GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION OF KOINE GREEK

By John A. L. Lee. 22 May 2014

The following pronunciation, which is essentially that of Modern Greek, is recommended even though it
involves some anachronism. The phonetic developments involved were completed at different times in the
Koine period, and a small number not until the end of, or even after it. But the arguments in favour of following
the model of the modern language are: 1) It is less anachronistic than the Classical pronunciation of say 400 BC,
which underwent rapid change in the Koine period. By I AD the pronunciation was closer to that of Modern
Greek than to Classical. 2) It accords with the non-standard phonetic spellings frequently encountered in Koine
Greek documents and is indispensible to reading them. 3) It is the same as a living system of pronunciation, i.e.,
the modern language, which can be accessed orally and used as a model. 4) To attempt a fully accurate
synchronic pronunciation would involve producing different pronunciations for different dates in the 900-year
history of Koine Greek.

Vowels
Letter Sound Examples

α like a in away, or u in luck λάβετε  lávete

(NOT like a in cat) παραλαμβάνω = paralamváno

ε like e in get, egg πατέρα = patéra

αι " λύεται = líete

ι like i in spit τιμή = timí

ει " γράφει = ghráfi
οι " σοι = si οἰκεῖ = ikí
υ " θυσία = thisía
η " γραφή = ghrafí ἤδη = ídi
υι " υἱός = iós ὑγιαίνω = iyéno

ο like o in on σόν = son ἄνθρωπος = ánthropos

ω " πάντων = pándon παντός = pandós

ου like oo in soon, or ou in you σου = soo οὗτος = óotos

αυ, ευ ⇒ consonants

Consonants
Letter Sound Examples

β like v in van βλέπω = vlépo

γ 1) before e or i sound: like y in yet γίνομαι = yínome ἐγένετο = eyéneto

2) before a, o, or u sound, or a consonant: a sound not found in English, similar to g,

but with vibration. One kind of French r is the same. Ask for a demonstration.
μέγα = mégha γόνυ = ghóni γέγονα = yéghona

δ like th in this, other δύναμις = dhínamis

ζ like z in gaze ζωή = zo-í κράζω = krázo

θ like th in thing θέλω = thélo

κ like k in kick καί = ke κάππα = káppa

λ like l in lick ἔλεος = éleos

μ like m in me ἐμοῦ = emóo

ν like n in not ἐνύπνιον = enípnion νῦν = nin

ξ like x in six, or ks δόξα = dhóxa ξένος = ksénos

π like p in spot πόλις = pólis

ρ like r in thrill θύρα = thíra

σ, ς like s in sit (not like z, except before m or r ⇒ σμ, σρ) εἰς = iss στάσις = stásis

τ like t in still τήν = tin τέταρτος = tétartos

φ like f in fill σοφία = sofía

χ 1) before e or i sound: like h in huge, or ch in German ich

χεῖρα = hyíra χαίρετε = hyérete

2) before a, o, or u sound or consonant: like ch in Scottish loch, or ch in German ach

χάρις = háris χοῦς = hoos

ψ like ps in apse ψυχή = psihyí

ντ like nd in and πάντες = pándes ὄντως = óndos

μπ like mb in timber ἄμπελος = ámbelos εἰς τὴν πόλιν = istimbólin

γκ like ng in finger ἄγκυρα = ángira εἰσενέγκῃς = isenéngis

γγ " ἄγγελος = ángelos

γχ like ng + χ συγχωρῶ = sinhoró

γξ like nx in sphinx σφίγξ = sfinx

σμ like sm in spasmodic ἐσμέν = ezmén πρός με = prózme σμύρνα = zmírna

σρ like sr in Israel Ἰσραήλ = Izraíl

αυ 1) before unvoiced sound: like uff αὐτός = aftós αὐξάνω = afxáno

2) before voiced sound: like uvv σταυρός = stavrós αὔριον = ávrion

ευ 1) before unvoiced sound: like ef εὐχαριστῶ = efharistó ἐλευθερία = elefthería

2) before voiced sound: like ev κελεύω = kelévo πνεῦμα = pnévma

ηυ 1) before unvoiced sound: like if ηὔξατο = ífxato

2) before voiced sound: like iv ηὐδόκησε = ivdhókise

ου sometimes like w Οὐαλέριος = Walérios

ι sometimes like y Ἰωσήφ = Yosíf Ἰουλιανός = Youlianós

Diacritical marks
Breathings and iota subscript. These have no effect on the pronunciation and are ignored.
Iota adscript. This iota is often found written, but in pronunciation it is treated the same as iota subscript,
i.e., ignored. So αι = a, ηι = i, ωι = o. But note in the case of αι the need to distinguish αι = ᾳ (= a) from αι (=
e). E.g., τῆι αἰτίαι (dat.) = ti etía, but αἱ αἰτίαι (nom.) = e etíe.
Accents. Stress the syllable marked with an accent, whether a circumflex, acute, or grave (but some graves
are not stressed). Placing the accent correctly is an essential part of the pronunciation. When a word has two
accents on different syllables, the second has the main stress if they are in this pattern: τὸ ὄνομά σου = to
onomá soo. But if the pattern is τὸν οἶκόν σου, the first is stressed and the second not, i.e., ton íkon soo.
Diaeresis. Indicates that the vowel so marked is not to be combined with the preceding vowel. E.g., λαϊκός
= la-ikós (not lekós).