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Unit 6 · α, ε, κ, μ, ο and τ · Meet

α, ε, κ, μ, ο and τ

Read six familiar shapes in your first whole words.

About this unit

Six letters look and sound much like their Latin partners. Read your first Greek words and follow the accent mark.

  • Αα
    a, as in “father”
    κακάο · cocoa
  • Εε
    e, as in “bed”
    εκατό · one hundred
  • Κκhen
    k, as in “skin”
    κότα · hen
  • Μμmum
    m, as in “mother”
    μαμά · mum
  • Οο
    a plain o
    άτομο · person
  • Ττtomato
    t, as in “stop”
    τομάτα · tomato
WordSay itThe tonos sits on
μαμάma-MAthe last syllable
κόταKO-tathe first syllable
τομάταto-MA-tathe middle syllable

Every word with two or more syllables has a tonos on its strong vowel.

Reading tips

Read the tonos from the first word: μαμά ends strong; κότα begins strong. The six shapes are familiar, but the accent is a real part of Greek spelling. Capitals Α Ε Κ Μ Ο Τ appear on the cards.

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.

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.

άτομο

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

μαμά

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

mum

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

hen

Build the word

Listen and build the word in typing order.

tomato

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 six familiar shapes in your first whole words.

Next unit
mum

μαμά

mum

εκατό

one hundred
hen

κότα

hen

άτομο

person
tomato

τομάτα

tomato

κακάο

cocoa
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.