📘 What Is Koine Greek — and Why Learn It?
Koine Greek (pronounced koy-NAY) is the original language of the New Testament and many early Christian writings. It was the common, everyday Greek spoken across the Roman Empire from around 300 BC to 300 AD — not the language of philosophers, but of fishermen, tax collectors, and shepherds. This makes it deeply accessible and rich in meaning for those who want to read the Bible in its original words.
But like any language, we have to start with the basics — and that means learning the Greek alphabet and how to pronounce it correctly. This game helps you take your first steps into the world of Koine Greek in a fun, interactive way. Master the letters, and soon you’ll be reading the same words the early Christians read!
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Below is a breakdown of the Koine Greek Alphabet
| Greek Letter | Name | Pronunciation (Koine) | Example from Bible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Α α | Alpha | a as in father | ἀγάπη (agape) – love |
| Β β | Beta | b as in book | βίβλος (biblos) – book |
| Γ γ | Gamma | g as in go (before ε, η, ι = y as in yes) | γέγραπται (gegraptai) – it is written |
| Δ δ | Delta | d as in dog | δόξα (doxa) – glory |
| Ε ε | Epsilon | e as in met | ἐν (en) – in |
| Ζ ζ | Zeta | dz as in adze | ζῆλος (zelos) – zeal |
| Η η | Eta | ay as in they | ἠμέρα (hēmera) – day |
| Θ θ | Theta | th as in thing | Θεός (Theos) – God |
| Ι ι | Iota | ee as in machine or short i | Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous) – Jesus |
| Κ κ | Kappa | k as in king | κύριος (kyrios) – Lord |
| Λ λ | Lambda | l as in love | λόγος (logos) – word |
| Μ μ | Mu | m as in man | μήτηρ (mētēr) – mother |
| Ν ν | Nu | n as in no | νόμος (nomos) – law |
| Ξ ξ | Xi | ks as in box | ξένος (xenos) – stranger |
| Ο ο | Omicron | o as in not | ὁ (ho) – the (masc. nom.) |
| Π π | Pi | p as in pencil | Παῦλος (Paulos) – Paul |
| Ρ ρ | Rho | r (rolled/flipped like Spanish) | ῥῆμα (rhēma) – word/spoken |
| Σ σ/ς | Sigma | s as in see (ς is used at the end of words) | σωτήρ (sōtēr) – savior |
| Τ τ | Tau | t as in top | τίς (tis) – who |
| Υ υ | Upsilon | ü (as in French tu) or short u | ὑπέρ (hyper) – above |
| Φ φ | Phi | ph as in phone (aspirated p) | φῶς (phōs) – light |
| Χ χ | Chi | kh as in Bach (guttural k) | Χριστός (Christos) – Christ |
| Ψ ψ | Psi | ps as in lapse | ψυχή (psychē) – soul |
| Ω ω | Omega | ō as in tote (long o) | ἀρχή καὶ τέλος (archē kai telos) – beginning and end |
The Scroll Unrolled 
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