Greek Lessons - Lesson 1 The Greek Alphabet

1996-2012 by William Ramey Phonology (Part 1) NTGreek In Session
1
The Greek Alphabet
Sight and Sounds of the Greek Letters (Module A)
The Letters and Pronunciation of the Greek Alphabet
Phonology (Part 1)

Lesson One Overview
1.0 Introduction, 1-1
1.1 The Greek Alphabet, 1-2
1.2 Greek Small Letters, 1-13
1.3 Greek Capital Letters, 1-15
1.4 The Greek Alphabet Charted, 1-16
1.5 Further Information, 1-17
Study Guide, 1-19

1.0 Introduction

Learning to write the Greek letters and how to pronounce them is introduced in
this lesson. Mastering the sight and sounds of the alphabet lays the cornerstone
for learning the sight and sounds of Greek words in all subsequent lessons. Your
first step toward learning NTGreek is to memorize the Greek alphabetical
characters and the order in which they occur in the
alphabet. You are sowing the seed for future failure if
you do not thoroughly learn them!

The Greek alphabet has twenty-four letters. Each letter
is represented by both a small and capital letter. The
difference between the small and capital letters is no
different from the small and capital letters in English.
Seven alphabetical letters are vowels, and the remaining
seventeen letters are consonants. It is vital to learn the
names of these letters, correctly to write both the small and capital letters, and the
proper pronunciation of each alphabetical character. This will not be as difficult as
expected, since many English and Greek alphabetical characters are very similar.

1.01 The types of Greek letters in the alphabet. Two major types of speech
sounds constitute the Greek alphabet as with the English alphabet. The open
sounds with free breath are the vowel letters, and the closed sounds with
restricted breath are the consonant letters.
LESSON 1: The Greek Alphabet 1-2
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When one says ah for the doctor, an open sound is made with free passage of
breath. The sound may be made as long as there is breath. This sound is a
vowel, as are all the other open and freely breathed sounds in speech. The
various vowel sounds are enunciated by modification of the shape of the oral
chamber, and by movements of the tongue and lips. There are seven vowel
letters in the Greek alphabet.

The open quality of vowels distinguishes them from another type of letter, the
consonant. Simply stated, a consonant is any single letter that is not a vowel.
The consonant letters are pronounced with the breath totally or partly blocked.
This hindering of sound is done by the tongue, teeth, or lips. There are seventeen
consonant letters in the Greek alphabet.

1.02 The Greek alphabetical letters and sounds. A sound sufficiently distinct
from other sounds as to differentiate meaning is a phoneme. Each phoneme is
represented in writing by a unique alphabetical letter. For example, the words
pat and bat have different meanings
because the two consonant letters p and
b are separate phonemes. Although the
forming of these two letters by the lips is
identical, the vocal cords are used with b
but not with p.

A words phonetic pronunciation is produced by the quick succession of its
individual letter phonemes. In bat, the combined sound of each alphabetical
letter (b + a + t) yields the words total phonetic sound. However, only context
determines the meaning of the word (i.e., bat as a stout wooden stick or club;
bat as a nocturnal flying mammal; or bat as to move the eyelids quickly).

This lesson introduces each Greek alphabetical characters phoneme, as well as
the pronunciation of each Greek alphabetical letter.

1.1 The Greek Alphabet

The approach in learning the Greek alphabet is first by seeing the individual
capital and small letter, then correctly pronouncing and correctly writing them in
their alphabetical order. Memorizing them in this order from the beginning will
prove helpful later when using a Greek-English lexicon. A lexicon is more than a
dictionary, for it also cites actual usages of a word within a document(s).

The term phoneme is pronounced
as f nm. The twenty-four Greek
alphabetical characters represent
twenty-four different phonemes.
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The suggested procedure for learning the alphabet is straightforward. Use the
provided practice Greek alphabet practice pages on pages 1-19 through 1-24.
Proper penmanship while learning to write the Greek letters is an essential step in
learning Greek. Possible confusion between the letters is avoided from the start if
bad habits are not learned!

Next, use the animated tutorial link below each Greek alphabetical letter to learn
how properly to form the character and how its phoneme and alphabetical
character is pronounced. On your practice sheets, practice writing both the capital
and small Greek letters while listening to the letters pronunciation.

As you listen to how an alphabetical character is pronounced, remember that the
pronunciation of a letters phoneme is learned by proper pronunciation of its
alphabetical name. For example, the second letter in the Greek alphabet is , and
is pronounced as the first letter in its alphabetical name, qo (bta). Knowing
how to pronounce the characters alphabetical name, therefore, is to know how to
pronounce the Greek letters phoneme. This
is also true for all the remaining letters in the
alphabet. A Greek letters phoneme has the
same pronunciation as does its initial sound of
its alphabetical letters name.

As stated before, the twenty-four letters of the
Greek alphabet are divided into two types: seven are vowels and the remaining
seventeen are consonants. Beginning on page 1-5, the order does not reflect
these separate categories, but rather the Greek letters proper alphabetical order.

Moreover, each of the twenty-four Greek letters is represented by two forms. The
first letter illustrates the capital letter (or upper case), and then its corresponding
small letter (or lower case) follows. The capital letters should be studied along
with their matching small letters. The letters should be pronounced aloud several
times while practicing writing them. The human eye must not carry the entire
burden of learning and memorizing the alphabetical order of the Greek alphabet.

The arrow accompanying each case letter indicates the starting point and direction
of flow when forming a Greek character. Greek is read from left to right like
English. Thereforeif at all possiblea Greek letter should be written so that the
final stroke ends to the furthest right where the next letters stroke begins.

The Greek names for the lower case letters are spelled on the following pages
with accompanying accents and breathing marks. Whereas these are for future
A Greek letters phoneme has the
same pronunciation as does the
opening sound of its alphabetical
letters name.
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reference they may be disregarded for the time being. You will begin to learn their
importance in Lesson Five.

The text boxes in the example below calls attention to the reason each piece of
information concerning a Greek alphabetical letter is cited. Each alphabetical
letter will follow the same pattern.

1
st
letter | Alpha A/1A, oio [variablevoiced] vowel

< ahl fah >

See & Hear

1. Alpha is a variable vowel. Its phoneme may be long or
short. If long, the phoneme is as a in father; if short,
as a in dad. The vowel is never pronounced like the
long a in English (i.e., age).

2. The lower case letter should be written as a figure 8
laid on its side and opened on the right.

3. A, o is transliterated as A, a into English.

Alphabetical Order
English Spelling
Greek Upper Case Spelling
Greek Lower Case Spelling
Classification Information
Helpful Information
Relative Size Reference
Pronunciation Guide
On-Line Pronunciation and Formation Aids
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1
st
letter | Alpha A/1A, oio [variablevoiced] vowel

< ahl fah >

See & Hear

1. Alpha is a variable vowel. Its phoneme may be long or
short. If long, the phoneme is as a in father; if short,
as a in dad. The vowel is never pronounced like the
long a in English (i.e., age).

2. The lower case letter should be written as a figure 8
laid on its side and opened on the right.

3. A, o is transliterated as A, a into English.

2
nd
letter | Bta HH1A, qo [labialvoiced] consonant

< bay tah >

See & Hear

1. Bta is a labial consonant. Its phoneme is pronounced
by the closure of the lips and the vocal cords vibrate
when pronouncing the phoneme. Its phoneme is as the
b in ball.

2. The upper case letter is identical to its English
counterpart. The lower case letter looks similar to its
upper case letter, except that it has a tail dropping
below the base line. Begin the letter with an upward
stroke below the line.

3. H, is transliterated as B, b into English.

3
rd
letter | Gamma lAMMA, yoo [palatalvoiced] consonant

< gahm ma >

See & Hear

1. Gamma is a palatal consonant, formed in the back of the
throat by the closure of the tongue against the soft
palate. Vocal cords vibrate. Its phoneme is as the g in
gotnever as the g in gin.

2. The lower case letters tail drops below the base line.
The lower and upper case letters look very different
from each other.

3. l, y is transliterated as G, g into English.
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4
th
letter | Delta LE/1A, tio [dentalvoiced] consonant

< dell tah >

See & Hear

1. Delta is a dental consonant, formed with the tip of the
tongue behind the upper teeth. The vocal cords
vibrate. Its phoneme is as the d in dog.

2. The lower and upper case letters look very different.
Both case letters may be completed in a single stroke.

3. L, is transliterated as D, d into English.

5
th
letter | Epslon E 1I/ON, t iiov [shortvoiced] vowel

< eh pseeh lawn >

See & Hear

1. Epslon is a short vowel. It is always pronounced
short. Its phoneme is as the e in net. The vowel is
always short and is never pronounced like the
English long e as in equal. Its corresponding long
phoneme is ta (HTA).

2. Be sure to differentiate between the lower case
English e and the Greek t when written.

3. E, t is transliterated as E, e into English.

6
th
letter | Zta ZH1A, qo [compoundcontinuant] consonant

< zay tah >

See & Hear

1. Zta is a compound consonant. Its phoneme is a
combination of + [unvoiced] o, or + [voiced] o.
Respectively, its initial phoneme is as the z in gaze,
and its medial phoneme as dz in adz.

2. The lower and upper case letters look different. The
small letters tail curls and drops below the base line.

3. Z, is transliterated as Z, z into English.

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7
th
letter | ta H1A, qo [longvoiced] vowel

< ay tah >

See & Hear

1. ta is a long vowel. It is always pronounced long. Its
phoneme is as a in gate or e in obey. Its
corresponding short phoneme is epslon.

2. The lower case letter looks like an English n.
However, it is pronounced very differently! The stroke
ends below the base line.

3. H, q is transliterated as , into English. Always
employ the macron mark above ta to differentiate it
from the short vowel epslon.

8
th
letter | Thta OH1A, qo [dentalaspirate] consonant

< thay tah >

See & Hear

1. Thta is a dental consonant, formed with the tip of the
tongue behind the upper teeth, with its sound
accompanied with a strong emission of breath. Its
phoneme is as the th in thingnever as th in this.

2. The lower case letter may be written without lifting the
pen.

3. O, is transliterated by two consonants into English,
Th, th.

9
th
letter | Ita I11A, ioo [variablevoiced] vowel

< yi oh - tah >

See & Hear

1. Ita is a variable vowel. Its phoneme may be
pronounced long or short. If long, the phoneme is as i
in machine; if short, as i in hit. Ita is never
pronounced like the English long i (i.e., kite).

2. The lower case letter is never dotted as the English i.

3. I, i is transliterated as I, i into English.
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10
th
letter | Kappa KAHHA, |oo [palatalunvoiced] consonant

< kap pah >

See & Hear

1. Kappa is a palatal consonant, formed in the back of the
palate. The vocal cords do not vibrate. Its phoneme is
as the k in kin.

2. Both case letters are formed like their English
counterparts.

3. K, | is transliterated as K, k into English.

11
th
letter | Lambda /AMHLA, ioo [liquidcontinuant] consonant

< lahm dah >

See & Hear

1. Lambda is a liquid consonant. Air is allowed to pass
through the oral cavity while its phoneme is
pronounced. Its phoneme is as the l in lot.

2. The lower case letter has a hook at the top that slants
to the left. The upper case letter looks like delta,
except that there is not a base line stroke.

3. /, i is transliterated as L, l into English.

12
th
letter | M MY, u [nasal labialvoiced continuant] consonant

< mew >

See & Hear

1. M is a nasal labial consonant. Its phoneme is formed
by the rounding of the lips, with most of the sound
allowed to pass through the nasal cavity instead of the
mouth. The vocal cords vibrate. Its phoneme is as
the m in man.

2. The lower and upper case letters look different. The
lower case letter has a tail. Sufficient tail helps
distinguish it from upslon.

3. M, is transliterated as M, m into English.

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13
th
letter | N NY, vu [nasal dentalvoiced continuant] consonant

< new >

See & Hear

1. N is a nasal dental continuant consonant. The tongue
is pressed against the alveolar ridge with its sound
forced up through the nasal cavity while the air is not
complete stopped. The vocal cords vibrate. Its
phoneme is as the n in new.

2. The lower case letter must not be confused with the
English letter v. N and upslon are often confused.
Write n pointed at the bottom and turn the right
upward stroke inward at the top.

3. N, v is transliterated as N, n into English.

14
th
letter | Xs :I, i [compoundunvoiced continuant] consonant

< x see >

See & Hear

1. Xs is a compound consonant. Its phoneme is a
combination of | + [unvoiced] o. Its phoneme is
approximate to x in axe or in six.

2. The lower and upper case letters are very different. The
lower case letter is distinctive with a curl stroke at the
top and bottom.

3. :, is transliterated Xs, xs or X, x in English.

15
th
letter | Omkron O MIKPON, o i|pov [shortvoiced] vowel
O o
< au me krahn >

See & Hear

1. Omkron is a short vowel. It is always pronounced short.
Its phoneme is as the o in pot. The corresponding long
phoneme is mega.

2. Both case letters are written like their English
counterparts. The alphabetical characters name may be
spelled as omkron or omcron.

3. O, o is transliterated into English as O, o.
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16
th
letter | P HI, i [labialunvoiced] consonant

< pee >

See & Hear

1. P is a labial consonant. The phoneme is formed by the
closing the lips. The vocal cords do not vibrate. Its
phoneme is as the p in party.

2. Both lower and upper case letters are written with three
strokes. The two support strokes may be written first,
with the shelf stroke last.

3. H, is transliterated as P, p into English.

17
th
letter | Rh P1, po [liquidcontinuant] consonant

< hrow >

See & Hear

1. Rh is a liquid consonant. Air is allowed to pass through
the oral cavity while its phoneme is pronounced. Its
phoneme is as the r in red. Whenever rh begins a
word, it is aspirated. As the spelling of its name
indicates (rh), a flow of breath accompanies the letter.

2. The lower case letter has a tail that drops below the
base line. Be careful! Do not confuse this letter with the
English p.

3. P, p is transliterated into English as R, r.

18
th
letter | Sigma 2IlMA, oiyo [sibilantcontinuant] consonant

< sig mah >

See & Hear

1. Sigma is the only pure sibilant consonant. Its phoneme
(unvoiced) is as the s in sit or as is
(voiced).

2. When sigma occurs as the final letter
in a word, it is written as ,, otherwise,
lower case is o (i.e., otioo,). Final
sigma is a printing convention and is not found in any
ancient manuscripts.

3. 2, o, , is transliterated into English as S, s.
,
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19
th
letter | Tau 1AY, ou [dentalunvoiced] consonant

T
< tau >

See & Hear

1. Tau is a dental consonant, formed with the tip of the
tongue behind the upper teeth. Its phoneme is as the
t in talk.

2. The lower case letter never has the top stroke below its
top like the English t.

3. 1, is transliterated into English as T, t.

20
th
letter | Upslon Y 1I/ON, u iiov [variablevoiced] vowel

< ew pseeh - lawn >

See & Hear

1. Upslon is a variable vowel. Its phoneme may be
pronounced long or short. If long, the phoneme is as
the u in lute; if short u as in put. The phoneme is
never pronounced as the English long u (i.e., use).

2. Upslon and n may be confused when written. Form
upslon with a rounded bottom with the right upward
stroke turned outward.

3. Y, u is transliterated into English as Y, y, or as U,
u when o, t, q, or o precede upslon.

21
st
letter | Ph 1I, i [labialaspirate] consonant

< fee >

See & Hear

1. Ph is a labial aspirate consonant. Its phoneme is
pronounced by the near closing of the lips and an
emission of breath. Its phoneme is as the ph in
phone or the f as in fat.

2. The lower case letters tail extends below the base line.
The letter is often written as one stroke.

3. 1, is transliterated by two consonants into English,
Ph, ph.
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22
nd
letter | Ch XI, _i [palatalaspirate] consonant

< khey >

See & Hear

1. Ch is a palatal aspirate consonant. It is formed in the
palate while allowing air to pass. Its phoneme is as the
ch in chemist, or the k in kiosk. The phoneme may
be easily confused with kappa unless it is remembered
that the breath is not entirely cut off with ch.

2. X, _ is transliterated by two consonants into English,
Ch, ch.

23
rd
letter | Ps 1I, i [compoundunvoiced continuant] consonant

< psee >

See & Hear

1. Ps is a compound consonant. The phoneme is a
combination of + [unvoiced] o. Initial phoneme is as
the ps in psalms, and its medial or final phoneme is
as the ps in lips or taps.

2. The lower case letters stem drops below the base line.

3. 1, is transliterated by two consonants into English,
Ps, ps.

24
th
letter | mega 1 MElA, o tyo [longvoiced] vowel

< oh may gah >

See & Hear

1. mega is a long vowel. Its phoneme is always
pronounced long. Phoneme is as o in note.

2. Do not confuse the lower case letter with the English
w.

2. 1, o is transliterated as , into English. Always
employ the macron mark above mega to differentiate
it from the short vowel omkron.

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1.1.1 Memorizing the Greek alphabet. Similarities exist between the Greek and
English alphabetical letters. These similarities exist in form (orthography) and
sound (phoneme). The Greek alphabetical order parallels the English for a while,
then differs, and then begins to parallel again. It is recommended that the Greek
alphabet be memorized in five groups of letters, each beginning with a familiar
looking English corresponding vowel: o (alpha), t (epslon), i (ita), o (omkron),
and u (upslon). These suggested groupings follow.

Ao H ly L
Et Z Hq O
Ii K| /i M Nv :
Oo H Pp 2o, 1
Yu 1 X_ 1 1o

1.2 Greek Small Letters

1.2.1 Eleven of the Greek lower case letters do not extend below the line, and are
approximately as wide as they are high. The height of these lower case letters are
one-half of the height of their corresponding upper case letters.

o
1
t i
2
| v
3,4
o

5
o
5
u
3
o

1. o (alpha) should be written as a figure 8 laid on its side and opened on
the right, and not as the English a.
2. The i (ita) is never dotted.
3. The letters v (n) and u (upslon) are easily confused. Write v pointed at
the bottom and turn the right upward stroke inward at the top; u is written
rounded at the bottom with the right straight upward stroke.
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4. N, v (n) should not be confused with the English v. The English v
has no Greek counterpart. Furthermore, never say n for v.
5. There is another pair of letters other than v and u which may be confused
except for a small, but a very important difference: omkron (o) and
sigma (o). Notice that sigma wears a "hat" whereas omkron does not.

1.2.2 Eight Greek lower case letters rest on the line and extend below it, and are
as high as those in 1.2.1. None of their corresponding upper case letters drop
below the line.

y
1
q
2

3
p
4
,
2,5
_
1

6

6

1. Both y (gamma) and _ (ch) may be written crossing the line.
2. q (ta) and , (final sigma) are not usually made to extend as far below
the line as the others in this group.
3. A sufficient stem on (m) distinguishes it from u (upslon). Notice these
distinctions in the following word pairs: |o oou |ooov,
uou u ov.
4. P, p (rh) must not be confused with P/p in English, nor o (mega) with
the English w.
5. There is one sigma with two forms. It is written o at the beginning or in
the middle of a word, and , at the end. Examples: oo,, vooo,, otioo,.
6. The stems of (ph) and (ps) extend above the middle line.

1.2.3 Three of the Greek lower case letters rest on the line, but are twice as high
as in 1.2.1 above. These letters are delta, thta, and lambda. These lower case
letters height corresponds to their upper case letters.

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1.2.4 Three of the lower case letters extend above and below the line. These
letters are bta, zta, and xs.

Below are all of the lower case letters in their alphabetical order. This may prove
helpful, because it illustrates their respective height when written together.

Listen o y t q i | i v o p o u _ o

1.3 Greek Capital Letters Listen

All of the capital letters are of uniform height and rest on the base line. They
should be learned in conjunction with their corresponding small letters.

When practicing, aim at simplicity, clarity, and ease of recognition. Use the
animated examples on-line or those given below to learn how to form the
characters. Every student will develop their own writing style, and slight variations
from the printed forms below will not generally cause confusion.

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1.3.1 Nine capital letters do not correspond to their small letters. These capital
letters are l, L, Z, H, /, :, 2, Y and 1. Special attention to these upper case
letters are required in order to associate them with their lower case letters.

y q

o , u o
The chart in the next section summarizes and highlights what has been presented
thus far for all the Greek letters, which will be helpful as a review. The
alphabetical letter names of the three variable vowels, alpha, ita, and upslon,
should be pronounced long when reciting the alphabet.

1.4 The Greek Alphabet Charted

The capital and small letters appear in the first column, with their Greek and English
spellings in the second and third columns, respectively. Breathing marks and accents
have been included where appropriate (these will be introduced in Lesson Five). The
fourth column gives an English approximate pronunciation of the Greek letter, and its
phonetic value in the fifth column. The sixth column illustrates the English equivalent
(transliteration) to the Greek letter.

The word alphabet (oioqo from oio + qo) is derived from the first two
letters of the twenty-four Greek letters commonly used by the Greeks. The
consonants employed in the Greek alphabet are for the most part adapted from
the Phoenician alphabet.

Originally the Greek alphabet had several other letters, but they dropped out of
use before the New Testament era. However, their continued influence is still felt,
especially in Greek verbs. In addition, the Greeks added five other letters that
were not part of the Phoenician alphabet (u, , _, and o, which are the last five
letters of the Greek alphabet).

The Greek alphabetical letters did double duty, serving also as numbers. For
example, First John was written as Ioovvou A (A = first letter in the alphabet),
Second John was Ioovvou H (H = second letter in the alphabet), and Third John
was Ioovvou l ( l = third letter in the alphabet).
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Letter Greek English Sounds As Phonetic Trsl.
A o oio lph ahl-fah
a in father (long)
a in dad (short)
a
H qo bt bay-tah b in ball b
l y yoo gmm gahm-mah g in got g
L tio dlt dell-tah d in dog d
E t t iiov psln eh-pseeh-lawn e in net e
Z qo zt zay-tah
z in gaze (initial)
dz in adz (medial)
z
H q qo t ay-tah e in obey
O qo tht thay-tah th in this th
I i ioo it yi-oh-tah
i in machine (long)
i in hit (short)
i
K | |oo kpp kap-pah k in kin k
/ i ioo lmbd lahm-dah l in lot l
M u m mew m in man m
N v vu n new n in new n
: i xs x-see x in axe x
O o o i|pov mkron au-me-krahn ough in ought o
H i p peeh p in party p
P p po rh hrow
r in ride
rh in rhino (aspirate)
r
2 o , oiyo sgm sig-mah
s in sit (unvoiced)
s in is (voiced)
s
1 ou tau tau t in talk t
Y u u iiov pslon ew-pseeh-lawn
u in lute (long)
u in put (short
y, u
1 i ph fee ph in phone ph
X _ _i ch khey ch in chemist ch
1 i ps psee
ps in psalm (initial)
ps in lips (medial)
ps
1 o o tyo mg oh-may-gah o in note
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1.5 Further Information

A near full size reproduction of Acts 1:1-5 from Codex Vaticanus is below. Codex
Vaticanus is a fourth-century Greek text. In the first column is the Codex
Vaticanus. The second column displays the passage transcribed into a modern
(SPIonic) type. How many of the letters can you recognize?

1ONMENHP11ON/OlON
EHOIH2AMHNHEPIHAN11
1OEO1I/E1NHP:A1O
I2HOIEIN1EKAILILA2KEI
AXPIH2HMEPA2EN1EI/A
MENO21OI2AHO21O/OI2
LIAHNEYMA1O2AlIOYOY2
E:E/E:A1OANE/HM1OH
OI2KAIHAPE21H2ENEAY
1ONZ1N1AME1A1OHA
OEINAY1ONENHO//OI2
1EKMHPIOI2LIHMEP1N
1E22EPAKON1AOH1ANO
MENO2AY1OI2KAI/El1
1AHEPI1H2HA2I/EIA21OYOY
KAI2YNA/IZOMENO2HA
PHllEI/ENAY1OI2AHO
IEPO2O/YM1NMHX1PI
ZE2OAIA//AHEPIMENEI
1HNEHAllE/EIAN1OY
HA1PO2HNHKOY2A1EM
O1II1ANNH2MENEHAH1I
2ENYLA1IYMEI2LEEN
HNEYMA1IHAH1I2OH2E
2OEAlI1OYME1AHO//A2
1AY1A2HMEPA2 OIMEN

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q q q q
1

STUDY GUIDE
The Letters and Pronunciation of the Greek Alphabet
Phonology (Part 1)

The goal of this lesson is to learn to say and write the Greek letters. First practice writing
the small letters (lower case letters) with the guide given below, pronouncing each letter
every time you write it. If you need added help in forming these Greek letters, an on-line
animated tutorial is available. In Exercise 2, you will practice writing the capitals.
Exercise 1: Practice forming the Greek small letters

o o o o

y y y y

t t t t

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i i i i

| | | |

i i i i

v v v v

o o o o

p p p p

______________________________________________________________________


o o o o
, , , ,

u u u u

_ _ _ _

o o o o
Exercise 2: Practice associating the Greek small and capital letters

Practice writing all the capital letters with their matching small letters in their
alphabetical order. This is very important that you do this. Acquire the habit to
pronounce each letter as you write it. Write and say these letters until you can do
so with ease. Do not proceed until you can!

Final Sigma
______________________________________________________________________

A o A o
H H
ly ly
L L
E t E t
Z Z
H q H q
O O
I i I i
K | K |
/ i / i
M M
______________________________________________________________________

N v N v
: :
O o O o
H H
P p P p
2 o , 2 o ,
1 1
Y u Y u
1 1
X _ X _
1 1
1 o 1 o
______________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3: Writing the Greek alphabetical letters from memory

Write both capital and small letters of the Greek alphabet from memory. Write the
capital letters on the left side of the column and the small letters on the right side.

Capital Small Capital Small Capital Small

1. 9. 17.

2. 10. 18.

3. 11. 19.

4. 12. 20.

5. 13. 21.

6. 14. 22.

7. 15. 23.

8. 16. 24.

Exercise 4: Fill in the blank with the correct answer

1. How many letters are there in the Greek alphabet? _________

2. There are __________ vowels and _________________ consonants in the
Greek alphabet.

3. Eleven Greek small letters do not extend below the line when writing them, and
are approximately as wide as they are high. These letters are: ____, ____,
____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, and ____.

4. Eight Greek small letters rest on the line and extend below it when writing
them. These letters are: ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, and ___.

5. Three Greek small letters extend slightly above and below the line. What ones
are they? _____, _____, and _____.

______________________________________________________________________

6. All the Greek capital letters are of _________ height and ________ on the
base line.

7. Vowels are the basic sound in speech, made by vibrating the ______ _____.

Exercise 5: True or False Questions

1. When pronouncing the vowels, all of them are voiced. True False

2. When pronouncing the consonants, all of them are voiced. True False

3. Modern Greek is spoken today like Reconstructed New Testament Greek.
True False.

4. Desiderius Erasmus was a pharmacist in the early 1800s. True False

5. The twenty-four Greek alphabetical characters represent twenty-four different
phonemes in Erasmian Greek pronunciation. True False

6. English is spoken identically in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States.
True False

7. Modern Greek is not pronounced any differently today than when the Apostle
Paul spoke it in the First Century A.D. True False

Exercise 6: Practice saying your AH ls

Ao H ly L Et Z Hq O

Ii K| /i M Nv : Oo H

Pp 2o, 1 Yu 1 X_ 1 1o
Lesson One: Study Guide Answer Key
The Greek Alphabet

Exercise 3: Writing the Greek alphabetical letters from memory

Write both capital and small letters of the Greek alphabet from memory. Write
the capital letters on the left side of the column and the small letters on the
right side under their respective headings.

Capital Small Capital Small Capital Small

1. A o 9. I i 17. P p

2. H 10. K | 18. 2 o, ,

3. l y 11. / i 19. 1

4. L 12. M 20. Y u

5. E t 13. N v 21. 1

6. Z 14. : 22. X _

7. H q 15. O o 23. 1

8. O 16. H 24. 1 o

Exercise 4: Fill in the blank with the correct answer

1. How many letters are there in the Greek alphabet? Twenty-four

2. There are seven vowels and seventeen consonants in the Greek alphabet.

3. Eleven Greek small letters do not extend below the line when writing them,
and are approximately as wide as they are high. These letters are:
o, t, i, |, v, o, , o, , u, and o.

4. Eight Greek small letters rest on the line and extend below it when writing
them. These letters are: y, q, , p, ,, _, , and .
Lesson One: STUDY GUIDE ANSWER KEY SA1:2
___________________________________________________________________

5. Three Greek small letters extend slightly above and below the line. What
ones are they? , , and .

6. All the Greek capital letters are of equal height and rest on the base line.

7. Vowels are the basic sound in speech, made by vibrating the vocal cords.

Exercise 5: True or False Questions

1. When pronouncing the vowels, all of them are voiced. True

2. When pronouncing the consonants, all of them are voiced. False

3. Modern Greek is spoken today like Reconstructed New Testament Greek.
False

4. Desiderius Erasmus was a pharmacist in the early 1800s. False

5. The twenty-four Greek alphabetical characters represent twenty-four
different phonemes in Erasmian Greek pronunciation. True

6. English is spoken identically in Australia, Great Britain, and the United
States. False

7. Modern Greek is not pronounced any differently today than when the
Apostle Paul spoke it in the First Century A.D. False
Lesson One: The Greek Alphabet
Study Aid Level One: Similarities and Differences

English Alphabet NTGreek Alphabet

1. English is read and written from
left to right.
1. NTGreek is read and written
from left to right
2. In the English alphabet, there are
twenty-six letters. Five letters
are vowels (and sometimes w
and y), and twenty-one letters
are consonants.
2. The NTGreek alphabet has
twenty-four letters. Seven
letters are vowels and
seventeen letters are
consonants.
3. The English alphabet has both
capital and small letters. Almost
all of the capitals look like their
printed small letters.
3. The NTGreek alphabet has both
capital and small letters. Many
Greek capitals do not look like
their printed small letters.
4. English capitals are used for
proper names and new
sentences.
4. Greek capitals are used for
proper names, first letter of a
new paragraph, and to mark the
beginning of a direct quote.
5. English letters are not written
differently when they appear at
the end of a word.
5. One letter (, ) in NTGreek has
a different form when it appears
at the end of a word.
6. It is impossible to learn to read
English without knowing the
meaning of words, because
letters and letter combinations
can be pronounced in so many
different ways. For example, the
c in cat, cube and circle.
6. NTGreek consonants and
vowels are nearly always
pronounced the same.
Therefore, it is possible to learn
to read NTGreek without
knowing the meaning of words.
7. English is pronounced differently
in various places, such as
Canada, Australia, and the
United States.
7. NTGreek also has various
pronunciations. You will learn
the phonetic pronunciation that
is used in many colleges,
universities and seminaries.

Lesson One: The Greek Alphabet SA1:4
___________________________________________________________________

A Look Ahead

Understanding some of the similarities and differences between the English
and Greek alphabets is just the beginning of learning New Testament Greek.
This NTGreek course will equip anyone to read and understand New
Testament Greek (NTGreek). Over one hundred lessons are planned to take
you from your first steps in New Testament Greek to a thorough knowledge of
the language that will rival any Bible college, university, or seminary study.

Lesson One introduced the sight and sounds of the twenty-four Greek
alphabetical characters. These same characters are further developed in
Lesson Two by examining how they sound together in simple vowel
consonant and consonant-vowel combinations so that the student will have
confidence they are pronouncing Greek words properly. In addition, a
phonetic pronunciation system is integrated in these lessons by means of
MP3 audio files, as well as later lessons.

Several special features to look forward to in all Greek lessons are:

1. A large Greek point size is purposefully employed to aid the beginning
student. Greek words contained within paragraphs are 14 point, and
the font point size for illustrations is 16 point.

2. Many MP3 audio files accompany every lesson. If you wish to hear the
audio portion of the lesson, simply click on the link.

3. A study guide is included at the end of every lesson that tests the
student over the material studied in the lesson to advance more rapidly
the learning curve.

4. Many study aids are associated with each lesson. These study aids
give the student further opportunities to learn more by the added
instructional materials, exercises, and quizzes. Answer keys are
provided when applicable. The study aids are divided into three levels.
The different levels represent an escalating level of difficulty. It is
recommended to begin with the least difficult exercises in Level One
and proceed through Level Three to receive the maximum benefit. The
study aid pages are paginated sequentially. The abbreviation "SA"
represents "Study Aids", followed by the lesson number, and then the
sequential study aid pagination.
Alpha

Ao
Bta

H

Gamma

ly
Delta

L

Epslon

Et

Zta

Z

Eta

Hq

Thta

Ita

Kappa

K|

Lambda

/i

M

M

N

Nv

Xs

:

Omkron

P

H

Rh

Pp

Sigma

2o

Final Letter
Tau

1

Upslon

Yu

Ph

1

Ch

X_

Ps

1

Omega

1o

Study Aid Level One: Correct Small Letter

Instructions: Circle the correct Greek small letter that corresponds to its
English spelling.

An answer key is available on the next page.

alpha
o
a
n
q v
delta

d
ph

epslon
t i
gamma
y
g
kappa
|
sigma
o
s
ta
t q
p
p
thta

bta

ita
i
i
lambda
i
l
m
v
xs

omkron
o o
rh
r
p
tau

ch
_
upslon
v u
zta
z

ps

mega
o o
________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY

alpha
o
a
n
q v
delta

d
ph

epslon
t i
gamma
y
g
kappa
|
sigma
o
s
ta
t q
p
p
thta

bta

ita
i
i
lambda
i
l
m
v
xs

omkron
o o
rh
r
p
tau

ch
_
upslon
v u
zta
z

ps

mega
o o
Study Aid Level Two: Correct Capital Letter

Instructions: Circle the correct Greek capital letter that corresponds to its
English spelling.


Alpha
1
A
N
N :
Delta
L
D
Ph
1 1
Epslon
E H
Gamma
l
G
Kappa
: K
Sigma
2
S
ta
H E
P
P H
Thta
O 1
Bta
L H
Ita
I
Y
Lambda
/
L
M
N M
Xs
Z :
Omkron
1 O
Rh
P
R
Tau
1 O
Ch
X :
Upslon
1 Y
Zta
Z 2
Ps
1 Y
mega
O 1
________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY

Alpha
1
A
N
N :
Delta
L
D
Ph
1 1
Epslon
E H
Gamma
l
G
Kappa
: K
Sigma
2
S
ta
H E
P
P H
Thta
O 1
Bta
L H
Ita
I
Y
Lambda
/
L
M
N M
Xs
Z :
Omkron
1 O
Rh
P
R
Tau
1 O
Ch
X :
Upslon
1 Y
Zta
Z 2
Ps
1 Y
mega
O 1
q
Study Aid Level Two: Practice Writing the Small Greek Letters

Practice forming the small Greek letters, using the Greek letters below as a guide. Correct
penmanship is important to formula early in your Greek studies.

o

y

t

________________________________________________________________________


i

|
i

v

o

________________________________________________________________________


p

o

,

u

_

Final Sigma
________________________________________________________________________


o

Practice writing all the Greek small letters in their alphabetical order in the space
provided below. Aim for simplicity, clarity, and ease of recognition.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
Study Aid Level Two: Practice Writing the Greek Capitals

Practice writing all the capital letters. Pronounce each letter as you write it.
Write and say these letters until you can do so with ease.

A
H
l

L
E

Z

H

O
________________________________________________________________

I

K
/
M
N
:
O
H
P
________________________________________________________________

2
1
Y
1

X

1

1

________________________________________________________________

Practice writing all the Greek capital letters in their alphabetical order in the
space provided below. Aim for simplicity, clarity, and ease of recognition.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
Study Aid Level Three: Practice Writing the Greek Letters

Practice writing all the Greek capital letters with their matching small letters
in their alphabetical order. Pronounce each letter as you write it. Write
and say these letters until you can do so with ease.

A o
H
l y

L
E t

Z

H q

O
________________________________________________________________

I i

K |
/ i
M
N v
:
O o
H
P p
________________________________________________________________

2 o
2 ,

1
Y u
1

X _
1
1 o
Final Sigma
________________________________________________________________

Practice writing all the Greek capital letters in their alphabetical order in the
space provided below. Aim for simplicity, clarity, and ease of recognition.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Study Aid Level Three: The Letter Before and After

Instructions: Place the appropriate Greek letter before and after the letter
given in the middle column. If a capital letter is given, be sure to write the
appropriate Greek capital letter before and after the one cited.

o

y
_____
H _____
_____ t _____
_____
p _____
_____ N _____ _____
o _____
_____ o _____
_____
Y
_____
_____ _____
_____

_____
_____ Z _____ _____
|
_____
_____ E _____
_____
L
_____
_____ i _____
_____
1
_____
_____ _ _____ _____
i
_____
_____ l _____
_____
:
_____
_____ v _____
_____
2
_____
_____ _____ _____
H
_____
_____ M _____
_____
O
_____
_____ _____
_____
y
_____


________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY

o y

O H P
t

p o
M N :

o
p o

1 Y 1
i v

q i
E Z H

i | i
L E Z

l L E
| i

2 1 Y
_

i |
H l L

N : O
v

P 2 1
t q

A H l
/ M N

H O I
_ o

y

Study Aid Level Three: Word Search Puzzle
Find the Greek letter names in the word search puzzle.

ALPHA
BETA
CHI
DELTA
EPSILON
ETA
GAMMA
IOTA
KAPPA
LAMBDA

OMEGA
OMIKRON
PHI
PSI
RHO
SIGMA
TAU
THETA
UPSILON
ZETA

M A L O I B N U P S I L O N Z
C D T O H O O M E G A O Y U E
F T T E R R L D A U Z S X A T
L A P C H F I G Q O E B L T A
R A I M M T S H X S F I A P N
L M M B U V P A C H I G P E U
O C G B E F E L Z B A I P S E
J A O S D T U P T M H K A J I
P G H T L A A H M P X F K S N
J C J S F M Y A F H R G A W A
B W B P U H F Y K P Z X D M B
A T Z H C K O A T L E D G K M
M T O E J V T R Q W A I Q T W
Y O J H F F D D O X S F T K O
W A T E E F D H P X G S G M C

An answer key for this exercise is on the next page.
________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY

+ A + O I + N U P S I L O N Z
+ + T O H O O M E G A + + U E
+ + T E R R L + + + + + + A T
L A + K H + I + + + + + + T A
+ A I + + T S + + + + + A + +
+ M M B + + P A C H I G P + +
O + + B E + E L + + A I P S +
+ + + + D T + P + M H + A + I
+ + + + + A A H M P + + K + +
+ + + + + + + A + + + + + + A
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + M +
+ + + + + + + A T L E D G + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + I + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + S + + + +
+ A T E + + + + + + + + + + +

The coordinates below signify over, down, and direction of the word in the
puzzle.

ALPHA (8,6,S) OMEGA (7,2,E)
BETA (4,6,SE) OMIKRON (1,7,NE)
CHI (9,6,E) PSI (13,6,SE)
DELTA (12,12,W) RHO (6,3,NW)
EPSILON (7,7,N) SIGMA (11,14,NE)
ETA (4,15,W) TAU (14,4,N)
GAMMA (12,6,SW) THETA (6,5,NW)
IOTA (5,1,SW) UPSILON (8,1,E)
KAPPA (13,9,N) ZETA (15,1,S)
LAMBDA (1,4,SE)
PHI (10,9,NE)

Study Aid Level Three: Crossword Puzzle

Acr oss Dow n
1. looks like a fork
6. long vowel of epslon
7. sounds like English "z"
11. found in words like
"philosophy"
12. first let t er
14. has t wo forms
15. looks like English "x"
17. a t est version
18. short vowel
20. last let t er
22. a cat ' s sound
2. smallest let t er
3. aft er iot a
4. special forces
5. not "a" but _____+ t a
8. short form of t a
9. "wat ch your ___ and q' s"
10. looks like n
13. not full- grown
16. "Oh can you x + ____
19. sounds like what you do in a boat
21. radiat ion

An answer key for t hi s exerci se i s on t he next page.

________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY

Acr oss
1. ps
6. t a
7. zt a
11. ph
12. alpha
14. sigma
15. ch
17. bt a
18. omkron
20. mega
21. m
Dow n
2. it a
3. kappa
4. delt a
5. t ht a
8. epslon
9. pi
10. upslon
13. lambda
16. xs
19. rh
21. gamma

Sight and Sounds of Greek Letters (Module A)
Study Aid Level Three: Quiz

Answer the questions below. This is an open book quiz. This means you may
look at the material presented in Lesson One while taking the quiz. A suggested
time limit to answer these questions is thirty minutes.

1. How many letters does the Greek Alphabet contain?

a. 22 (twenty-two) letters c. 24 (twenty-four) letters

b. 23 (twenty-three) letters d. 25 (twenty-five) letters

2. How is the pronunciation of every Greek alphabetical letter learned?

a. proper pronunciation of first letter in its alphabetical name

b. proper pronunciation of last letter in its alphabetical name

c. know whether it is a vowel or consonant

d. an educated guess

3. How many vowels and consonants does the Greek alphabet contain?

a. 8 (eight) vowels and 16 (sixteen) consonants

b. 7 (seven) vowels and 18 (eighteen) consonants

c. 7 (seven) vowels and 17 (seventeen) consonants

d. 8 (eight) vowels and 17 (seventeen) consonants

4. A Greek alphabetical character may be both:

a. a vowel and a consonant c. small and a capital letter

b. written and spoken d. all the above

5. All of the Greek capital letters are:

a. uniform in height c. rest on the base line

b. same as their small letters d. a and c
Greek Lesson One: The Greek Alphabet SA1:52
________________________________________________________________

6. All of the Greek small letters are:

a. uniform in height c. twice as small as their capital letters

b. rest on the base line d. none of the above

7. How many of the Greek small letters extend below the line and are
approximately as wide as they are high?

a. 11 (eleven) c. 3 (three)

b. 8 (eight) d. 7 (seven)

8. Which of the Greek consonants has a final form?

a. bta (H ) c. sigma (2 o)

b. rh (P p) d. kappa (K |)

9. The Greeks largely based their alphabet on what other alphabet?

a. Latin c. English

b. Phoenician d. Hebrew

10. When pronounced, a Greek vowel:

a. vibrates the vocal cords c. slurs into the next letter

b. does not vibrate the vocal cords d. restricts the air flow

11. When pronounced, a Greek consonant:

a. interrupts the passage of breath c. restricts the air flow

b. does not vibrate the vocal cords d. a and c

12. Which alphabetical sequence is correct?

a. y E Z q c. K i M N

b. 1 1 Y 1 1 d. P , 1 _ 1

________________________________________________________________


a. / M N H : c. O H P 2 1

b. O / K M : d. Y 1 X 1 1


a. t q | i c. p o _

b. | i v d. v o

15. Which alphabetical sequence is correct? (be careful!)

a. q / H Y c. K / M : N

b. H O K O 1 d. H P 2 1 1 Y


a. A y L Z E c. H y O 2

b. H I / K M d. O I / K M


a. E Z O H v c. / M v 1

b. N M O P 2 d. H O K 1 Y

18. The Greek word for alphabet is derived from which two Greek
letters?

a. the first and second letters c. the first and third letters

b. the first and last letters d. the first and fourth letters

________________________________________________________________

19. H q sounds like the

a. e as in net c. e as in gaze

b. e as in obey d. h as in how

20. O o sounds like the

a. o as in note c. ough as in ought

b. o as in or d. o as in phone

21. 1 o sounds like the

a. o as in note c. ough as in ought

b. o as in not d. w as in work

22. N v sounds like the

a. v as in view c. v as in vote

b. v as in voice d. n as in new

23. 1 sounds like the

a. ph as in phone c. ps as in lips

b. th as in this d. z as in gaze

24. L sounds like the

a. b as in ball c. d as in dog

b. p as in party d. ph as in phone

An answer key follows on the next page.

________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY

1. How many letters does the Greek Alphabet contain?

c. 24 (twenty-four) letters

2. How is the pronunciation of every Greek alphabetical letter learned?

a. proper pronunciation of the first letter in its alphabetical name

3. How many vowels and consonants does the Greek alphabet contain?

c. 7 (seven) vowels and 17 (seventeen) consonants

4. A Greek alphabetical character may be both:

b. written and spoken

5. All of the Greek capital letters are:

d. uniform in height and rest on the base line

6. All of the Greek small letters are:

d. none of the above

7. How many of the Greek small letters extend below the line and are
approximately as wide as they are high?

a. 11 (eleven)

8. Which of the Greek consonants has a final form?

c. sigma (2 o) -- ,

9. The Greeks largely based their alphabet on what other alphabet?

b. Phoenician

10. When pronounced, a Greek vowel:

a. vibrates the vocal cords

________________________________________________________________

11. When pronounced, a Greek consonant:

d. interrupts the passage of breath and restricts the air flow


a. y E Z q


c. O H P 2 1


d. v o


b. H O K O 1 (these letters are in proper sequence although
there are some letters missing in between)


c. H y O 2 (these letters are in proper sequence although
there are some letters missing in between)


c. / M v 1 (these letters are in proper sequence although there
some letters missing in between)

18. The Greek word for alphabet is derived from which two Greek
letters?

a. the first and second letters (alpha and bta)

19. H q sounds like the

b. e as in obey

________________________________________________________________

20. O o sounds like the

c. ough as in ought

21. 1 o sounds like the

a. o as in note

22. N v sounds like the

d. n as in new

23. 1 sounds like the

a. ph as in phone

24. L sounds like the

c. d as in dog

Greek Lessons - Lesson 1 The Greek Alphabet

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1996-2012 by William Ramey Phonology (Part 1) NTGreek In Session

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