The Greek Alphabet

The Greek alphabet consists of 24 letters, each with uppercase and lowercase forms. The system developed from the Phoenician script in the 8th century BCE and was the first alphabet to include vowels【. The word “alphabet” itself derives from the first two Greek letters, alpha and beta】. The Classical alphabet used in modern Greece includes seven vowels (α, ε, η, ι, ο, υ, ω) and the remaining letters are consonants.

This site provides in‑depth information about each letter, the history of the script, its numerical system, pronunciation, scientific uses and the ways you can type or copy each character. Use the navigation menu to explore or select a letter from the table below.

Name	Uppercase	Lowercase	Translit.	Numeric
Alpha	Α	α	a	1
Beta	Β	β	b	2
Gamma	Γ	γ	g	3
Delta	Δ	δ	d	4
Epsilon	Ε	ε	e	5
Zeta	Ζ	ζ	z	7
Eta	Η	η	ē	8
Theta	Θ	θ	th	9
Iota	Ι	ι	i	10
Kappa	Κ	κ	k	20
Lambda	Λ	λ	l	30
Mu	Μ	μ	m	40
Nu	Ν	ν	n	50
Xi	Ξ	ξ	x	60
Omicron	Ο	ο	o	70
Pi	Π	π	p	80
Rho	Ρ	ρ	r	100
Sigma	Σ	σ	s	200
Tau	Τ	τ	t	300
Upsilon	Υ	υ	u/y	400
Phi	Φ	φ	ph	500
Chi	Χ	χ	ch	600
Psi	Ψ	ψ	ps	700
Omega	Ω	ω	ō	800

Why Greek Letters Matter

Greek letters are widely used in mathematics, science and engineering to denote constants, variables and functions. For example, the capital omega (Ω) denotes electrical resistance measured in ohms, rho (ρ) stands for density and resistivity and pi (π) represents the famous ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter【】. Their distinct shapes reduce confusion with Latin letters and make equations more readable. Learn about these applications on the Uses page.

Quick Facts

Origin: Developed from the Phoenician script around the 8th century BCE.
Structure: 24 letters, including seven vowels and 15 consonants.
Influence: The Greek alphabet is the ancestor of the Latin script used in most European languages.
Pronunciation: Each letter is pronounced the same way whenever it appears, with no silent letters.
Uses: Symbols for constants, variables and functions in mathematics and science.

Subject-Specific Guides

Greek Letters in Mathematics - Complete guide to mathematical notation and usage
Greek Letters in Physics - Symbols and constants used in physics
Greek Letters in Statistics - Statistical notation and parameters
How to Type Greek Letters - Keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Mac, Linux & mobile
LaTeX Greek Letters - Complete LaTeX command reference with examples
HTML Greek Entities - HTML entity codes for web development

Learning Tools & Practice

Greek Alphabet Quiz - Test your knowledge with interactive questions
Interactive Flashcards - Study with digital flashcards
Letter Comparison Tool - Compare any two Greek letters side-by-side
Printable PDF Chart - Download or print a complete reference chart

Quick Reference Tools

Copy & Paste - Instantly copy any Greek letter to clipboard
Text Generator - Convert English text to Greek letters
Interactive Chart - Explore all letters with details