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Unit 15 · ει, οι and υι · Meet

ει, οι and υι

Recognise more i spellings without pretending to hear a difference.

About this unit

Two more teams spell the i sound, plus a rare third. Read them easily, and learn each word’s spelling by sight.

  • ΕΙειkey
    ee, as in “see”
    κλειδί · key
    i

    Same i sound as ι, η and υ.

  • ΟΙοι
    ee, as in “see”
    οικονομία · economy
    i

    Same i sound; read the team together.

  • ΥΙυι
    ee, as in “see”
    υιός · son (formal)
    i

    A rarer i spelling, for recognition.

SpellingExample
ιμάτι
ηημέρα
υτυρί
ειείμαι
οιοικονομία
υιυιός

All six sound the same, so listening alone cannot tell you the spelling.

More words to read

είμαι

I amíme
ship

πλοίο

shipplío
Reading tips

Ι, η, υ, ει, οι and rarer υι are spelling alternatives for i. In είμαι the tonos goes on the second letter of ει. Read the printed word and learn its spelling; sound alone cannot choose the letters.

Reading practice

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.

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.

οικονομία

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

πλοίο

Read and decide

How many vowel sounds does ει represent here?

είμαι

Read and decide

Which visible team begins the word?

οικονομία

Read and decide

Can listening alone choose between ει and οι?

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

key

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

ship

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

Recall the spelling

Listen and build the word without its picture.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Recognise more i spellings without pretending to hear a difference.

Next unit
key

κλειδί

key

είμαι

I am

οικονομία

economy
ship

πλοίο

ship

υιός

son (formal)
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.