Understanding Greek Characters

Many people have e-mailed me asking for the obvious: "How can I decipher Greek signs?". First of all, here's a list of the alphabet letters along with their pronunciation (please change your browser encoding to Greek and download a font that supports Greek characters). If you can't see the greek characters you can find the following lists as images here.

Greek is a rather difficult language that resembles no other European language but many Greek words have been borrowed. For instance you have politics, democracy, poet, dynamic, telephone, electricity etc. to name a few. The modern Greek we speak today (called "Dimotiki") derives after many transformations and revisions from Ancient versions more than 2000 years old.

I am no linguist, (just a designer) so should you spot any mistakes, omissions or inaccuracies, please tell me so I can correct them.

Want to know everything about quality greek wines? Visit All About Greek Wine.

Paros might not be a quiet island featured here, nevertheless a friend runs a good hotel that is worth considering if you plan on visiting Paros.

Hotel Votsalo

Greek Letter	Name in Greek	Name in English	Pronunciation	Vowel or Consonant
A - α	άλφα	alpha	a	v
Β - β	βήτα	beta	v	c
Γ - γ	γάμμα	gamma	like "wh" in "what"	c
Δ - δ	δέλτα	delta	like "th" in "they"	c
Ε - ε	έψιλον	epsilon	e	v
Ζ - ζ	ζήτα	zeta	z	c
Η - η	ήτα	eta	i	v
Θ - θ	θήτα	theta	like "th" in "thick"	c
Ι - ι	γιότα	iota	i	v
Κ - κ	κάπα	kapa	k	c
Λ - λ	λάμδα	lamda	l	c
Μ - μ	μι	mi	m	c
Ν - ν	νι	ni	n	c
Ξ - ξ	ξι	xi	x	c
Ο - ο	όμικρον	omikron	o	v
Π - π	πι	pi	p	c
Ρ - ρ	ρο	ro	r	c
Σ - σ - ς	σίγμα	sigma	s	c
Τ - τ	ταύ	tau	t	c
Υ - υ	ύψιλον	ypsilon	y	v
Φ - φ	φι	fi	f	c
Χ - χ	χι	chi	h	c
Ψ - ψ	ψι	psi	like "ps" in	c
Ω - ω	ωμέγα	omega	o	v

Now, here's a list of diphthongs (combinations between 2 letters) along with their approximate pronunciation:

Greek Diphthongs	Pronunciation
ΑΥ - αυ	"av" or "af"
ΑΙ - αι	"e"
ΕΥ - ευ	"ev" or "ef"
ΕΙ - ει	i
ΟΙ - οι	i
ΟΥ - ου	"οο" as in "zoo"
ΥΙ - υι	i (very rare)
ΓΓ - γγ	g
ΓΚ - γκ	g
ΜΠ - μπ	b
NT - ντ	d

Here are the days of the week:

Name in Greek	Pronunciation	Name in English
Δευτέρα	Deftera	Monday
Τρίτη	Triti	Tuesday
Τετάρτη	Tetarti	Wednesday
Πέμπτη	Pempti	Thursday
Παρασκευή	Paraskevi	Friday
Σάββατο	Savvato	Saturday
Κυριακή	Kyriaki	Sunday

Here are the months:

Name in Greek	Pronunciation	Name in English
ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ - Ιανουάριος	Ianouarios	January
ΦΕΒΡΟΥΑΡΙΟΣ - Φεβρουάριος	Fevrouarios	February
ΜΑΡΤΙΟΣ - Μάρτιος	Martios	March
ΑΠΡΙΛΙΟΣ - Απρίλιος	Aprilios	April
ΜΑΙΟΣ - Μάϊος	Maios	May
ΙΟΥΝΙΟΣ - Ιούνιος	Iounios	June
ΙΟΥΛΙΟΣ - Ιούλιος	Ioulios	July
ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΣ - Αύγουστος	Avgoustos	August
ΣΕΠΤΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ - Σεπτέμβριος	Septemvrios	September
ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΣ - Οκτώβριος	Oktovrios	October
ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ - Νοέμβριος	Noemvrios	November
ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ - Δεκέμβριος	Dekemvrios	December

Finally, here's a list of islands so you can find your way around:

Name in Greek	Name in English	Area
ΑΓΙΟΣ ΕΥΣΤΡΑΤΙΟΣ - Άγιος Ευστράτιος	Aghios Efstratios	North Aegean
ΑΓΚΙΣΤΡΙ - Αγκίστρι	Agistri	Saronic Gulf
ΑΙΓΙΝΑ - Αίγινα	Egina	Saronic Gulf
ΑΛΛΟΝΗΣΟΣ - Αλλόνησος	Allonisos	Sporades
ΑΜΟΡΓΟΣ - Αμοργός	Amorgos	Cyclades
ΑΝΑΦΗ - Ανάφη	Anafi	Cyclades
ΑΝΔΡΟΣ - Άνδρος	Andros	Cyclades
ΑΝΤΙΠΑΞΟΙ - Αντίπαξοι	Antipaxi	Eptanisa (Ionian Sea)
ΑΝΤΙΠΑΡΟΣ - Αντίπαρος	Antiparos	Cyclades
ΑΣΤΥΠΑΛΑΙΑ - Αστυπάλαια	Astypalaia	Dodecanese
ΔΗΛΟΣ - Δήλος	Delos (Dilos)	Cyclades
ΔΟΝΟΥΣΑ - Δονούσα	Donousa	Cyclades
ΕΥΒΟΙΑ - Εύβοια	Evia	Evia
ΖΑΚΥΝΘΟΣ - Ζάκυνθος	Zakynthos	Eptanisa (Ionian Sea)
ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΑ - Ηρακλειά	Iraklia	Cyclades
ΘΑΣΟΣ - Θάσος	Thasos	North Aegean
ΙΘΑΚΗ - Ιθάκη	Ithaca (Ithaki)	Eptanisa (Ionian Sea)
ΙΚΑΡΙΑ - Ικαρία	Ikaria	Dodecanese
ΙΟΣ - Ίος	Ios	Cyclades
ΚΑΛΥΜΝΟΣ - Κάλυμνος	Kalymnos	Dodecanese
ΚΑΡΠΑΘΟΣ - Κάρπαθος	Karpathos	Dodecanese
ΚΑΣΟΣ - Κάσος	Kasos	Dodecanese
ΚΑΣΤΕΛΟΡΙΖΟ - Καστελόριζο	Kastelorizo	Dodecanese
ΚΕΑ - Κέα	Kea	Cyclades
ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑ - Κέρκυρα	Corfu (Kerkyra)	Eptanisa (Ionian Sea)
ΚΕΦΑΛΛΟΝΙΑ - Κεφαλλονιά	Kefallonia	Eptanisa (Ionian Sea)
ΚΙΜΩΛΟΣ - Κίμωλος	Kimolos	Cyclades
ΚΟΥΦΟΝΗΣΙΑ - Κουφονήσια	Koufonisia	Cyclades
ΚΡΗΤΗ - Κρήτη	Crete (Creta, Kriti)	Crete
ΚΥΘΗΡΑ - Κύθηρα*	Kythira*	Eptanisa (Ionian Sea)*
ΚΥΘΝΟΣ - Κύθνος	Kythnos	Cyclades
ΚΩΣ - Κως	Kos	Dodecanese
ΛΕΙΨΟΙ - Λειψοί	Lipsi	Dodecanese
ΛΕΡΟΣ - Λέρος	Leros	Dodecanese
ΛΕΥΚΑΔΑ - Λευκάδα	Lefkada	Eptanisa (Ionian Sea)
ΛΗΜΝΟΣ - Λήμνος	Lemnos (Limnos)	North Aegean
ΜΗΛΟΣ - Μήλος	Melos (Milos)	Cyclades
ΜΥΚΟΝΟΣ - Μύκονος	Mykonos	Cyclades
ΜΥΤΙΛΗΝΗ (ΛΕΣΒΟΣ) Μυτιλήνη (Λέσβος)	Mytilini (Lesvos)	North Aegean
ΝΑΞΟΣ - Νάξος	Naxos	Cyclades
ΝΙΣΥΡΟΣ - Νίσυρος	Nisyros	Dodecanese
ΟΙΝΟΥΣΣΕΣ - Οινούσσες	Inousses	Dodecanese
ΠΑΞΟΙ - Παξοί	Paxi	Eptanisa (Ionian Sea)
ΠΑΡΟΣ - Πάρος	Paros	Cyclades
ΠΑΤΜΟΣ - Πάτμος	Patmos	Dodecanese
ΠΟΡΟΣ - Πόρος	Poros	Saronic Gulf
ΡΟΔΟΣ - Ρόδος	Rhodes (Rodos)	Dodecanese
ΣΑΜΟΘΡΑΚΗ - Σαμοθράκη	Samothraki	North Aegean
ΣΑΜΟΣ - Σάμος	Samos	North Aegean
ΣΑΝΤΟΡΙΝΗ (ΘΗΡΑ) - Σαντορίνη (Θήρα)	Santorini (Thira)	Cyclades
ΣΕΡΙΦΟΣ - Σέριφος	Serifos	Cyclades
ΣΙΦΝΟΣ - Σίφνος	Sifnos	Cyclades
ΣΙΚΙΝΟΣ - Σίκινος	Sikinos	Cyclades
ΣΚΙΑΘΟΣ - Σκιάθος	Skiathos	Sporades
ΣΚΟΠΕΛΟΣ - Σκόπελος	Skopelos	Sporades
ΣΚΥΡΟΣ - Σκύρος	Skyros	Sporades
ΣΠΕΤΣΕΣ - Σπέτσες	Spetses	Saronic Gulf
ΣΥΜΗ - Σύμη	Symi	Dodecanese
ΣΥΡΟΣ - Σύρος	Syros	Cyclades
ΤΗΛΟΣ - Τήλος	Telos (Tilos)	Dodecanese
ΤΗΝΟΣ - Τήνος	Tinos	Cyclades
ΥΔΡΑ - Ύδρα	Hydra	Saronic Gulf
ΦΟΛΕΓΑΝΔΡΟΣ - Φολέγανδρος	Folegandros	Cyclades
ΦΟΥΡΝΟΙ - Φούρνοι	Fourni	Dodecanese
ΧΑΛΚΗ - Χάλκη	Chalki	Dodecanese
ΧΙΟΣ - Χίος	Chios	North Aegean
ΨΑΡΑ - Ψαρά	Psara	North Aegean

* Although Kythira and Antikythira are south of Peloponnese, they are part of the Ionian Islands prefecture.

[ home ] [ amorgos ] [ astypalaia ] [ serifos ] [ folegandros ]
[ travelling tips ] [ reading greek ] [ meow! ] [ credits ]