The prescribed pronunciation systems here reflect the main prestige dialects during the three ancient Greek development periods.
Classical Greek pronunciation reflects the conservative standard of the Attic-speaking regions of Attica, the northern Cyclades, Euboea and Chalcidice, and their colonies.
Koine Greek pronunciation reflects the majority mixed dialect of Alexander's empire, especially that of Alexandria, the principle philosophical and literary center of the Hellenistic Greeks, and where Judeo-Christian scripture was translated into Greek.
Byzantine Greek pronunciation reflects the habits of Constantinople and its close transitional dialects. Though it spanned almost all of Late Antiquity, it also spanned well into the Middle Ages until the 15th century (approximately 1200 years), as the Byzantine Roman world largely escaped the Dark Ages.
Contemporary Greek pronunciation reflects how people in modern Greece and Cyprus pronounce classical words today. The standard is based on the polished speech register of Demotic Greek, including additional polished Cypriot articulations (in parentheses) where these do not exist in Athens.
In Classical polytonic, the length distinction of Template:polytonic ([a]) and Template:polytonic ([aː]) is not indicated usually in writing nor in transcription. However, if Template:polytonicneeds to be transcribed, ā suffices.
Not native to Attic-Ionic (lost in pre-classical times). If pronounced [w], Classical Attic kept it silent and Koine adapted it as Template:polytonic. If pronounced [β~v], both Classical Attic and Koine adapted it as Template:polytonic.
Was metrically considered an interchangeably single or double consonant in Koine (typically double between vowels). Becomes a short consonant in Byzantine.
In Classical polytonic, the length distinction of Template:polytonic ([i]) and Template:polytonic ([iː]) is not indicated usually in writing nor in transcription. However, if Template:polytonicneeds to be transcribed, ī suffices.
Originally not a front vowel, the influential Athens dialect articulates it as [y/yː] invalid IPA characters (/) earlier on. Merges with Template:polytonic in 10th century Byzantine Greek, but merges with Template:polytonic in the Old Athenian dialect until it becomes extinct in the 20th century.
In the learned Koine pronunciation of the foreign Romans, Template:polytonic was typically an allophone of Template:polytonic immediately before other vowels, and an allophone of Template:polytonic everywhere else. Alexandrians treated it as an allophone of Template:polytonic in all circumstances, a trend that would become standard in Byzantine.
Non-Attic Greek diphthong (originally pronounced [ɔːʊ]), separated into two separate vowels, Template:polytonic, when loaned into Classical Attic onward.
In Byzantine pronuncation, this phoneme becomes seriously endangered and merges with Template:polytonic in common speech, later reintroduced under influence from Katharevousa.
In Byzantine pronuncation, this phoneme becomes seriously endangered and merges with Template:polytonic in common speech, later reintroduced under influence from Katharevousa.
In Byzantine pronuncation, this phoneme becomes seriously endangered and merges with Template:polytonic in common speech, later reintroduced under influence from Katharevousa.
Not viable in Classical Attic, where the spelling is rare, and the Template:polytonic is silent and audibly lengthens the preceding vowel instead. In Byzantine pronuncation, this phoneme becomes seriously endangered and merges with Template:polytonic again in common speech, later reintroduced under influence from Katharevousa.
Not viable in Classical Attic, where the spelling is rare, and is pronounced as Template:polytonic, not audibly lengthening the preceding vowel as Template:polytonic does.
Not viable in Classical Attic, where the spelling is rare, and is pronounced as Template:polytonic, not audibly lengthening the preceding vowel as Template:polytonic does.
Even today, most words of learned Ancient Greek origin have Template:polytonic pronounced as [i], always a full vowel in its own syllable. However, where Template:polytonic is understood to have come from [j], a [j]-derived pronunciation may reasonably apply. [j] does not enter the spoken language until the Byzantine period, and some words (such as Template:polytonic) do not today have retroactive [j] pronunciations. But when [j] does contextually apply, this is how.
A rough breathing mark (dasy pneuma) is designated by an h at the front of the word (both in IPA and Romanization). A smooth breathing mark (psilon pneuma) requires no notation. In Koine IPA, the rough breathing mark is marked as [(h)] because it's already a mostly dead phoneme. In Byzantine IPA onward, it is totally gone. When the rough breathing mark is on vowels or diphthongs, they should be preceded with h in romanization. Over Template:polytonic, the consonant is romanized rh. The mark is always on (or implied to be on) word-initial Template:polytonic, which are always romanized Rh rh Hu hu Hui hui. Template:polytonic is always romanized rrh.
Iota subscripts are Romanized for Classical Greek, but neither pronounced nor Romanized for Koine. In Classical pronunciation an iota subscript is designated by a /j/ following the vowel.
A diaeresis should be noted in a Romanization with the umlaut set found in the Latin/Roman script set (at the bottom of the editing window).
In Classical IPA, acute accent is noted by ́ on vowel, circumflex with ̂ . In Koine, both are represented with ˈ at the beginning of corresponding syllable. Accents are not noted in Romanization.