Greek flashcards
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The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides a standardized set of symbols to represent the sounds of spoken language. Below are the IPA symbols for Greek pronunciation, with examples and descriptions, including the pronunciation of these sounds in English.

Greek Vowels

• /a/ - as in μάνα, pronounced /ˈmana/ (like "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
• /e/ - as in μέλι, pronounced /ˈmeli/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
• /i/ - as in μήλο, pronounced /ˈmilo/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
• /o/ - as in πόδι, pronounced /ˈpoði/ (like "o" in not /nɒt/)
• /u/ - as in μούσα, pronounced /ˈmusa/ (like "oo" in boot /buːt/)

Greek Vowel Letter Combinations

• /e/ - as in και, pronounced /ce/ (the letters "αι" represent one vowel, roughly like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
• /i/ - represented by the spelling ει, pronounced /i/ (roughly like "ee" in see /siː/, but not a long vowel or a diphthong)
• /u/ - as in ουρανός, pronounced /uraˈnos/ (the letters "ου" represent one vowel, roughly like "oo" in you /juː/)

Greek Consonants

• /p/ - as in πίτα, pronounced /ˈpita/ (like "p" in pen /pɛn/)
• /b/ - as in μπάλα, pronounced /ˈbala/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
• /t/ - as in τάξη, pronounced /ˈtaksi/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
• /d/ - as in ντομάτα, pronounced /doˈmata/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
• /k/ - as in καφές, pronounced /kaˈfes/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
• /ɡ/ - as in γκάμα, pronounced /ˈɡama/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
• /f/ - as in φως, pronounced /fos/ (like "f" in fun /fʌn/)
• /v/ - as in βασιλιάς, pronounced /vasiˈʎas/ (like "v" in voice /vɔɪs/)
• /θ/ - as in θέλω, pronounced /ˈθelo/ (like "th" in think /θɪŋk/)
• /ð/ - as in δρόμος, pronounced /ˈðromos/ (like "th" in this /ðɪs/)
• /s/ - as in σοκολάτα, pronounced /sokoˈlata/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
• /z/ - as in ζάχαρη, pronounced /ˈzaχari/ (like "z" in zebra /ˈzɛbrə/)
• /s/ - as in σπίτι in Standard Modern Greek, pronounced /ˈspiti/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
• /t͡s/ - as in τσάι, pronounced /ˈt͡sai/ (like the "ts" sound in cats /kæts/)
• /d͡z/ - as in τζάκι, pronounced /ˈd͡zaci/ (like the "ds" sound in adds /ædz/)
• /ɲ/ - as in μπάνιο, pronounced /ˈbaɲo/ (like "ny" in canyon /ˈkænjən/)
• /l/ - as in λάδι, pronounced /ˈlaði/ (like "l" in leaf /liːf/)
• /r/ - as in ρολόι, pronounced /roˈloi/ (like "r" in carrot /ˈkærət/)
• /m/ - as in μήλο, pronounced /ˈmilo/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
• /n/ - as in νερό, pronounced /neˈro/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)

Unique Features of Greek Pronunciation

While Greek pronunciation shares similarities with other languages, it also has unique features that are important for learners to understand.

• Vowel Length: Unlike some languages, Greek does not distinguish vowel length; vowel sounds are relatively consistent.
• Consonant Clusters: Greek often uses consonant clusters that can be challenging for non-native speakers, such as in πτώση (fall) /ˈpto.si/.
• Palatalization: Before an unstressed /i/ followed by another vowel in the same syllable, /n/ and /l/ can become palatal sounds. The /i/ is not pronounced as a separate vowel in these combinations.
• Geminate Consonants: Standard Modern Greek does not distinguish long and short consonants. The double "λλ" in άλλα (other) is pronounced as a single /l/: /ˈala/. Some dialects, including Cypriot Greek, do preserve a consonant-length contrast.
• Stress: Stress is phonemic in Greek, meaning that the placement of stress can change the meaning of a word. For example, νόμος (law) /ˈnomos/ vs. νομός (prefecture) /noˈmos/.