Modern Greek Alphabet, Accents, and Punctuation

Mastering the Greek writing system is essential for anyone who wants to learn Greek, understand Greek grammar, or improve their reading and writing skills. This guide covers the Modern Greek alphabet, accent marks, punctuation, syllabification, and common abbreviations—everything you need to start writing in Greek with confidence.

The Modern Greek Alphabet: Letters and Sounds

The Modern Greek alphabet has 24 letters, each with a lowercase (πεζά) and uppercase (κεφαλαία) form. There’s also a special final version of sigma, called τελικό ς, which pops up only at the end of words. Altogether, these forms give you 49 symbols to represent the 25 unique sounds (phonemes) of Modern Greek.

Here’s a handy table with all the Greek letters, their names, and forms:

Key Cases in Greek Spelling

One letter for two sounds (double letters):
For example, ξ (k+s) and ψ (p+s).

Two letters for one sound (digraphs):
Some sounds are written with two letters together. See the table below for common Greek digraphs and their pronunciation:

Double consonants (same letter twice):
Some words have two of the same consonant together, but they are pronounced as one sound. Examples: ββ, κκ, λλ, μμ, νν, ππ, ρρ, σσ, ττ, as in Σάββατο (Saturday), αλλά (but).

For more information, see Vowel Combinations in Greek: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners (opens in a new window).

Greek Accent Marks and Diacritics: The Monotonic System

Since 1982, Modern Greek uses the monotonic system for accent marks, making Greek spelling simpler and easier to learn. Understanding how to use Greek accents is crucial for correct pronunciation and meaning.

Main Greek Accent and Diacritic Marks

• Accent (τόνος) (΄)
• Diaeresis (διαλυτικά) (¨)
• Apostrophe (απόστροφος) (’)

Accent (Τόνος)

• Every word with two or more syllables written in lowercase gets an accent on the vowel of the stressed syllable, e.g. τονίζω (I stress).
• Words in all uppercase usually do not have an accent, e.g. ΛΕΞΗ (WORD).
• If a word starts with a capital letter and the accent is on the first syllable, the accent is placed to the left of the first vowel, e.g. Όμηρος (Homer).
• In vowel combinations (digraphs), the accent goes on the second letter, e.g. παίζω (I play), ναύτης (sailor). In diphthongs, the accent goes on the stressed vowel, e.g. γάιδαρος (donkey).
• The accent is also used next to numbers to show minutes, e.g. 17.30΄, and next to some letters to show numbers, e.g. Ε΄ (5), κα΄ (21), λη΄ (38).

Accent Rules (Monotonic System)

1. Every word with two or more syllables gets an accent, even if it becomes one syllable after contraction, e.g. κόψ' τον, but not if the stressed vowel is missing, e.g. θα ήθελε --> θα 'θελε, μου είπε --> μου 'πε.
2. One-syllable words do not get an accent, except:
   • The conjunction ή (or), e.g. ή αυτός ή εσύ (either him or you).
   • The question words πού (where) and πώς (how), e.g. Πού θα πας; (Where will you go?), Με ρώτησε πώς τα περνάω (He asked me how I am doing).
   • Weak forms of Greek personal pronouns (μου, σου, του, της, τον, την, το, μας, σας, τους, τις, τα) when they could be mistaken for enclitics, e.g. Η μητέρα μού είπε (My mother told me [to me]), vs. Η μητέρα μου είπε (My mother told [me]).
   • One-syllable words pronounced with emphasis together with certain verb forms, e.g. θά 'ρθω (I will come [with emphasis]), θά 'ρθεις, but θα 'ρθεις (less emphasis).

Diaeresis (Διαλυτικά)

• Used to show that two vowels are pronounced separately, not as a single sound. Placed over ι or υ, e.g. παϊδάκι (little chop), Μαΐου (May). If the previous vowel is accented, diaeresis is not used, e.g. νεράιδα (fairy).

Apostrophe (Απόστροφος)

• Shows that a vowel has been left out in writing because of pronunciation, e.g. πάρ' αυτά (take these), το 'δεσα (I tied it).

Comma (Υποδιαστολή)

• Used in the word ό,τι (whatever) to distinguish it from ότι (that), e.g. Θα κάνει ό,τι θέλει (He will do whatever he wants).
• Also used in decimal numbers, e.g. 12,543.

Greek vs. English Number Formatting: Decimal Notation

Greek Punctuation Marks: Usage and Rules

Punctuation in Greek writing helps convey meaning and structure, just as in English. Here are the main Greek punctuation marks and their uses:

How to Use Greek Punctuation

Period (τελεία, .):

• At the end of a complete sentence, e.g. Χτύπησε το τηλέφωνο. Κανένας δεν το άκουσε. (The phone rang. No one heard it.)
• After abbreviations, e.g. Η κ. Κλαδάκη παρουσίασε το έργο της. (Ms. Kladaki presented her work.)
• In large numbers to separate thousands and hundreds from millions, e.g. 7.342.156.
• To separate hours and minutes, e.g. 09.15΄.

Spelling rule:
After a period, start with a capital letter.

Semicolon (άνω τελεία, ·): At the end of a phrase that is closely related to the next, e.g. Η έκπληξή του δεν ήταν μεγάλη· περίμενε τον ερχομό της. (His surprise was not great; he was expecting her arrival.) Comma (κόμμα, ,):

• To separate words, phrases, or clauses, e.g. Η Ειρήνη πήρε μαζί της τα σεντόνια, τα μαξιλάρια, τις κουρτίνες και τις κουβέρτες. (Irini took with her the sheets, pillows, curtains, and blankets.)
• In direct address, e.g. Ανέβασες, Λευτέρη, το κουτί στον πρώτο όροφο; (Lefteris, did you take the box to the first floor?)
• To separate subordinate clauses from main clauses, e.g. Η Ανδρομάχη χάρηκε, γιατί πήρε καλό βαθμό στο διαγώνισμα. (Andromachi was happy because she got a good grade on the test.)
• In parenthetical phrases, e.g. Ο νομάρχης μας, ο κ. Γεωργίου, επισκέφθηκε το σχολείο μας. (Our prefect, Mr. Georgiou, visited our school.)

Question mark (ερωτηματικό, ;): At the end of a question, e.g. Πώς περνάτε στο βουνό; (How are you doing in the mountains?)

Exclamation mark (θαυμαστικό, !):

• After exclamations or sentences expressing strong feelings, e.g. Αχ! Έγινε η αυλή πολύ ωραία. Τι πλημμύρα κι αυτή! (Ah! The yard became very beautiful. What a flood that was!)
• Sometimes used in parentheses to show surprise or admiration about what someone else said, e.g. Ο υπουργός Γεωργίας υποσχέθηκε στους αγρότες παραγραφή όλων των δανείων (!). (The Minister of Agriculture promised the farmers the cancellation of all loans (!).)

Spelling rule:
After a question mark or exclamation mark, start with a capital letter, unless the sentence continues.

Colon (διπλή τελεία, :):

• Before a quotation, e.g. Μπήκε με ταχύτητα στην αίθουσα και φώναξε: «Θα πάμε εκδρομή». (He entered the room quickly and shouted: "We are going on a trip.")
• Before a list or explanation, e.g. Οι νομοί της δυτικής Μακεδονίας είναι τέσσερις, οι εξής: των Γρεβενών, της Καστοριάς, της Κοζάνης και της Φλώρινας. (The prefectures of Western Macedonia are four: Grevena, Kastoria, Kozani, and Florina.)
• Before a proverb or saying, e.g. Να έχεις πάντα στο μυαλό σου την παροιμία: κάνε το καλό και ρίξ' το στο γιαλό. (Always keep in mind the saying: do good and throw it into the sea.)

Parentheses (παρένθεση, ( )): To add extra information or explanation, e.g. Οι θεωρητικές επιστήμες (Φιλοσοφία, Θεολογία, Νομική κ.ά.) αντιδιαστέλλονται προς τις θετικές. (Theoretical sciences (Philosophy, Theology, Law, etc.) are contrasted with the sciences.)

Ellipsis (αποσιωπητικά, …):

• To show that something is left unsaid or obvious, e.g. άνθρωπος αγράμματος … (an uneducated person …)
• In brackets to show omitted text from a quotation.

Dash (παύλα, –): In dialogue to show a change of speaker, e.g.

Double dash (διπλή παύλα, – –): To show a parenthetical phrase, e.g. Ο μαύρος χρυσός –το πετρέλαιο– ακριβαίνει συνεχώς. (Black gold – oil – is getting more expensive.)

Quotation marks (εισαγωγικά, « »):

• At the beginning and end of a direct quotation, e.g. Ο πατέρας του τού είπε κοφτά: «Δύναμή σου είναι το μυαλό σου. Κοίταξε να το εκμεταλλευτείς». (His father told him sharply: "Your strength is your mind. Make sure to use it.")
• For special terms or names, e.g. Το αεροδρόμιο «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος» είναι από τα μεγαλύτερα της Ευρώπης. (The "Eleftherios Venizelos" airport is one of the largest in Europe.)
• For words or phrases used in a special or ironic way, e.g. οι επιβάτες του οχηματαγωγού έμεναν «ήσυχοι» στις θέσεις τους (the passengers remained "calm" in their seats [meaning they were actually anxious]).

Hyphen (ενωτικό, -):

• At the end of a line when a word is split, e.g. χα-ρά (joy).
• After certain prefixes with names, e.g. Αγια-Σοφιά, ο παπα-Κώστας (Saint Sophia, Father Kostas).
• Between two words in double names or compound words, e.g. Άννα-Μαρία, νόμος-πλαίσιο (Anna-Maria, framework law).

Syllabification in Greek: Dividing Words into Syllables

Syllabification is the process of dividing Greek words into syllables, which is important for correct spelling, pronunciation, and when splitting words at the end of a line. Here are the main rules for Greek syllabification:

• If a consonant is between two vowels, it goes with the second vowel, e.g. επό-με-νος (next), α-νά-με-σα (between).
• If two consonants are between vowels, they go with the second vowel if a Greek word can start with those two consonants. If not, the first consonant goes with the previous syllable, e.g. έ-κτι-ζε (he/she was building), βι-βλί-ο (book), but σύμ-φω-να (consonants), αρ-χί-ζει (he/she begins).
• If three or more consonants are between vowels, the first consonant goes with the previous syllable, the rest with the next, unless the first two can start a Greek word, e.g. κά-στρο (castle), ε-χθρι-κός (hostile), but αν-θρω-πιά (humanity).
• Digraphs, diphthongs, and combinations like αυ and ευ are treated as one sound and are not split, e.g. έ-μπο-ρος (merchant), πεί-ρα (experience), κο-ρόι-δο (fool), παι-διά (children).
• Double consonants are split, e.g. συλ-λα-βή (syllable), εν-νιά (nine).
• Compound words follow all the above rules, e.g. κα-τα-γρά-φω (I record), πα-ρα-μι-λά-ει (he/she talks nonsense).

Be careful with the capitalization:

• π.χ. (lowercase) = “for example”
• π.Χ. (uppercase Χ) = BC (Before Christ)

Common Greek Abbreviations: How to Write and Use Them

Abbreviations are frequently used in Greek writing, especially in formal documents, newspapers, and everyday communication. Here are some of the most common Greek abbreviations:

The Importance of Accents in Greek: Changing Meaning

In Greek grammar, the accent mark is not just for pronunciation—it can change the meaning of a word entirely. Observe the following pairs of Greek words to see how the accent distinguishes meaning:

• νόμος-νομός (law - prefecture)
• δίπλα-διπλά (next to - double)
• κρέμα-κρεμά (cream - he/she hangs)
• μίσος-μισός (hatred - half)
• πότε-ποτέ (when - never)
• μόνος-μονός (alone - single)

This is why the accent in Modern Greek has a distinguishing function: it can change the meaning of a word, making it essential for anyone learning Greek to pay close attention to accent placement.

By understanding the Greek alphabet, accent marks, punctuation, and syllabification, you lay a strong foundation for reading, writing, and mastering Greek grammar. Whether you are a beginner or looking to refine your skills, these basics are key to progressing in your journey to learn Greek.