Flashcards

Learn Greek vocabulary by typing words and phrases from flashcards. The flashcard summary allows you to check your progress and select flashcards to learn.

 
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The flashcards have their specific settings. You can make the following changes to customize your vocabulary learning experience:
  • Choosing the number of flashcards per exercise

    You can choose how many flashcards you want to practice during a typing session. The default number is ten. Selecting a smaller amount of vocabulary may be a good idea if you are a beginner.

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    You can choose which variant of English the flashcards will use: British or American English. Since there are differences between the two, you can select the variant you prefer.

Phonetic Symbols in Greek Pronunciation

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 Diphthongs

  • /ai̯/ - as in και, pronounced /kai̯/ (like "ai" in aisle /aɪl/)
  • /ei̯/ - as in ει, pronounced /ei̯/ (like "ei" in reign /reɪn/)
  • /ou̯/ - as in ουρανός, pronounced /uraˈnos/ (like "ou" 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 γάλα, pronounced /ˈɣala/ (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/)
  • /ʃ/ - as in σπίτι in some dialects, pronounced /ˈspiti/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
  • /t͡ʃ/ - as in τσάι, pronounced /ˈt͡ʃai̯/ (like "ch" in chess /tʃɛs/)
  • /d͡ʒ/ - as in τζάκι, pronounced /ˈd͡ʒaki/ (like "j" in jam /dʒæm/)
  • /ɲ/ - as in καινούργιος, pronounced /ceˈnuɾɟos/ (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: Some consonants, like /n/ and /l/, can be palatalized when followed by certain vowels, changing their pronunciation.
  • Geminate Consonants: Greek uses geminate or doubled consonants, which are pronounced longer than single consonants, such as in άλλα (other) /ˈala/.
  • Stress: Stress is phonemic in Greek, meaning that the placement of stress can change the meaning of a word. For example, πρόοδος (progress) /ˈpro.oðos/ vs. προόδος (advance) /proˈo.ðos/.