DIPHTHONGS (δίφθογγοι)
The vowels ι and υ can be joined to the other vowels to make one syllable. These diphthongs are:
| αι | as in “aisle” |
| αυ | as in “hour” |
| ει | as in “eight” |
| ευ | the vowels of “met you” |
| ηυ | the vowels of “hey you” |
| οι | as in “oil” |
| ου | as in “group" |
| υι | like “we” |
When ι is added to η, ω, or a long α, it is not pronounced. Unless the first vowel is capitalized, the ι is written beneath it (ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ) and is called “iota subscript.” Pretend it isn’t there when you say the word.
Accents and breathings are placed over the second vowel of a diphthong, except for iota subscript or equivalent.
A diaeresis (two little dots, αϊ) indicates that two vowels are to be pronounced separately, not as a diphthong.
Some examples:
| αὐτός | self | (note the breathing over the υ, the second letter
of the diphthong. This is thus a two-syllable word even though it has three vowels.) |
| Νεῖλος | Nile | |
| πνεῦμα | breath | |
| Θρᾴκη | Thrace | (ignore the iota subscript in pronunciation) |
| Εὐκλείδης | Euclid | |
| Ἇιδης | Hades | (a tricky one; since the accent and breathing are in front of the
Α, Αι is not a diphthong in this word, and thus the
ι is not pronounced.
If the word were not capitalized, the iota would be a subscript:
ᾇδης) |