2
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) | = aspirated |
| ψ (ps) | σ (s) | ξ (ks) | = + σ |
| Ψ ψ | psi | “ps” | = Ps ps |
| Σ σ ς | sigma | “s” | = 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 represented 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) | = aspirated |
| ψ (ps) | σ (s) | ξ (ks) | = + σ |
| μ (m) | ν (n) | -γγ (ng) | = nasal |
| 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 (t