The Greek Alphabet
© 2001, 2008, 2009
Introduction
The letters in the alphabet presented below are used for printed Ancient Greek texts. The earliest Greek texts that have survived were written with a radically different script called Linear B.
For a detailed and wonderfully well argued discussion of the origins of the Greek alphabet, see Roger D. Woodard’s book, Greek Writing from Knossos to Homer.
Pronunciation
For a discussion of the pronunciation suggestions given here and an explanation of why the Erasmian pronunciation is not included, see below.
Pronouncing the Greek Alphabet
Two sets of pronunciation suggestions are given in the table above: first the pronunciation of each letter in Modern Greek, then the reconstructed pronunciation for the Classical period (before about 350 BCE).
The artificial Erasmian pronunciation used in many schools to teach Biblical Greek and sometimes even Classical Greek is not given on this page. The Erasmian system is omitted because it does not accurately reflect the actual pronunciation of the language at any point in its history. While it can be valuable for learning to spell many ancient Greek words, it has no real value in leaning how Ancient Greek was actually pronounced.
Since neither the pronunciation suggestions given here nor the Erasmian system accurately reflects the pronunciation of Greek in the Hellenistic period of the New Testament and early Christianity, a reconstructed pronunciation system for that period will be added later.
To hear examples of Classical Greek texts read with the reconstructed pitch accent system, visit the Classical Greek Pronunciation page of the Commission for Ancient Literature and Latin Tradition.
For a great demonstration of the pronunciation of Modern Greek, see Harry Foundalis' discussion of the Greek Alphabet. He confuses the Erasimian pronunciation with the reconstructed pronunciation of Classical Greek, but his audio demonstrations of Modern Greek pronunciation are extremely valuable.
Carl Conrad has provided a fine discussion of the history of Ancient Greek pronunciation by, tracing its development from Indo-european. (Clicking the link will download a PDF file.)
If you are learning Ancient Greek in a classroom setting, imitate your instructor's pronunciation.
Books on the Greek Alphabet
Roger D. Woodard's book, Greek Writing from Knossos to Homer, is a wonderful combination of Classical Studies and excellent understanding of Linguistics. He argues for an unbroken history leading from the Linear B syllabary to the Greek Alphabet. The argument is well documented and lucid.In Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet,
Barry Powell has written a provocative book asserting that the Greek alphabet was designed intentionally for recording the works of Homer. While Powell shows a thorough knowledge of the available evidence, his proposal still rests on assumptions that cannot be fully tested.
Barry Powell has written a provocative book asserting that the Greek alphabet was designed intentionally for recording the works of Homer. While Powell shows a thorough knowledge of the available evidence, his proposal still rests on assumptions that cannot be fully tested.Other Web Sites that Display the Greek Alphabet
There are many other sites on the internet that show the Greek alphabet. Here are a few that provide particularly useful information:
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•AncientScripts.com has a very nice discussion of the variations in the script by dialect and some of the changes from ancient to modern times.
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•The Omniglot site includes a helpful discussion of the Greek alphabet with pronunciation suggestions.
