Greek Alphabet in Order: All 24 Letters From Alpha to Omega
The Greek alphabet in order runs from alpha (Α α) to omega (Ω ω), with 24 letters in total. Each letter has a capital and a small form, and the sequence has stayed the same for over 2,000 years. Below you will find the full list, plus simple ways to read, say and remember it.
This page is the starting point for every guide on the site. So if you need one letter in depth, click its name in the table. Then come back here for the big picture.
The Greek Alphabet in Order: All 24 Letters
Here is the complete Greek alphabet in order, from first to last. The table shows each uppercase form, each lowercase form, the letter name and its usual English equivalent.
| # | Uppercase | Lowercase | Name | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Α | α | Alpha | a |
| 2 | Β | β | Beta | b |
| 3 | Γ | γ | Gamma | g |
| 4 | Δ | δ | Delta | d |
| 5 | Ε | ε | Epsilon | e |
| 6 | Ζ | ζ | Zeta | z |
| 7 | Η | η | Eta | ē |
| 8 | Θ | θ | Theta | th |
| 9 | Ι | ι | Iota | i |
| 10 | Κ | κ | Kappa | k |
| 11 | Λ | λ | Lambda | l |
| 12 | Μ | μ | Mu | m |
| 13 | Ν | ν | Nu | n |
| 14 | Ξ | ξ | Xi | x |
| 15 | Ο | ο | Omicron | o |
| 16 | Π | π | Pi | p |
| 17 | Ρ | ρ | Rho | r |
| 18 | Σ | σ / ς | Sigma | s |
| 19 | Τ | τ | Tau | t |
| 20 | Υ | υ | Upsilon | u / y |
| 21 | Φ | φ | Phi | ph |
| 22 | Χ | χ | Chi | ch / kh |
| 23 | Ψ | ψ | Psi | ps |
| 24 | Ω | ω | Omega | ō |
Notice that sigma has two lowercase forms. The regular σ appears at the start or middle of a word, while ς appears only at the end. For a printable layout, see our Greek alphabet chart, which fits all 24 letters on one page.
Quick fact: The English word “alphabet” comes from the first two Greek letters, alpha and beta. In other words, the name itself is a small piece of the Greek alphabet in order.
How Many Letters Are in the Greek Alphabet?
The modern Greek alphabet has 24 letters. Of these, 7 are vowels and 17 are consonants. Our guide on how many letters the Greek alphabet has explains the count in more detail.
The seven vowels are alpha, epsilon, eta, iota, omicron, upsilon and omega. The other 17 letters are consonants. Three of them, zeta, xi and psi, stand for two sounds at once.
Computers follow the same sequence. In the Unicode Greek and Coptic chart, the capitals run from U+0391 (Α) to U+03A9 (Ω). The small letters follow from U+03B1 (α) to U+03C9 (ω), so the order is built right into the code points.
Earlier versions of the alphabet had a few more letters. For example, digamma (Ϝ) once stood for a “w” sound, and koppa (Ϙ) sat between pi and rho. However, these letters dropped out of everyday writing long ago.
Memorize the Greek Alphabet in Order in Six Groups
The easiest way to learn the sequence is to split it into short groups. Four letters at a time is easy for most people to hold in memory. Then you join the groups like links in a chain.
- Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta (Α Β Γ Δ)
- Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta (Ε Ζ Η Θ)
- Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu (Ι Κ Λ Μ)
- Nu, Xi, Omicron, Pi (Ν Ξ Ο Π)
- Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon (Ρ Σ Τ Υ)
- Phi, Chi, Psi, Omega (Φ Χ Ψ Ω)
Notice how much of the order matches English. A, B, G, D sounds close to A, B, C, D. Likewise, K, L, M, N and P, R, S, T run in the same order in both alphabets.
Practice one group a day, out loud. Next, write each group from memory and check it against the table. Our guide on how to memorize the Greek alphabet adds songs, flashcard drills and spacing tips.
Uppercase and Lowercase Greek Letters
Every Greek letter has two forms, just like English. Capitals came first, because ancient inscriptions used only large letters. Small letters grew out of quick handwriting many centuries later.
Fourteen capitals look almost exactly like Latin capitals, such as Α, Β, Ε and Κ. The other ten, like Γ, Δ and Σ, have shapes of their own. Our page on capital Greek letters covers all 24 uppercase forms and their codes.
Lowercase letters cause more confusion. For instance, ν looks like a v but is nu, and ρ looks like a p but is rho. See the full Greek alphabet lowercase list for writing tips and lookalikes.
How to Pronounce the Greek Alphabet in Order
There are two common ways to say the letter names. American students usually use an English style, so beta is “BAY-tuh.” In Greece, the same letter is “VEE-tah.”
Both styles are correct in their own setting. Math and science classes in the US use the English style. In contrast, Greek speakers and travelers use the modern style. Our Greek alphabet pronunciation guide gives both versions for every letter.
| Letter | US English | Modern Greek |
|---|---|---|
| Α α alpha | AL-fuh | AHL-fah |
| Β β beta | BAY-tuh | VEE-tah |
| Δ δ delta | DEL-tuh | THEL-tah (th as in “this”) |
| Η η eta | AY-tuh | EE-tah |
| Χ χ chi | KYE | HEE (throaty h) |
| Ω ω omega | oh-MAY-guh | oh-MEH-gah |
Modern Greek also merges several vowels. For example, η, ι and υ all sound like the “ee” in “see.” Likewise, ο and ω both sound like a short “o.”
Greek Alphabet to English Letters
Most Greek letters map neatly to a single English letter. For example, alpha becomes a, delta becomes d and tau becomes t. A few letters need two English letters, such as theta (th), phi (ph), chi (ch) and psi (ps).
This mapping is called transliteration. It explains why Greek words like φιλοσοφία turn into “philosophia” in English spelling. Our chart of Greek alphabet to English equivalents lists every match, plus the sounds English lacks.
Some lookalikes have nothing in common with the English letter they resemble. Lowercase ω, for instance, looks like a w but sounds like o. The guide to Greek letters that look like English letters sorts out these traps.
Why the Greek Alphabet Is in This Order
The order comes from the Phoenician alphabet. Greek speakers borrowed that script, probably in the 8th century BCE. They kept most of the letter order and many of the names.
For instance, Phoenician ʾalep and bet became alpha and beta. The Greeks also made one major change. Because Phoenician wrote only consonants, they turned some unneeded consonant signs into vowels. As a result, Greek became one of the first scripts to write vowels as full letters.
New letters were then added at the end. That is why υ, φ, χ, ψ and ω follow tau. Read the full history of the Greek alphabet for the step-by-step story.
Many local versions existed at first. Then, in 403 BCE, Athens officially adopted the Ionic alphabet of Miletus. According to Britannica, most other Greek states followed by the middle of the 4th century BCE. That Ionic set is the 24-letter alphabet we still use.
Quick Facts About the 24 Greek Letters
- It has 24 letters: 7 vowels and 17 consonants.
- The first letter is alpha (Α α) and the last is omega (Ω ω).
- Sigma is the 18th letter and the only one with two lowercase forms.
- Omicron (15th) and omega (24th) both make an “o” sound in modern Greek.
- Upsilon, phi, chi, psi and omega were added after the borrowed Phoenician letters.
- Modern Greek still uses the same order as Classical Greek.
Greek Letters as Numbers
Ancient Greeks also used their letters as numbers. Alpha meant 1, beta 2, gamma 3 and so on. However, the counting does not follow the 24-letter order exactly.
The number system kept three old letters to fill gaps. Digamma (later written as stigma, ϛ) meant 6, koppa meant 90 and sampi meant 900. So zeta is 7, not 6, even though it is the sixth letter today. Our guide to Greek numerals shows the full system.
| Value | Letters |
|---|---|
| 1–9 | α β γ δ ε ϛ ζ η θ |
| 10–90 | ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ϟ |
| 100–900 | ρ σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω ϡ |
Quick fact: You still see Greek numbering in some modern documents. For example, Greek lists and outlines are often labeled α, β, γ instead of a, b, c.
Where You See the Greek Letters Today
Outside Greece, most people meet these letters in class or on campus. Math and science use them as standard symbols. For example, π is the circle constant, Σ means sum and Δ means change.
Physics adds λ for wavelength, Ω for ohms and μ for micro. Statistics relies on σ for standard deviation as well. Our hub on Greek letters in math explains these symbols one by one.
College fraternities and sororities also use capital Greek letters in their names. Many brands, tattoos and logos borrow alpha and omega for their meaning of “first” and “last.” Finally, if you just need a symbol, our Greek letters copy and paste page copies any letter in one click.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Greek alphabet in order?
The order is alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi and omega. That makes 24 letters in total.
What is the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet?
Alpha (Α α) is the first letter and omega (Ω ω) is the last. That is why the phrase “alpha and omega” means the beginning and the end.
Is the Greek alphabet order the same as English?
It is similar but not identical. Runs like A, B, G, D and K, L, M, N match English closely, but Greek has letters such as theta, xi and psi that English lacks.
What is the fastest way to learn the Greek alphabet in order?
Split the 24 letters into six groups of four and learn one group at a time. Then say the groups together until you can recite the whole sequence without stopping.
Does modern Greek use the same alphabet order?
Yes. Modern Greek uses the same 24 letters in the same order as Classical Greek. Only the pronunciation of some letters has changed.