Table of Contents
24 Letters, Half You Already Know
Alpha, Beta, Delta, Epsilon, Kappa, Pi, Tau – all familiar from math and physics. The other half: one weekend. Then you can read street signs, menus and shop names.
The Alphabet
Letters you know: Α(A), Ε(E), Κ(K), Μ(M), Ν(N), Ο(O), Τ(T). Watch out: Β=V (not B!), Η=I (not H!), Ρ=R (not P!), Χ=CH (not X!). Only 8 truly new letters to learn.
The section on "24 Letters, Half You Already Know" was the most valuable for us. We couldn't find this information anywhere else before our move. It saved us a lot of time and hassle.
– Language learner from Vienna, in Paphos since 2024
Learn to Read in 48 Hours
Hour 1-2: memorize 24 letters (Anki/app). Hour 3-4: spell simple words (ΦΑΡΜΑΚΕΙΟ = pharmacy). Day 2: read street signs. Day 3-7: daily 15 min practice. After one week: read Greek slowly but correctly.
Why Reading Matters
Even without speaking: navigation (signs often only Greek), shopping (product labels), authorities (forms), restaurants (authentic Greek menu has best dishes), safety (warning signs).
Reading Greek Script
Topics: 24 Letters, Half You Already Know, The Alphabet, Learn to Read in 48 Hours
CMC Practical Tip
24 Letters, Half You Already Know Alpha, Beta, Delta, Epsilon, Kappa, Pi, Tau – all familiar from math and physics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alphabet: 2-4 hours. Slow reading: 2 days. Fluent reading: 2-3 weeks daily practice.
"Greek Alphabet" (free) for letters. Anki for diphthongs. Duolingo for sentence practice.
For daily life: no. Reading suffices. Writing: only for forms (CMC fills those for you).
B read as "B" instead of "V". H as "H" instead of "I". P as "P" instead of "R". After one week of practice: no problem.
How CMC Supports You
At CMC Certus Management Consultants, we are here for you – not only for tax and legal questions, but also for all practical topics of everyday life in Cyprus. Our team in Larnaca and Pafos knows the local conditions first-hand.
As your local contact, we handle: company formation and management, tax advisory and Non-Dom applications, ongoing bookkeeping and tax returns, support with authorities, and referrals to estate agents, lawyers, doctors and tradespeople.