(again, click on the greeting for sound)

B. Χαῖρε!! Now learn the consonants. Most of these can be pronounced much like their English counterparts.

The trickiest ones are: the aspirates--theta  θ, phi φ, and khi χ --

the s-combinations--zeta ζ, xi/ksi  ξ, and psi   ψ --

and gamma γ when it sounds like an -n-.

The aspirates are so called because they combine a voiceless stop (t, p, k) with the 'rough' -h (Latin asper)   And they were properly pronouced that way, like t-h in cathouse or the p-h in flophouse.  But most scholars fall into a 'soft'  -th- as in them or their;   ph- as in photo (which we also write foto).

So we say theós,  god, θεός; philos,  friend, φίλος.

The khi χ is often problematic for newcomers because it looks like our -x-. But remember, it's an aspirate,  and this one has to be pronounced the proper way. After all, this is the first letter of khristós,  Christ, χριστός.

The -x- sound is represented by xi ξ, and this one is tricky in writing as well as speaking. The distinctive marking is 3 horizontal strokes, clearest in the capital, Ξ.  Don’t confuse it with zeta ζ, = 2 horizontals and a diagonal.

Pronouncing xi  ξ and psi  ψ  is easy enough: so Xanthías, a slave's name meaning something like 'Blondie', Ξανθίας; psukhê, soul, psyche,  ψυχή.

The zeta is properly -sd- as in wisdom, and we should remember that in the title of our text Athénaze (=Athenas-de) 'to Athens'  where the -de- is a suffix meaning 'to' or 'toward'; Ἀθήναζε.  But again most of us fall into a comfortable -z-: Ἀθήναζε.

Oh, yes, the trick with gamma γ: gamma is always a hard -g-, as in agathós good ἀγαθός. never soft. But when gamma comes before another back consonant, kappa, khi, or another gamma, it goes nasal, gets up your sinuses.  So 'necessity' is anankê,   written with a gamma, Ἀνάγκη.

Now, I have ignored those pesky little accents (´ ` ῀) . But for now just give a weak stress to any syllable bearing any accent; we'll sort it out later.

Let's review, again: Say the Greek with me, god =θεός  ... friend is φίλος...         soul is ψυχή...      the slave's name is Ξανθίας...

good = ἀγαθός... 'to Athens' =Ἀθήναζε... Necessity = Ἀνάγκη.

More Practice pronouncing the obvious cognates at the bottom of p. xviii.

Now for a first (slow) reading of "Dicaiopolis' Debut"