Some pairs of letters are read as one sound. ου is 'oo'. αι is 'e'. ει and οι are both 'i'. μπ is 'b' at the start of a word and 'mb' inside it; ντ is 'd' at the start and 'nd' inside; γκ is 'g' at the start; τσ is 'ts'. αυ and ευ are 'av' and 'ev' - or 'af' and 'ef' before sounds like t, k, p, s, f and th.
Examples
- μουσείο
- museum - ου is oo, ει is i: mou-SI-o
- μπανάνα
- banana - μπ is b at the start
- αυτοκίνητο
- car - αυ is af before τ: af-to-KI-ni-to
The mistake to avoid
Don't sound out ου as o + u: it is always a single 'oo'.
Where this fits in
The Greek alphabet, Greek A1: Read Greek letters and sound out your first words - many of them you already know.