LernLaterne

Welcome back

Unit 23 · Read capitals without accents · Meet

Read capitals without accents

Recognise known words on all-capital signs.

About this unit

Signs often use capitals only. Capitals usually drop the tonos, and both σ and ς become Σ.

LowercaseCapitals
μάτιΜΑΤΙ
κόσμοςΚΟΣΜΟΣ
ψάριΨΑΡΙ

Recognise the whole word; it keeps its usual stress.

Read the examples

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

Words to read

water

ΝΕΡΟ

waterneró
milk

ΓΑΛΑ

milkghála
coffee

ΚΑΦΕΣ

coffeekafés
Reading tips

Ordinary all-capital Greek normally omits tonos: νερό → ΝΕΡΟ. Match the known whole word; the missing accent does not change its usual stress. In all capitals, both σ and final ς become Σ.

Reading practice

Read with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

Match the words to their pictures.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

ΓΑΛΑ

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Read and decide

Which lowercase word matches ΝΕΡΟ?

ΝΕΡΟ

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

water

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

milk

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

coffee

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Recognise known words on all-capital signs.

Next unit
water

ΝΕΡΟ

water
milk

ΓΑΛΑ

milk
coffee

ΚΑΦΕΣ

coffee
Use a Greek keyboard

Use the Greek layout or the course tiles. On a common Greek keyboard the ; key is a dead key for tonos: press it, then the vowel. Final ς has its own key. Keep the accent in ordinary lowercase words; normalise Unicode rather than removing tonos.

All letters

Α α
i

a

Ε ε
i

e

Κ κIn κα
i

ka

Μ μIn μα
i

ma

Ο ο
i

o

Τ τIn τα
i

ta

Ν νIn να
i

na. Ν is n; small ν is not Latin v.

Ρ ρIn ρα
i

ra. Ρ/ρ is r, not Latin p.

Ι ι
i

i

Η η
i

i. Η is i, not Latin H. It shares its sound with ι.

Υ υ
i

i. Υ/υ is i in ordinary vowel use, not Latin y or German ü.

Σ σIn σα
i

sa. Use σ before the end of a word.

Σ ςIn σα
i

sa. Use ς only at the end; it is the same letter and sound.

Λ λIn λα
i

la

Π πIn πα
i

pa

Ζ ζIn ζα
i

za

Β βIn βα
i

va. Β is v, not b.

Δ δth as in “this”: a buzzIn δα
i

dha. Δ is the voiced th of English this.

Γ γgh: air rubs, with a buzzIn γα
i

gha. Γ is voiced back friction before a/o/u, not a g stop.

Θ θth as in “thin”: air rubsIn θα
i

tha. The th of English thin, not t+h.

Φ φIn φα
i

fa

Χ χkh, as in German “Bach”In χα
i

kha. Χ is back friction before a/o/u; before e/i it moves forward, like German ich.

Ψ ψIn ψα
i

psa. One letter writes the consonant sequence ps.

Ξ ξIn ξα
i

ksa. One letter writes ks.

Ω ω
i

o. Ω and ο have the same modern vowel sound.

ΟΥ ουIn ουρά
i

u. Two letters, one u vowel; a team tile in the builder.

ΑΙ αιIn παιδί
i

e. Same vowel as ε; learn the printed spelling.

ΕΙ ειIn κλειδί
i

i. Same i sound as ι, η and υ.

ΟΙ οιIn οικονομία
i

i. Same i sound; read the team together.

ΥΙ υιIn υιός
i

i. A rarer i spelling, for recognition.

ΜΠ μπIn μπανάνα
i

ba. Word-initial μπ is b; inside words many speakers keep an m before b.

ΝΤ ντIn ντομάτα
i

da. Word-initial ντ is d; medial pronunciation can include n.

ΓΚ γκIn γκολ
i

ga. Γκ supplies the g stop that γ alone does not.

ΓΓ γγIn φεγγάρι
i

nga / ga. Inside words γγ commonly has a nasal plus g; some speakers reduce the nasal.

ΤΣ τσIn τσάι
i

tsa

ΤΖ τζIn τζάμι
i

dza

ΑΥ αυIn αυγό
i

av / af. Av before vowels and voiced consonants; af before voiceless consonants.

ΕΥ ευIn ευρώ
i

ev / ef. Ev before vowels and voiced consonants; ef before voiceless consonants.

Ϊ ϊIn μαϊμού
i

separate i. The diaeresis tells you not to combine with the previous vowel.

Ϋ ϋIn αϋπνία
i

separate i. Υ still has its ordinary i sound, separated from the preceding vowel.