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Unit 7 · ν, ρ, ι, η and υ · Meet

ν, ρ, ι, η and υ

Read n and r and meet three spellings of the i vowel.

About this unit

These letters look like Latin ones but sound different. ι, η and υ are three spellings of the same i sound.

  • Ννwater
    n, as in “no”
    νερό · water
    i

    Ν is n; small ν is not Latin v.

  • Ρρcandle
    r with a quick tongue tap
    κερί · candle
    i

    Ρ/ρ is r, not Latin p.

  • Ιιeye
    ee, as in “see”
    μάτι · eye
  • Ηη
    ee, the same sound as ι
    ημέρα · day
    i

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

  • Υυcheese
    ee, the same sound as ι
    τυρί · cheese
    i

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

νn, as in “no”
ρr with a quick tongue tap

ν is n, not v; ρ is r, not p.

ιee, as in “see”
ηee, the same sound as ι
υee, the same sound as ι

Three letters, one i sound. Η looks like H but is i.

Read the Greek sound, not the Latin lookalike, and learn each word’s i spelling by sight.

More words to read

one

ένα

oneéna
Reading tips

Ν is n; its small form ν is a Latin-v lookalike. Ρ ≠ P is another visual trap. Ι, η and υ share the i sound; learn their spellings from the printed word. An audio cue never asks you to choose one of those equivalent letters.

Reading practice

Hear the written stress

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

Clip 1

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.

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 with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

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.

ένα

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

μάτι

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

one

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

water

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

eye

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

Read n and r and meet three spellings of the i vowel.

Next unit
one

ένα

one
water

νερό

water
eye

μάτι

eye

ημέρα

day
cheese

τυρί

cheese
candle

κερί

candle
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.