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【889936359942113†L88-L96】. 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.