Consonants
I. Labials, Dentals, Palatals
Greek consonants are built around just three basic sounds:
- LABIALS, which are formed with the lips.
- DENTALS, which are formed with the tongue and teeth.
- PALATALS, which are formed with the tongue and palate.
| Labial | Dental | Palatal |
| π (p) | τ (t) | κ (k) |
| Π π | pi | “p” | = P p |
| Τ τ | tau | “t” | = T t |
| Κ κ | kappa | “k” | = C c or K k |
Notice that in pronouncing these three consonants, the airflow or breathing passage must be momentarily closed. For this reason, these are sometimes called STOP consonants. Pronouncing the same three sounds while vibrating your vocal cords produces three new consonants, called VOICED STOPS.
| Labial | Dental | Palatal | |
| π (p) | τ (t) | κ (k) | = unvoiced |
| β (b) | δ (d) | γ (g) | = voiced |
| Β β | beta | “b” | = B b |
| Δ δ | delta | “d” | = D d |
| Γ γ | gamma | “g” | = G g |
Add a breathing or “h” sound to the consonants, and you get a third set, called ASPIRATED STOPS.
| Labial | Dental | Palatal | |
| π (p) | τ (t) | κ (k) | = unvoiced |
| β (b) | δ (d) | γ (g) | = voiced |
| φ (ph) | θ (th) | χ (kh) | = aspirated |
| Φ φ | phi | “f” | = Ph ph |
| Θ θ | theta | “th” | = Th th |
| Χ χ | chi | “kh” | = Ch ch or Kh kh |
II. The Trouble with Sigma
Greek is strange when it comes to pronouncing and writing words with the “s” sound, represented by the Greek letter sigma. On the one hand, the sound is very common in Greek. On the other, if a word is odd or difficult to spell or pronounce, it seems that a sigma is often involved. Note what happens, for example, when sigma directly follows a labial, dental, and palatal.
- Any labial (π β φ) + σ = ψ
- Any dental (τ δ θ) + σ = σ
- Any palatal (κ γ χ) + σ = ξ
The resulting consonant chart now looks like this:
| Labial | Dental | Palatal | |
| π (p) | τ (t) | κ (k) | = unvoiced |
| β (b) | δ (d) | γ (g) | = voiced |
| φ (ph) | θ (th) | χ (kh) | = aspirate |
| ψ (ps) | σ (s) | ξ (ks) | = + σ |
| Ψ ψ | psi | “ps” | = Ps ps |
| Σ σ ς | sigma | “s” | = S |
| Ξ ξ | xi | “ks” | = X x |
III. Nasals, Liquids, and Zeta
While STOP consonants are made by pushing air through the mouth, NASALS are formed by pushing air through the nasal cavity. The ancient Greek nasals are similar to the English consonants m, n, and –ng. As you review the chart below, note that in Greek, the –ng sound is produced by double gamma (-γγ), not nu gamma (-νγ).
| Labial | Dental | Palatal | |
| π (p) | τ (t) | κ (k) | = unvoiced |
| β (b) | δ (d) | γ (g) | = voiced |
| φ (ph) | θ (th) | χ (kh) | = aspirate |
| ψ (ps) | σ (s) | ξ (ks) | = + σ |
| μ (m) | ν (n) | -γγ (ng) | = nasals |
| Μ μ | mu | “m” | = M m |
| Ν ν | nu | “n” | = N n |
LIQUIDS are consonants produced when the tongue only partially blocks airflow through the mouth during pronunciation. Like English, ancient Greek has only two liquid consonants.
| Labial | Dental | Palatal | |
| π (p) | τ (t) | κ (k) | = unvoiced |
| β (b) | δ (d) | γ (g) | = voiced |
| φ (ph) | θ (th) | χ (kh) | = aspirated |
| ψ (ps) | σ (s) | ξ (ks) | = + σ |
| μ (m) | ν (n) | γγ (ng) | = nasals |
| λ (l) | ρ (r) | = liquids |
| Λ λ | lambda | “l” | = L l |
| Ρ ρ | rho | “r” | = R r |
The last consonant, ζ, is a DOUBLE CONSONANT, originally representing either σδ or δσ. The sound has evolved in modern Greek into a consonant similar to the English z, which is how most pronounce the ancient Greek zeta today.
IV. The Consonant Chart
With the addition of the zeta, the full consonant chart is as follows (cf. S 15-22):
| Labial | Dental | Palatal | |
| π (p) | τ (t) | κ (k) | = unvoiced |
| β (b) | δ (d) | γ (g) | = voiced |
| φ (ph) | θ (th) | χ (kh) | = aspirated |
| ψ (ps) | σ (s) | ξ (ks) | = + σ |
| μ (m) | ν (n) | γγ (ng) | = nasals |
| λ (l) | ρ (r) | = liquids | |
| ζ (z) | = zeta |
| Ζ ζ | zeta | “z” | = Z z |
V. The Full Alphabet
Taken altogether, the Greek alphabet has twenty-four letters.
|
Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω |
|
α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ σ ς τ υ φ χ ψ ω |
What’s missing?
Note that some English consonants are not represented in the ancient Greek alphabet, such as j and v, w. Other sounds, such as “sh” in “shop” and “ch” in “chips,” are also impossible to render precisely in the Greek alphabet!
– τὸ τέλος –
Key Terms and Concepts
- LABIALS
- DENTALS
- PALATALS
- STOP CONSONANTS
- VOICED STOPS
- ASPIRATED STOPS
- THE TROUBLE WITH SIGMA
- NASALS
- LIQUIDS
- DOUBLE CONSONANT
- THE CONSONANT CHART
- THE FULL ALPHABET
Exercises
I. Write out the full consonant chart (a worksheet is available here: Blank Consonant Chart). For a guide to writing Greek letters, click here: How to Write Greek. Handwriting paper is available here: Lined Paper.
ΙΙ. Practice pronouncing the following words. Stress the syllable in bold.
- χαρακτηρ
- βαρβαρος
- ψυχας
- σωφρονων
- οντων
- ουτος
- θεατροκρατια
- ρυθμοειδης
- ζευγνυμι
- ηυρηκα
- αθλητικῃ
- εγχρονιζω
- εξαγωνος
- γλισχρος
- πεπασμην
ΙΙΙ. Practice reading aloud the following Greek names written in capital letters.
- ΑΓΑΜΕΜΝΩΝ
- ΑΘΗΝΑ
- ΟΥΡΑΝΟΣ
- ΚΛΥΤΑΙΜΝΗΣΤΡΑ
- ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ
- ΘΗΣΕΥΣ
- ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ
- ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ
- ΠΗΝΕΛΟΠΗ
- ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ
