LernLaterne

Welcome back

Unit 19 · αυ and ευ · Meet

αυ and ευ

Read av/af and ev/ef in whole words.

About this unit

αυ and ευ change with the next sound. Look one letter ahead before you read them.

  • ΑΥαυegg
    av; af before t, k, s …
    αυγό · egg
    i

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

  • ΕΥευ
    ev; ef before t, k, s …
    ευρώ · euro
    i

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

Next soundαυευ
a vowel or a buzzing consonantav: αυγόev: ευρώ
a consonant without buzzaf: αυτόςef: ευχή

The spelling stays αυ or ευ either way.

More words to read

αυτός

he / this oneaftós
car

αυτοκίνητο

caraftokínito

ευχή

wishefkhí
Reading tips

Look at the next sound. In αυγό, γ is voiced, so hear av. In αυτός, τ is voiceless, so hear af. Ευρώ has ev before r; ευχή has ef before χ. Keep αυ and ευ in the spelling.

Reading practice

Listen before looking

Are these two spoken examples the same or different?

Clip 1
Clip 2

Hear the written stress

Listen and choose the stressed syllable, counting from the start.

Clip 1

Letters in words

Match each sign to the same sign in its example.

Find the sound

Match the sounds to the signs. Tap a sign to check.

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.

ευρώ

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

αυγό

Read and decide

Which ending of αυ is heard before voiceless τ?

αυτός

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

egg

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

car

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

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

Read av/af and ev/ef in whole words.

Next unit
egg

αυγό

egg

αυτός

he / this one
car

αυτοκίνητο

car

ευρώ

euro

ευχή

wish
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.