This table gives the common English pronunciation of Greek letters using the International Phonetic Alphabet (see Wikipedia:IPA for English.) It is the pronunciation of the ancient Greek names of the Greek letters using the English teaching pronunciation. Sometimes, especially in the sciences, the vowels will be pronounced closer to the Greek, for example /ˈpsiː/ instead of /ˈsaɪ/ for psi.
| Greek | Ancient Greek name |
English name |
English pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Α α | ἅλφα | Alpha | /ˈælfə/ |
| Β β | βῆτα | Beta | /ˈbiːtə/, US /ˈbeɪtə/ |
| Γ γ | γάμμα | Gamma | /ˈɡæmə/ |
| Δ δ | δέλτα | Delta | /ˈdɛltə/ |
| Ε ε | ἔψιλόν | Epsilon | /ˈɛpsɨlɒn/, UK also /ɛpˈsaɪlən/ |
| Ζ ζ | ζῆτα | Zeta | /ˈziːtə/, US /ˈzeɪtə/ |
| Η η | ῆτα | Eta | /ˈiːtə/, US /ˈeɪtə/ |
| Θ θ | θῆτα | Theta | /ˈθiːtə/, US /ˈθeɪtə/ |
| Ι ι | ἰῶτα | Iota | /aɪˈoʊtə/ |
| Κ κ | κάππα | Kappa | /ˈkæpə/ |
| Λ λ | λάμβδα | Lambda | /ˈlæmdə/ |
| Μ μ | μῦ | Mu | /ˈmjuː/, US less commonly /ˈmuː/ |
| Ν ν | νῦ | Nu | /ˈnjuː/, US /ˈnuː/ |
| Ξ ξ | ξεῖ | Xi | /ˈzaɪ/, /ˈksaɪ/ |
| Ο ο | ὄμικρόν | Omicron | /ˈɒmɨkrɒn/, traditional UK /oʊˈmaɪkrɒn/ |
| Π π | πεῖ | Pi | /ˈpaɪ/ |
| Ρ ρ | ῥῶ | Rho | /ˈroʊ/ |
| Σ σ ς (final) |
σῖγμα | Sigma | /ˈsɪɡmə/ |
| Τ τ | ταῦ | Tau | /ˈtaʊ/, also /ˈtɔː/ |
| Υ υ | ὔψιλόν | Upsilon | /juːpˈsaɪlən/, /ˈʊpsɨlɒn/, UK also /ʌpˈsaɪlən/, US /ˈʌpsɨlɒn/ |
| Φ φ | φεῖ | Phi | /ˈfaɪ/ |
| Χ χ | χεῖ | Chi | /ˈkaɪ/ |
| Ψ ψ | ψεῖ | Psi | /ˈsaɪ/, /ˈpsaɪ/ |
| Ω ω | ὦμέγα | Omega | US /oʊˈmeɪɡə/, traditional UK /ˈoʊmɨɡə/ |
Famous quotes containing the words english, greek and/or letters:
“The English were very backward to explore and settle the continent which they had stumbled upon. The French preceded them both in their attempts to colonize the continent of North America ... and in their first permanent settlement ... And the right of possession, naturally enough, was the one which England mainly respected and recognized in the case of Spain, of Portugal, and also of France, from the time of Henry VII.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“With astonishment Aschenbach noticed that the boy was entirely beautiful. His countenance, pale and gracefully reserved, was surrounded by ringlets of honey-colored hair, and with its straight nose, its enchanting mouth, its expression of sweet and divine gravity, it recalled Greek sculpture of the noblest period.”
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)
“A hunger seized my heart; I read
Of that glad year which once had been,
In those fallen leaves which kept their green,
The noble letters of the dead.”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)