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Re: Help with pronounciation - γ and χ
by Greg Brush - Friday, 6 January 2017, 11:05 AM
  There is no exact equivalent in Modern English to the sounds that Modern Greek γ and χ represent.
1) Before the vowel sounds /a/ (spelled α), /o/ (spelled ο or ω), and /u/ (spelled ου), γ and χ are indeed "gutteral". χ is equivalent to the ch in German "Bach" or Scottish "Loch", while γ here is the voiced version of χ.
2) Before the vowel sounds /e/ (spelled ε or αι) and /i/ (spelled ι, η, υ, ει, or οι), γ and χ are palatalized, such that χ is equivalent to the ch in German "ich", that is, somewhat like the English h in "heat", while γ is again the voiced version, somewhat similar to the English y in "yes".

Regards,
Greg Brush

[originally posted Saturday, 17 December 2016, 10:17 AM]
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