Katerina Sarri webtopos - International Phonetic Alphabet for Modern Greek

PHONETICS for MODERN GREEK

wikipedia: Ancient Greek phonology - Hellenistic Koine Greek phonology (and erasmic pronunciation), Medieval Greek#phonology, Modern Greek phonology
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I.P.A. = International Phonetic Alphabet
PRONUNCIATION - IPA SOUND GUIDES
Fonts for I.P.A.

SOUNDS OF GREEK Intern.Phonetic.Alphabet
1) VOWELS
a e i o u ♪
In precise transcription, the /e/ is pronounced as more open [ɛ]
Also the /o/, as more open [ɔ]
The y does not exist in Modern Greek, but only in ancient and medieval Greek.
2) CONSONANTS
b d δ f g ɟ γ j
k c l ʎ m ɱ n ɲ ŋ
p ɾ s t θ v x ç z
3) BINARY SOUNDS
BINARY CONSONANTS:
[ks] [ps] [t͡s] [d͡z]
VOWEL COMBINATIONS:
DIPHTHONGS ai̯ oi̯ SYNIZESIS:/i/ sometimes changes with + a, e, o, u
DIACRITICS
' = primary stress, the only stress in Greek, is placed before the loud syllable marked here as ` to show the direction of the strees to the NEXT syllable.
Double identical consonants are NOT pronounced twice. Disregard them (except ΓΓ). They were (presumably) pronounced doubled until mediaeval times. Cypriots still do.

simplified easy-typing at webtopos: r for ɾ voiced alveolar flap γ Greek gamma for ɣ δ Greek delta for ð j for ʝ ' = stress is often marked here as ` to show the direction of the strees to the NEXT syllable.

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TABLE of GREEK VOWELS
GREEK VOWELS
IPA phonetic symbol	as in the word... (english or other)	description	Greek Script CAP-small in Modern-Standard
VOWELS: a e i o u ♪ (no variations in modern greek)
a	-- (english) amo (latin) ami (french)	open front unrounded	A α
/e/ is [ɛ] (more open)	ten	open-mid front unrounded	E ε AI αι AI αí
i	see	close front unrounded	I ι H η Y υ EI ει EI εí OI oι OI oí YI υι in erasmic only: I
o is [ɔ] (more open)	got	open-mid back rounded	O o Ω ω in erasmic only: O
u	zoo	close back rounded	OY oυ

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TABLE of GREEK CONSONANTS and COMBINATIONS b d δ f g γ k l m n p r s t θ v x z
CONSONANT				combinations
IPA phonetic symbol	as in the word... (english or other)	description	Greek Script CAP-small in Modern-Standard	IPA phonetic symbol	as in the word... (english or other)	description
b	boat	voiced bilabial plosive	MΠ μπ Never [mb] at the beginning of a greek word. in ancient Greek: B β	mb	ambitious	MΠ μπ Always [mb] in the middle of a greek word, but not a foreign word or a loanword.
d	day	voiced alveolar plosive	NT ντ Never [nd] at the beginning of a word. in erasmic: Δ δ	nd	end	NT ντ Always [nd] in the middle of a greek word.
	Note the difference between [ d ] and [ ð ] ♪			Also check coubld consonant dz
ð	this but not thin	voiced dental fricative	Δ δ
	Note the difference between [ d ] and [ ð ] ♪
f	foot	voiceless labiodental fricative	Φ φ and sometimes:AY EY HY
ɡ (simplified: like letter g)	go	voiced velar plosive	ΓK γκ Never [ng] at the beginning of a greek word. in erasmic: Γ γ	could be written as ⁿg	anger	ΓK γκ ΓΓ γγ Always [ŋg] in the middle of word.
ɡ (simplified: like letter g)	go	voiced velar plosive		Note the difference between [ g ] and [ ŋg ] ♪
could be written as g^	gift	voiced palatal plosive		could be written as ⁿg^		ΓK γκ Never [ŋɟ] at beginning of a greek word.
	Note the difference between [ g ] and [ ɟ ] ♪
ɣ	close to gh no english sound	voiced velar fricative	Γ γ
	Note the difference between [ ʝ ] and [ ɣ ] ♪
ʝ	yes	palatal approximant	no special symbol exists check j (jot) hypothetical symbol The sound occurs sometimes written as I (iota) see [ia, ie...] or Γ gamma+[i] or +[e]
	Note the difference between [ ʝ ] and [ ɣ ] ♪
k	cool	voiceless velar plosive	K κ KK κκ	Also, check double consonant ks sound
c could be written as k^	cute	voiceless palatal plosive before [i] or [e]	K κ KK κκ
	Note the difference between [ k] and [ c ] ♪
l	love	alveolar lateral approximant	Λ λ ΛΛ λλ
could be written as l^	tagliatelle	palatal lateral approximant before [i]	Λ λ ΛΛ λλ
	Note the difference between [ l ] and [ ʎ ] ♪
m	mother	bilabial nasal	M μ MM μμ	mɲ	μια greek: =one(fem.)	occurs sometimes before [i] sound
				mp	imperium (latin)	MΠ μπ [mp] only for non greek words.
				mb	ambitious	MΠ μπ Never [mb] at beginning of a greek word. Always [mb] in the middle of greek word.
could be written as superscript ^m...		labiodental nasal	very rare it may occur in modern greek, when M [m] is followed by [f] or [v]
n	no	alveolar nasal	N ν NN νν	nd	end	NT ντ Always [nd] in the middle of a greek word. CHECK /d/.
				ndz	-	NTZ ντζ Always [ndz] in the middle of a word. CHECK /d/. and CHECK /dz/
could be written as n^	new	palatal nasal (rare)
	Note the difference between [ n ] and [ ɲ ] ♪
	sing	velar nasal (rare)	rare sound called «άγμα» [ˈaɣma] no particular symbol exists Gamma plays its role. Occurs at these ΓK γκ ΓΓ γγ ΓΞ γξ ΓX γχ combinations.
p	pool	voiceless bilabial plosive NOT aspirated	Π π ΠΠ ππ	pç		Occurs sometimes when /p/ is followed by /ia, ie, io, iu/
				Also check double consonant ps
ɾ voiced alveolar flap	arrow similar to the spanishtap r	alveolar trill	P ρ PP ρρ
s	sex	voiceless alveolar fricative	Σ σ (ς) ΣΣ σσ	In greek, there is no ʃ ♪ postalveolar sound as in shop
t	tool	voiceless alveolar plosive NOT aspirated	T τ TT ττ	Also check double consonant ts
θ	thin but not this	voiceless dental fricative	Θ θ
v	vote	voiced labiodental fricative	B β BB ββ and binary (αυ, ευ, ηυ)
x	scottish Lokh	voiceless velar fricative	X χ
ç could be written as x^	similar to he	voiceless palatal fricative	X χ before [i] and [e] and sometimes I ι
	Note the difference between [ x ] and [ ç ] ♪
z	zoo	voiced alveolar fricative	Z ζ Σ σ before [v,γ,δ,m]	NOTE that in greek, there is no ♪ postalveolar sound as in french je
				Also check double consonant dz

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TABLE of GREEK BINARY UTTERANCES (CONSONANTS)
IPA phonetic symbol	as in the word... (english or other)	Greek Script CAP-small in Modern-Standard and erasmic, if different
consonants: binary sounds a) written with monogrammes
ks	sex	Ξ ξ κσ in the middle of compound words
ps	lips	Ψ ψ
[ ks ps ♪ ]
consonants: binary sounds b) written with digrammes
t͡s	nuts	TΣ τσ τς NOTE that in greek there is no tʃ sound as in church
d͡z	dads	TZ τζ in erasmic: zeta Z NOTE that in greek there is no d ♪ sound as in judge
[ t͡s d͡z ♪ ]

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TABLE of GREEK BINARY UTTERANCES (2 VOWELS pronounced fast) At webtopos we underline them.
DIPHTHONGS (two vowel sounds) ai̯ oi̯ SYNIZESIS:@en.wiktionary /i/ sometimes changes with + a, e, o, u
The two diphthongs, pronounced very fast as one sound are /a+i/ > ai̯ /o+i/ > oi̯ But not always. Sometimes, pronounced as two syllables, especially in older words or formal terms.
/a+i/ > ai̯ ai `ai	[ai̯] [`ai̯] like idea, ice	AÏ αϊ AH αη AI άι AH άη as in αηδόνι /ai̯ˈðoni/ (nightingale) or γάιδαρος /ˈɣai̯ðaɾos/ (donkey)
/o+i/ > oi̯ oi `oi	[oi̯] [`oi̯] like point	OÏ oϊ OI όι as in κοροϊδεύω /koɾoi̯ˈðevo/ (I mock)
SYNIZESIS:@en.wiktionary /i/ sometimes changes with + a, e, o, u or accented /i/ + accented /á, é, ó, ú / The outcome depends on the preceding consontant. The phaenomenon is called synizesis old gre: συνίζησις mod.gre: συνίζηση [si`nizisi]. Some greek speakers pronounce them this way, some others do not. The very good {D.G.T.} says that research is not adequate to give definite rules and that the pronunciation of some words is dubious. Such small nuances betray foreigners that otherwise speak Greek very well. Sometimes, a [i...] or a [j...] version could produce different meaning for one word. e.g. gre.v. < βιάζoμαι > can be pronounced [`vʝazome] = eng: I am in a hurry. [vi`azome] = eng: I am raped.
IPA phonetic symbol	as in the word... (english or other)	Greek Script CAP-small in Modern-Standard and erasmic, if different
ia i`a		IA ια EIA εια IA ιά EIA ειά In some cases, pronounced /ʝa/ /ˈʝa/ after β, δ, ζ, ρ /ça/ /ˈça/ after θ, π, σ, τ, φ /ɲa/ /ˈɲa/ after μ, ν /ʎa/ /ˈʎa/ after λ
ie i`e		IE ιέ EIE ειέ In some cases, pronounced /ʝe/ /ˈʝe/ after β, δ, ζ, ρ /çe/ /ˈçe/ after θ, π, σ, τ, φ /ɲe/ /ˈɲe/ after μ, ν /ʎe/ /ˈʎe/ after λ
io i`o		IO ιo EIO ειo IO ιó EIO ειό In some cases, pronounced /ʝo/ /ˈʝo/ after β, δ, ζ, ρ /ço/ /ˈço/ after θ, π, σ, τ, φ /ɲo/ /ˈɲo/ after μ, ν /ʎo/ /ˈʎo/ after λ
iu i`u		IOY ιoυ EIOY ειoυ OIOY oιoυ IOY ιoύ EIOY ειoύ OIOY oιoύ In some cases, pronounced /ʝu/ /ˈʝu/ after β, δ, ζ, ρ /çu/ /ˈçu/ after θ, π, σ, τ, φ /ɲu/ /ˈɲu/ after μ, ν /ʎu/ /ˈʎu/ after λ

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NON-GREEK VOWELS for reference
IPA phonetic symbol	as in the word... (english or other)	description
non-greek allophones
æ	cat	almost open front unrounded
schwa	ago ['gυ]	almost close-mid central unrounded
α	arm	open back unrounded
ʌ	cut	open-mid back unrounded
ε	père (french) resembles erasmic pronunciation of ancient greek ETA	open-mid front unrounded
ı i with no dot	sit	almost close front unrounded
	saw	open-mid back rounded
ʊ	put	almost close back rounded
y	tu (french) exists in erasmic pronunciation of ancient greek UPSILON	close front rounded
non-greek semiphone
w	wet	approximant
w	see the early, abandoned greek letter digamma

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katerina sarri, athens, october 2007 - corrections:2025.08.10.