Written by Themios Harmantzis
Why pairs matter
Certain pairs make a single sound that is not the sum of their parts. και is not "ka-i", it is one syllable "ke". Learn them and the last gap between alphabet and real reading closes.
Video lesson
Two Greek vowels, one sound
αι, ει, οι and ου: two letters, one sound. And why ee has five spellings. 58 seconds.
Read it aloud
οικογένεια
οικογένεια means family. Say it ee-ko-YE-nee-a.
Transcript
- ENPart three. Two Greek vowels, one sound. Alpha and iota together say e, as in bet.
- ΕΛκαι. παιδί.
- ENEpsilon and iota say ee, as in machine.
- ΕΛείναι. ειρήνη.
- ENOmicron and iota say ee too.
- ΕΛοικογένεια.
- ENAnd omicron and upsilon say oo, as in food.
- ΕΛούζο. μου.
- ENHere's the catch. Five spellings all say ee. So Greek spelling is learned by eye. One exception. Two dots over a letter split the pair.
- ΕΛΜάιος.
- ENMay. Now read this word. It has two of today's pairs.
- ΕΛοικογένεια.
- ENFamily. Save this list. At Ellinica dot com, you can sign up and create your own Greek story, on any topic.
Practice these in a short Greek story on any topic you like.
Try a storyVideo lesson
Greek has no letter for b, d or g
μπ, ντ, γκ, γγ, τζ and τσ: how Greek builds these sounds from pairs. 58 seconds.
Read it aloud
μπουζούκι
μπουζούκι means bouzouki. Say it boo-ZOO-kee.
Transcript
- ENPart four. Greek has no single letter for b, d or g. It builds them from pairs. Mu and pi say b at the start of a word.
- ΕΛμπύρα.
- ENAnd m-b in the middle.
- ΕΛαμπέλι.
- ENNu and tau say d at the start.
- ΕΛντομάτα.
- ENAnd n-d in the middle.
- ΕΛπέντε.
- ENGamma and kappa say g, as in go.
- ΕΛγκολ.
- ENTwo gammas sound like the n-g in finger.
- ΕΛάγγελος.
- ENTau and zeta sound like the end of beds.
- ΕΛτζατζίκι.
- ENAnd tau and sigma sound like the end of cats.
- ΕΛτσάι.
- ENYour turn. This is a word you already know.
- ΕΛμπουζούκι.
- ENThat's a list worth saving. At Ellinica dot com, you can sign up and create your own Greek story, on any topic.
Practice these in a short Greek story on any topic you like.
Try a storyVowel pairs
ει, οι, η, ι, and υ all land on the same "i" sound in many words, which is why Greek spelling must be learned by eye.
| Pair | Sounds like | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| αι | e, as in bet | και (ke, and), ναι (ne, yes), παιδί (pe-DHI, child) |
| ει | i, as in machine | είναι (I-ne, is), ειρήνη (i-RI-ni, peace) |
| οι | i, as in machine | οικογένεια (i-ko-YE-ni-a, family) |
| ου | u, as in food | ούζο (U-zo), μου (mu, my), τουρίστας (tourist) |
The shape-shifters: αυ and ευ
These switch between "v" and "f" depending on what follows, αύριο (av) vs αυτός (af), Ευρώπη (ev) vs ευχαριστώ (ef). Say both versions out loud a few times.
Consonant pairs
Greek has no single letter for b, d, and hard g, it builds them from pairs. Rough rule: plain sound at word start, light "n" in the middle.
| Pair | Sounds like | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| μπ | b (start of word), mb (middle) | μπύρα (BI-ra, beer), αμπέλι (am-BE-li, vineyard) |
| ντ | d (start), nd (middle) | ντομάτα (do-MA-ta, tomato), πέντε (PEN-de, five) |
| γκ / γγ | g (start), ng (middle) | γκολ (gol, goal), άγγελος (AN-ge-los, angel) |
| τζ | like the ds in beds | τζατζίκι (dza-DZI-ki) |
| τσ | ts, as in cats | τσάι (TSA-i, tea) |
When a pair is not a pair
Two dots (diaeresis) tell you to read vowels separately, as in Μάιος (MA-i-os, May). Worth noticing when you see them.
Put the sounds together
With the alphabet and these pairs you can read almost any Greek word aloud. Next: accents, pronunciation, then an A1 story with audio on.
Generate your first story