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:
“While abroad, he met with a very salacious English woman, whose liberality retrieved his fortune, with several circumstances more to the honor of his vigor than his morals.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
“Certainly for us of the modern world, with its conflicting claims, its entangled interests, distracted by so many sorrows, so many preoccupations, so bewildering an experience, the problem of unity with ourselves in blitheness and repose, is far harder than it was for the Greek within the simple terms of antique life. Yet, not less than ever, the intellect demands completeness, centrality.”
—Walter Pater (1839–1894)
“If your letters are as long as the bible, they will appear short to me. Only let them be brim full of affection.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)