In modern Greek, αυ is not normally read as two separate vowels, and ευ does not sound like English “you”. The second part is usually a consonant: v or f. The following sound helps you choose. Start with these contrasts rather than memorising a Latin transcription of every word.
New to the Greek letters? Start with the complete Greek alphabet guide: all 24 letters, their names and how they sound.
The basic pattern
Before a vowel or a voiced consonant, αυ is pronounced /av/ and ευ /ev/. Before a voiceless consonant, they are pronounced /af/ and /ef/. A voiced sound involves vibration of the vocal cords. Compare v with f: the mouth position is similar, but only v is voiced. Use the following examples to practise the contrast.
| Word | Meaning | Combination | What follows |
|---|---|---|---|
| αύριο | tomorrow | av | ρ: voiced |
| αυτό | this / it | af | τ: voiceless |
| αυλή | courtyard | av | λ: voiced |
| ευρώ | euro | ev | ρ: voiced |
| ευχή | wish | ef | χ: voiceless |
| λευκό | white (neuter) | ef | κ: voiceless |
Choose before checking
Write av or af for αυ, and ev or ef for ευ. Look at the next letter rather than at the meaning.
- αύριο
- αυτό
- αυλή
- ευρώ
- ευχή
- λευκό
Show answers
αύριο: av, because ρ is voiced. Αυτό: af, because τ is voiceless. Αυλή: av before λ. Ευρώ: ev before ρ. Ευχή: ef before χ. Λευκό: ef before κ. These are sound guides, not replacement Greek spellings.
Keep the word stress
Choosing v or f does not tell you which syllable to stress. Compare αύριο, with stress at the beginning, and αυτό, with stress at the end. The accent on the second written vowel of a combination marks the stressed syllable; it does not make the two letters separate syllables.
Build on what you know
Cover the answers, mix the word order and read again. Then group the words into av, af, ev and ef. If you can explain your choice by the following sound, you are applying the rule rather than just remembering a word.
More everyday words to practise
- /av/ and /ev/: αυγό (egg, before γ), Παύλος (Pavlos, before λ), Ευρώπη (Europe, before ρ), ευγενικός (polite, before γ).
- /af/ and /ef/: αυτοκίνητο (car, before τ), ναύτης (sailor, before τ), ευχαριστώ (thank you, before χ), ευκολία (ease, before κ).
- αύξηση (increase): /af/, because ξ begins with a voiceless k sound.
Common mistakes
- Reading αυ like English “ow” or French “au”: αυτό is af-TO.
- Reading ευ like English “you”: ευχαριστώ is ef-ha-ri-STO.
- Choosing v before a voiceless sound: not av-TO but af-TO; not ev-ha-ri-STO but ef-ha-ri-STO.
- Merging letters that are written apart: when the accent falls on the first vowel, as in άυπνος (sleepless), or υ carries a diaeresis, as in Ταΰγετος, the two vowels are read separately: A-i-pnos.
FAQ
How do you pronounce “ευχαριστώ”? Ef-ha-ri-STO. ευ is ef because χ is voiceless, and the stress falls on the last syllable.
How do you pronounce “αυτό” in Greek? Af-TO: αυ becomes af before the voiceless τ.
Is “Ευρώπη” pronounced with ev or ef? With ev, because ρ is voiced: ev-RO-pi.
Review the other vowel combinations with practice and answers. Continue with the alphabet lesson.