---
title: "Learn Greek"
category: "other"
description: "The 24 letters of the Greek New Testament with their names and sounds, the uncial capitals the manuscripts were written in, and printable word cards of the Holy Spirit's names."
tags: ["lang/greek", "learning"]
draft: false
date_created: 2026-10-18
date_modified: 2026-10-31
ai_provider_models:
  - anthropic/claude-opus-5.5
---

# Learn Greek

**In one sentence:** the New Testament was written in Greek, and its 24 letters are enough to start
reading the names it gives the Holy Spirit.

The apostles wrote in *Koine*, the common Greek of the first-century Roman world. Many of its letters
are already familiar from mathematics and from the capitals of the English alphabet. Learn the
table below, then read the [Names of the Holy Spirit word cards](https://the-way.lewy.au/greek/names-of-the-holy-spirit-cards/),
which add the letters a few at a time. [Learn Hebrew](https://the-way.lewy.au/hebrew/) does the same for the Old
Testament.

## The alphabet

The sounds are the ones taught for reading the New Testament, which this site's transliterations
follow (the *SBL Handbook of Style*).

| Capital | Small | Name | Written | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Α | α | alpha | a | *a* in *father* |
| Β | β | beta | b | *b* |
| Γ | γ | gamma | g | hard *g* in *go*; before γ, κ, ξ or χ it is *n*: ἄγγελος, *angelos* |
| Δ | δ | delta | d | *d* |
| Ε | ε | epsilon | e | *e* in *get* |
| Ζ | ζ | zeta | z | *z*, or *dz* |
| Η | η | eta | ē | *e* in *they* |
| Θ | θ | theta | th | *th* in *thin* |
| Ι | ι | iota | i | *i* in *machine*, or in *sit* |
| Κ | κ | kappa | k | *k* |
| Λ | λ | lambda | l | *l* |
| Μ | μ | mu | m | *m* |
| Ν | ν | nu | n | *n* |
| Ξ | ξ | xi | x | *x* in *box* |
| Ο | ο | omicron | o | *o* in *not* |
| Π | π | pi | p | *p* |
| Ρ | ρ | rho | r | *r*; at the start of a word *rh* |
| Σ | σ, ς | sigma | s | *s*; written ς at the end of a word |
| Τ | τ | tau | t | *t* |
| Υ | υ | upsilon | y | French *u*; in a diphthong *u* |
| Φ | φ | phi | ph | *f* |
| Χ | χ | chi | ch | *ch* in Scottish *loch* |
| Ψ | ψ | psi | ps | *ps* in *lapse* |
| Ω | ω | omega | ō | *o* in *tone* |

Two vowels together often make one sound, a **diphthong**: αι (*ai*, as in *aisle*), ει (*ei*, as
in *eight*), οι (*oi*, as in *oil*), ου (*ou*, as in *soup*), αυ (*au*, as in *house*) and ευ
(*eu*). A mark like a reversed apostrophe over an opening vowel, the **rough breathing**, adds an
*h*: ἅγιον is *hagion*, "holy". The accents (´ ` ˜) mark the stressed syllable.

Modern Greek is pronounced differently: β is *v*, δ is *th* as in *this*, and η, ι, υ, ει and οι
are all *ee*. So πνεῦμα is *pneuma* in the classroom and *pnevma* in Athens. The cards give the
classroom reading, and a line on each says what the word means in Greek today.

## The capitals of the manuscripts

The oldest copies of the New Testament were written in capitals only, with no spaces between words
and no accents: the **uncial** script. Their sigma was the round *lunate* sigma, Ϲ. So John 3:8's
πνεῦμα appears as ΠΝΕΥΜΑ. The scribes also wrote sacred names short, with a line over them: ΘϹ for
θεός (God, G2316), ΙϹ for Ἰησοῦς (Jesus, G2424), and ΠΝΑ for πνεῦμα when it means the Spirit. The word cards show
each word in uncial capitals beneath the modern print.

## Word cards

**[The Names of the Holy Spirit: Greek Word Cards](https://the-way.lewy.au/greek/names-of-the-holy-spirit-cards/).** Sixteen
printable flashcards, from πνεῦμα to "not to men but to God", in an order that brings in all 24
letters.

## Keep going: a free Greek course

[Lingua Deo Gloria](https://www.linguadeogloria.org/greek) teaches Koine Greek free of charge, by
stories, pictures and conversation, the way [Aleph with Beth](https://the-way.lewy.au/hebrew/aleph-with-beth/) teaches
Hebrew. Level 1 of its [online course](https://learn.linguadeogloria.org/#/greek) assumes no Greek,
and its [illustrated readers](https://www.linguadeogloria.org/publications), free to read, include
*Colossians*, *Philemon*, *Jude* and *1 John* as visual readers. It also runs free live online
classes taught mostly in Greek, and a Greek handwriting workbook is on its [resources
page](https://www.linguadeogloria.org/resources).