Lesson 1 | The Greek Alphabet: Its Letters and Sounds (Phonology ...

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. 

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

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 

The term “phoneme” is pronounced 

as fō nēm. The twenty-four Greek 

alphabetical characters represent 

twenty-four different phonemes. 

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 word’s 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 word’s 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 character’s 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). 




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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 letter’s pronunciation. 

As you listen to how an alphabetical character is pronounced, remember that the 

pronunciation of a letter’s 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, (bēta). Knowing 

how to pronounce the character’s alphabetical name, therefore, is to know how to 

pronounce the Greek letter’s phoneme. This 

A Greek letter’s phoneme has the 

same pronunciation as does the 

opening sound of its alphabetical 

letter’s name. 

is also true for all the remaining letters in the 

alphabet. A Greek letter’s phoneme has the 

same pronunciation as does its initial sound of 

its alphabetical letter’s 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. Therefore—if at all possible—a Greek letter should be written so that the 

final stroke ends to the furthest right where the next letter’s 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 




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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. 

Alphabetical Order 

1 st letter | Alpha [variable—voiced] vowel 

 

< ahl – fah > 

See & Hear 

English Spelling 

Greek Upper Case Spelling 

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. is transliterated as “A”, “a” into English. 

Relative Size Reference 

On-Line Pronunciation and Formation Aids 

Pronunciation Guide 

Greek Lower Case Spelling 

Classification Information 

Helpful Information 




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1 st letter | Alpha [variable—voiced] 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. is transliterated as “A”, “a” into English. 

2 nd letter | Bēta [labial—voiced] consonant 

 

< bay – tah > 

See & Hear 

1. Bēta 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. is transliterated as “B”, “b” into English. 

3 rd letter | Gamma [palatal—voiced] 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 

“got”—never as the g in “gin”. 

2. The lower case letter’s “tail” drops below the base line. 

The lower and upper case letters look very different 

from each other. 

3. is transliterated as “G”, “g” into English. 




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4 th letter | Delta [dental—voiced] 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. is transliterated as “D”, “d” into English. 

5 th letter | Epsīlon [short—voiced] vowel 

 

< eh – pseeh – lawn > 

See & Hear 

1. Epsīlon 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 ēta (HTA). 

2. Be sure to differentiate between the lower case 

English “e” and the Greek “” when written. 

3. is transliterated as “E”, “e” into English. 

6 th letter | Zēta [compound—continuant] consonant 

 

< zay – tah > 

See & Hear 

1. Zēta is a compound consonant. Its phoneme is a 

combination of + [unvoiced] , or + [voiced] . 

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 letter’s “tail” curls and drops below the base line. 

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




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7 th letter | Ēta [long—voiced] vowel 

 

< ay – tah > 

See & Hear 

1. Ēta 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 epsīlon. 

2. The lower case letter looks like an English “n”. 

However, it is pronounced very differently! The stroke 

ends below the base line. 

3. is transliterated as “Ē”, “ē” into English. Always 

employ the macron mark above ēta to differentiate it 

from the short vowel epsīlon. 

8 th letter | Thēta [dental—aspirate] consonant 

 

< thay – tah > 

See & Hear 

1. Thēta 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 “thing”—never as th in “this”. 

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

pen. 

3. is transliterated by two consonants into English, 

“Th”, “th”. 

9 th letter | Iōta [variable—voiced] vowel 

 

< yi – oh - tah > 

See & Hear 

1. Iōta 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”. Iōta is never 

pronounced like the English long “i” (i.e., “kite”). 

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

3. is transliterated as “I”, “i” into English. 




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10 th letter | Kappa [palatal—unvoiced] 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. is transliterated as “K”, “k” into English. 

11 th letter | Lambda [liquid—continuant] 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. is transliterated as “L”, “l” into English. 

12 th letter | Mū [nasal labial—voiced continuant] consonant 

 

< mew > 

See & Hear 

1. Mū 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 upsīlon. 

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




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13 th letter | Nū [nasal dental—voiced continuant] consonant 

 

< new > 

See & Hear 

1. Nū 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”. Nū and upsīlon are often confused. 

Write nū pointed at the bottom and turn the right 

upward stroke inward at the top. 

3. is transliterated as “N”, “n” into English. 

14 th letter | Xsī [compound—unvoiced continuant] consonant 

 

< x – see > 

See & Hear 

1. Xsī is a compound consonant. Its phoneme is a 

combination of + [unvoiced] . 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 | Omīkron [short—voiced] vowel 

O o 

< au – me – krahn > 

See & Hear 

1. Omīkron is a short vowel. It is always pronounced short. 

Its phoneme is as the o in “pot”. The corresponding long 

phoneme is ōmega. 

2. Both case letters are written like their English 

counterparts. The alphabetical character’s name may be 

spelled as omīkron or omīcron. 

3. is transliterated into English as “O”, “o”. 




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16 th letter | Pī , [labial—unvoiced] consonant 

 

< pee > 

See & Hear 

1. Pī 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. is transliterated as “P”, “p” into English. 

17 th letter | Rhō [liquid—continuant] consonant 

 

< hrow > 

See & Hear 

1. Rhō 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 rhō begins a 

word, it is aspirated. As the spelling of its name 

indicates (rhō), 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. is transliterated into English as “R”, “r”. 

18 th letter | Sigma [sibilant—continuant] 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 (i.e., ). Final 

sigma is a printing convention and is not found in any 

ancient manuscripts. 

3. is transliterated into English as “S”, “s”. 

 




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19 th letter | Tau [dental—unvoiced] 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. is transliterated into English as “T”, “t”. 

20 th letter | Upsīlon [variable—voiced] vowel 

 

< ew – pseeh - lawn > 

See & Hear 

1. Upsīlon 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. Upsīlon and nū may be confused when written. Form 

upsīlon with a rounded bottom with the right upward 

stroke turned outward. 

3. is transliterated into English as “Y”, “y”, or as “U”, 

“u” when , , , or precede upsīlon. 

21 st letter | Phī [labial—aspirate] consonant 

 

< fee > 

See & Hear 

1. Phī 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 letter’s tail extends below the base line. 

The letter is often written as one stroke. 


“Ph”, “ph”. 




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22 nd letter | Chī [palatal—aspirate] consonant 

 

< khey > 

See & Hear 

1. Chī 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 chī. 


“Ch”, “ch”. 

23 rd letter | Psī [compound—unvoiced continuant] consonant 

 

< psee > 

See & Hear 

1. Psī is a compound consonant. The phoneme is a 

combination of + [unvoiced] . 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 letter’s stem drops below the base line. 


“Ps”, “ps”. 

24 th letter | Ōmega [long—voiced] vowel 

 

< oh – may – gah > 

See & Hear 

1. Ōmega 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. is transliterated as “Ō”, “ō” into English. Always 

employ the macron mark above ōmega to differentiate 

it from the short vowel omīkron. 




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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: (alpha), (epsīlon), (iōta), (omīkron), 

and (upsīlon). These suggested groupings follow. 

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

1 2 3,4 5 5 3 

1. (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 (iōta) is never dotted. 

3. The letters (nū) and (upsīlon) are easily confused. Write pointed at 

the bottom and turn the right upward stroke inward at the top; is written 

rounded at the bottom with the right straight upward stroke. 




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4. (nū) should not be confused with the English “v”. The English “v” 

has no Greek counterpart. Furthermore, never say “n” for . 

5. There is another pair of letters other than and which may be confused 

except for a small, but a very important difference: omīkron () and 

sigma (). Notice that sigma wears a "hat" whereas omīkron 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. 

1 2 3 42,5 1 6 6 

1. Both (gamma) and (chī) may be written crossing the line. 

2. (ēta) 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 (mū) distinguishes it from (upsīlon). Notice these 

distinctions in the following word pairs: 

. 

4. , (rhō) must not be confused with “P/p” in English, nor (ōmega) with 

the English “w”. 

5. There is one sigma with two forms. It is written at the beginning or in 

the middle of a word, and at the end. Examples: 

6. The stems of (phī) and (psī) 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, thēta, 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 bēta, zēta, and xsī. 

 

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 

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 and . Special attention to these upper case 

letters are required in order to associate them with their lower case letters. 

 

 

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, iōta, and upsīlon, 

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 ( from + ) 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 ( and , 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 ( = first letter in the alphabet), 

Second John was ( = second letter in the alphabet), and Third John 

was ( = third letter in the alphabet). 




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Letter Greek English Sounds As Phonetic Trsl. 

ālphā ahl-fah 

a in father (long) 

a in dad (short) 

a 

bētā bay-tah b in ball b 

gāmmā gahm-mah g in got g 

děltā dell-tah d in dog d 

ěpsīlǒn eh-pseeh-lawn e in net e 

zētā zay-tah 

z in gaze (initial) 

dz in adz (medial) 

z 

ētā ay-tah e in obey ē 

thētā thay-tah th in this th 

iōtā yi-oh-tah 

i in machine (long) 

i in hit (short) 

i 

kăppā kap-pah k in kin k 

lāmbdā lahm-dah l in lot l 

mū mew m in man m 

nū new n in new n 

xsī x-see x in axe x 

ŏmīkron au-me-krahn ough in ought o 

pī peeh p in party p 

rhō hrow 

r in ride 

rh in rhino (aspirate) 

r 

sĭgmā sig-mah 

s in sit (unvoiced) 

s in is (voiced) 

s 

tau tau t in talk t 

ūpsīlon ew-pseeh-lawn 

u in lute (long) 

u in put (short 

phī fee ph in phone ph 

chī khey ch in chemist ch 

psī psee 

ps in psalm (initial) 

ps in lips (medial) 

ps 

ō mĕgā oh-may-gah o in note ō 

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

y, u



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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? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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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 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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Final Sigma 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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! 




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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 _____. 




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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 “s” 

 

 

 

 

 


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. 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? 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: 

and . 

4. Eight Greek small letters rest on the line and extend below it when writing 

them. These letters are: 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. 

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. 

3. The English alphabet has both 

capital and small letters. Almost 

all of the capitals look like their 

“printed” small letters. 

4. English capitals are used for 

proper names and new 

sentences. 

5. English letters are not written 

differently when they appear 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”. 

7. English is pronounced differently 

in various places, such as 

Canada, Australia, and the 

United States. 

1. NTGreek is read and written 

from left to right 

2. The NTGreek alphabet has 

twenty-four letters. Seven 

letters are vowels and 

seventeen letters are 

consonants. 

3. The NTGreek alphabet has both 

capital and small letters. Many 

Greek capitals do not look like 

their “printed” small letters. 

4. Greek capitals are used for 

proper names, first letter of a 

new paragraph, and to mark the 

beginning of a direct quote. 

5. One letter (, ) in NTGreek has 

a different form when it appears 

at the end of a word. 

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. 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

Bēta

Gamma

Delta

Epsīlon

Zēta

Eta

Thēta

Iōta

Kappa

Lambda

Mū

Nū

Xsī

Omīkron

Pī

Rhō

Sigma 

 

 

 

 

Final Letter

Tau

Upsīlon

Phī

Chī

Psī

Omega



Study Aid Level One: Correct Small Letter 

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

English spelling. 

alpha 

a 

epsīlon 

 

ēta 

 

iōta 

i 

omīkron 

 

upsīlon 

 

nū 

 

gamma 

g 

pī 

 

lambda 

l 

rhō 

r 

zēta 

z 

An answer key is available on the next page. 

delta 

d 

kappa 

 

thēta 

 


mū 

 

tau 

 

psī 

 

phī 

 

sigma 

s 

bēta 

 

xsī 

 

chī 

 

ōmega



________________________________________________________________ 

ANSWER KEY 

alpha 

a 

epsīlon 

 

ēta 

 

iōta 

i 

omīkron 

 

upsīlon 

 

nū 

 

gamma 

g 

pī 

 

lambda 

l 

rhō 

r 

zēta 

z 

delta 

d 

kappa 

 

thēta 

 


mū 

 

tau 

 

psī 

 

phī 

 

sigma 

s 

bēta 

 

xsī 

 

chī 

 

ōmega



Study Aid Level Two: Correct Capital Letter 

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

English spelling. 

Alpha 

A 

Epsīlon 

 

Ēta 

 

Iōta 

Y 

Omīkron 

 

Upsīlon 

 

Nū 

 

Gamma 

G 

Pī 

 

Lambda 

L 

Rhō 

R 

Zēta 

 


Delta 

D 

Kappa 

 

Thēta 

 

Phī 

 

Sigma 

S 

Bēta 

 


Mū 

 

Tau 

 

Psī 

 

Xsī 

 

Chī 

 

Ōmega



________________________________________________________________ 

ANSWER KEY 

Alpha 

A 

Epsīlon 

 

Ēta 

 

Iōta 

Y 

Omīkron 

 

Upsīlon 

 

Nū 

 

Gamma 

G 

Pī 

 

Lambda 

L 

Rhō 

R 

Zēta 

 

Delta 

D 

Kappa 

 

Thēta 

 

Phī 

 

Sigma 

S 

Bēta 

 


Mū 

 

Tau 

 

Psī 

 

Xsī 

 

Chī 

 

Ōmega



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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




________________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




________________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Sigma 




________________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




________________________________________________________________ 

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

_____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 

_____ _____ _____ _____ 





________________________________________________________________ 

ANSWER KEY 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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 

Across Down 

1. looks like a fork 

6. long vowel of epsīlon 

7. sounds like English "z" 

11. found in words like 

"philosophy" 

12. first letter 

14. has two forms 

15. looks like English "x" 

17. a test version 

18. short vowel 

20. last letter 

22. a cat's sound 

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

2. smallest letter 

3. after iota 

4. special forces 

5. not "a" but _____+ta 

8. short form of ēta 

9. "watch your ___ and q's" 

10. looks like nū 

13. not full-grown 

16. "Oh can you x + ____ 

19. sounds like what you do in a boat 

21. radiation 




________________________________________________________________ 

ANSWER KEY 

Across 

1. psī 

6. ēta 

7. zēta 

11. phī 

12. alpha 

14. sigma 

15. chī 

17. bēta 

18. omīkron 

20. ōmega 

21. mū 

Down 

2. iōta 

3. kappa 

4. delta 

5. thēta 

8. epsīlon 

9. pi 

10. upsīlon 

13. lambda 

16. xsī 

19. rhō 

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. bēta () c. sigma () 

b. rhō () d. kappa () 

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. c. 

b. d. 




________________________________________________________________ 


 

a. c. 

b. d. 


a. c. 

b. d. 

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

a. c. 

b. d. 


a. c. 

b. d. 


a. c. 

b. d. 

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. sounds like the 

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

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


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

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


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

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


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

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


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

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


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 () -- 

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. 


c. 

 


d. 


b. (these letters are in proper sequence although 

there are some letters missing in between) 


c. (these letters are in proper sequence although 

there are some letters missing in between) 


c. (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 bēta) 


b. “e” as in “obey” 




________________________________________________________________ 


c. “ough” as in “ought” 


a. “o” as in “note” 


d. “n” as in “new” 


a. “ph” as in “phone” 


c. “d” as in “dog”

Lesson 1 | The Greek Alphabet: Its Letters and Sounds (Phonology ...

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