced stops without nasalization [b, d, ɟ, ɡ].
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 In Modern Greek, ⟨υ⟩ in the combinations ⟨αυ ευ ηυ⟩ is pronounced as [f] before a voiceless consonant and [v] in other places. In Ancient Greek, ⟨αυ ευ ηυ⟩ were the diphthongs [au̯ eu̯ ɛːu̯].
- ↑ The rough breathing ⟨῾⟩ represented [h] before a vowel, and the smooth breathing ⟨᾿⟩ represented the absence of [h].
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 In Modern Greek, ⟨η, ῃ, ει, ι, οι, υ, υι⟩ all represent [i]. These 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⟩ both represent [e], and ⟨ο, ω⟩ both 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 in pronunciation 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 you wish to put the accent on, then 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).
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