Αα

Ββ

Γγ

Δδ

Εε

Ζζ

Ηη

Θθ

Ιι

Κκ

Λλ

Μμ

Νν

Ξξ

Οο

Ππ

Ρρ

Σσ

Ττ

Υυ

Φφ

Χχ

Ψψ

Ωω


Breathings

Consonants

Vowels


Breathings

 

Click on a Greek letter or word to hear it pronounced.

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inscription heta

old rough

Aspirate or rough breathing: a sign placed over an initial vowel or initial rho to indicate an initial h-sound

ἥλιος
ὁδός

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old smooth ᾿

Smooth breathing: a sign placed over an initial vowel to indicate the absence of aspiration; hence, no additional sound

ἄνεμος

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In the old Attic alphabet Η or heta represented the h-sound. In the Ionic alphabet, the same symbol represented a vowel, eta, because the Ionic dialect had lost aspirations and had no need for heta. When the Ionic alphabet was adopted in Athens (2nd half of the 5th cent. B.C.E.), the h-sound was no longer represented in writing. Subsequently, the rough breathing sign was created by using of the left half of Η to indicate [h], and the smooth breathing sign was created as its mirror image to represent the lack of the h-sound. These signs were introduced by Alexandrian scholars in the 2nd cent. B.C.E. and during the Byzantine period developed into the curved form we now use.