Greek Alphabet

Modern Greek · 24 letters · Quick reference

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True friend Same shape & sound as Latin

False friend Looks Latin, sounds different — watch out

New shape No Latin lookalike

Upper	Lower	Name	Sound	Like…	Type	Sample word	Notes
Α	α	alpha	AH	father	True	ΑΘΗΝΑA-thee-na · Athens	Lesson 1
Β	β	vita	V	voice	False	ΒΙΒΛΙΟVI-vli-o · book	Looks like B — sounds like V! DE: wie „w" in Wasser (genau wie Kyrillisch В)
Γ	γ	gamma	Y / GH	yes / loch	New	ΓΕΙΑYA · hello	Before ε η ι υ → DE: Ich-Laut wie „ch" in ich, nicht. Before α ο ω → soft G/GH.
Δ	δ	delta	TH (voiced)	the	New	ΔΡΟΜΟΣTHRO-mos · road/street	NOT "D"! Voiced th — like "th" in the, this, there. No German equivalent.
Ε	ε	epsilon	EH	bed	True	ΕΞΟΔΟΣEK-so-thos · exit	Lesson 1. DE: wie „e" in Bett
Ζ	ζ	zita	Z	zoo	True	ΖΩΝΗZO-ni · zone/belt	Lesson 1. DE: stimmhaftes s wie in sagen (nicht das DE-„z" = ts!)
Η	η	ita	EE	feet	False	ΗΛΙΟΣI-li-os · sun	Looks like H — sounds like EE! DE: wie „ie" in sie. Same trap as Cyrillc И.
Θ	θ	thita	TH (voiceless)	think	New	ΘΑΛΑΣΣΑTHA-la-sa · sea	Voiceless th — like "th" in think, thing, three. No German equivalent. In ΑΘΗΝΑ = "A-THee-na".
Ι	ι	iota	EE	feet	True	ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑis-to-RI-a · history	Lesson 1. DE: wie „ie" in sie
Κ	κ	kappa	K	kite	True	ΚΑΦΕka-FE · café	Lesson 1
Λ	λ	lambda	L	lamp	New	ΛΙΜΑΝΙli-MA-ni · harbor/port	Looks like an inverted V (Λ). DE: wie „l" in Lampe
Μ	μ	mi	M	map	True	ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟmu-SI-o · museum	Lesson 1. Lowercase μ has a tail — still sounds M.
Ν	ν	ni	N	night	False	ΝΗΣΙNI-si · island	Uppercase N = true friend. Lowercase ν looks like a rounded "v" — but sounds N! DE: wie „n"
Ξ	ξ	xi	KS	ax	New	ΞΕΝΟΔΟΧΕΙΟkse-no-tho-HI-o · hotel	Like a three-bar E. DE: wie „ks" in Taxi (t+aks)
Ο	ο	omicron	OH	ocean	True	ΟΔΟΣO-thos · street	Lesson 1. DE: wie „o" in Boot. Same sound as Ω in modern Greek.
Π	π	pi	P	park	New	ΠΛΑΤΕΙΑpla-TI-a · square/plaza	The math π symbol! Looks like two posts with a roof. DE: wie „p" in Park
Ρ	ρ	ro	R	road	False	ΡΕΜΑRE-ma · stream	Looks like P — sounds like R! DE: gerolltes „r". Exact same trap as Cyrillic Р.
Σ	σ / ς	sigma	S	sun	New	ΣΤΑΣΗSTA-si · bus stop	ς is used at the end of words, σ everywhere else. Same sound. DE: scharfes „s" wie in groß
Τ	τ	taf	T	table	True	ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑta-VER-na · tavern	Lesson 1. DE: wie „t" in Tisch
Υ	υ	ypsilon	EE	feet	False	ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΑi-pi-re-SI-a · service/agency	Looks like Y — sounds like EE! DE: wie „ie" in sie. Modern Greek merged this with Ι.
Φ	φ	fi	F	fire	New	ΦΑΡΜΑΚΕΙΟfar-ma-KI-o · pharmacy	Like a circle with a vertical line through it (Φ). DE: wie „f" in Feuer
Χ	χ	hi	KH / H	loch / ich	False	ΧΩΡΙΟHO-ri-o · village	Looks like X — *DE: Ach-Laut vor a/o/ω (Bach) · Ich-Laut vor ε/ι (ich)*. Same trap as Cyrillic Х.
Ψ	ψ	psi	PS	maps	New	ΨΑΡΙΑPSA-ri-a · fish	Like a trident (Ψ). DE: wie „ps" in Psychologie
Ω	ω	omega	OH	ocean	New	ΩΚΕΑΝΟΣo-ke-a-NOS · ocean	Lowercase ω looks like a horseshoe. Same sound as Ο in modern Greek (both = OH).

The EE cluster — iota-cism

All of these sound like "EE" in modern Greek:

Ι ι · Η η · Υ υ · ΕΙ · ΟΙ · ΥΙ

Why? Ancient Greek had different vowel qualities for each, but modern Greek merged them all into /i/. For GeoGuessr you don't need to know why — just recognize that any of those combinations means "EE". This is called iotacism.

Key digraphs

Greek uses two-letter combinations for sounds that have no single letter. These appear on signs.

ΜΠ

"B" (as in bus)

ΜΠΑΡ = bar · ΜΠΛΕ = blue

ΝΤ

"D" (as in door)

ΝΤΟΜΑΤΑ = tomato

ΓΚ / ΓΓ

"G" (hard, as in go)

ΑΓΓΛΙΑ = England

ΤΣ

"TS" (as in cats)

ΤΣΑΙ = tea · DE: z in Zeit

ΤΖ

"DZ" (as in adze)

ΤΖΑΜΙ = mosque

ΑΥ / ΕΥ

"AV/AF" or "EV/EF"

ΕΥΡΩΠΗ = Europe (EV-ro-pi)

Country & city names — GeoGuessr quick ref

ΕΛΛΑΔΑ

Ellada — Greece

ΚΥΠΡΟΣ

Kypros — Cyprus

ΑΘΗΝΑ

Athina — Athens

ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ

Thessaloniki

ΚΡΗΤΗ

Kriti — Crete

ΡHΟΔΟΣ

Rodos — Rhodes

Common GeoGuessr words

ΟΔΟΣ

Odos — street/road

ΠΛΑΤΕΙΑ

Plateia — square/plaza

ΛΕΩΦΟΡΟΣ

Leoforos — avenue/boulevard

ΕΞΟΔΟΣ

Eksodos — exit

ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ

Eisodos — entrance

ΝΟΣΟΚΟΜΕΙΟ

Nosokomio — hospital

ΦΑΡΜΑΚΕΙΟ

Farmakeio — pharmacy

ΑΣΤΥΝΟΜΙΑ

Astynomia — police

ΛΙΜΑΝΙ

Limani — harbor/port

ΞΕΝΟΔΟΧΕΙΟ

Xenodocheio — hotel

ΣΤΑΣΗ

Stasi — (bus) stop

ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑ

Taverna — tavern

Sources: Wikipedia: Greek alphabet · Omniglot: Greek