Μάθησις ΣτοιχείωνMathesis Stoicheion
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Letters into sounds γράμματα

Read Greek words aloud, and meet your first line of Homer. · about 15 minutes

Greek has 24 letters. Many look familiar, because our own alphabet grew from a Greek one (it reached the Romans by way of the Etruscans), and mathematics and science still use Greek letters. A few are traps: ρ is an r, η is a long e, ν is an n, and χ is not an x.

The 24 letters τὰ γράμματα

Tap a letter to see its name and hear how it sounded. marks the seven vowels: α ε η ι ο υ ω.

Learn to write each letter, and the vowel pairs →

Before you learn a single word, you can already learn to read aloud. Greek spelling is regular: each letter keeps its sound, so once you know the letters you can say any word you see. Tap the letters above as often as you like; The alphabet page in the Academy also shows how to write each one.

Say these words, then check
Check yourself
Which letter is a long e?
How do you say ξ?
Which letter is an r?
Read it yourself
Gospel of John 1.1Open in the reader →

Unrolling the passage…

Read it aloud slowly. This edition prints the first two words in capitals. λόγος is the word you met above.

Greek shown exactly as the source file gives it. Click any word to look it up.

Homer, Iliad 1.1Open in the reader →

Unrolling the passage…

The opening line of the Iliad, probably composed in the 8th or 7th century BC. Say it aloud: you have just read Homer. The small marks above the letters come in the next lesson.

Greek shown exactly as the source file gives it. Click any word to look it up.

Words from this lesson
  • λόγος …
  • ψυχή …
  • θεός …
  • κόσμος …
  • ἄνθρωπος …

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Reading

μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρίʼ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγεʼ ἔθηκε

Greek text size
20 px
Line spacing
1.8

Animation

Automatic follows your device's “reduce motion” setting.

Short vibrations

A short buzz when you save a word, bookmark a passage or answer right, on phones that allow it (most Android phones; iPhones do not let websites vibrate).

Offline reading

Keep a copy of the text collections on this computer and read without a connection.