BBL 103: Koine Greek Alphabet, Pronunciation & Script

Mastering the 24 Greek Letters, Diphthongs, Breathings, Accents, and Oral Reading

Course Description

Welcome to BBL 103: Koine Greek Alphabet, Pronunciation & Script! This course guides students step-by-step through the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet (majuscule and minuscule), Greek vowels and diphthongs, iota subscripts, rough and smooth breathing marks, punctuation, accentuation rules, and fluent oral reading of the Greek New Testament.

Interactive Companion Language Apps

• Hebrew Alphabet & Vowels Trainer — Interactive consonant, niqqud, and syllable practice
• Greek Alphabet & Grammar Trainer — Interactive alphabet, diphthong, and pronunciation practice
• Hebrew Vocabulary Flash Cards — High-frequency Old Testament Hebrew lexical drills
• Greek Vocabulary Flash Cards — High-frequency New Testament Greek lexical drills
• Manuscript Variant Analysis Platform — Compare MT, LXX, DSS, and Greek NT witnesses

Course Structure

This course is composed of an Interactive Syllabus and five comprehensive chapters. Each chapter includes a detailed Chapter Summary, five in-depth lessons with Lesson Check-in Quizzes, and a 10-question Chapter Test. The course culminates in a 30-question Final Course Exam (62 total learning steps).

Course Outline

Chapter 1: The 24 Letters of the Koine Greek Alphabet

• Lesson 1: Alpha through Zeta (A-Z): Shapes, Sounds, and Transliteration
• Lesson 2: Eta through Mu (H-M): Mastering Long E and Liquid/Nasal Consonants
• Lesson 3: Nu through Sigma (N-S): Medial Sigma vs. Final Sigma
• Lesson 4: Tau through Omega (T-W): Aspirates (Phi, Chi) and Double Consonants (Xi, Psi)
• Lesson 5: Erasmian vs. Modern/Reconstructed Koine Pronunciation Systems

Chapter 2: Greek Vowels, Diphthongs, and Phonetic Classification

• Lesson 1: The Seven Greek Vowels: Always Short (Epsilon, Omicron), Always Long (Eta, Omega), Variable (Alpha, Iota, Upsilon)
• Lesson 2: Proper Diphthongs (ai, ei, oi, ui, au, eu, ou, hu) and Their Pronunciation
• Lesson 3: Improper Diphthongs and the Iota Subscript (Alpha, Eta, Omega with Iota Subscript)
• Lesson 4: Classification of Greek Consonants: Stops (Labials, Velars, Dentals), Liquids, Nasals, and Sibilants
• Lesson 5: Gamma Nasal (gg, gk, gx, gch) and Vowel Contraction Fundamentals

Chapter 3: Breathing Marks, Punctuation, and Diacritics

• Lesson 1: Smooth Breathing (Psile) vs. Rough Breathing (Daseia) on Initial Vowels and Diphthongs
• Lesson 2: Breathing Marks on Initial Rho and Capital Letters
• Lesson 3: The Four Greek Punctuation Marks: Period, Comma, Colon (Ano Stigme), and Question Mark (;)
• Lesson 4: Diaeresis, Apostrophe (Elision), Crasis, and Movable Nu
• Lesson 5: Comparing Ancient Uncial Manuscripts (Scriptio Continua) with Modern Printed Editions

Chapter 4: Greek Syllabification and Accentuation Rules

• Lesson 1: Four Core Rules for Dividing Koine Greek Words into Syllables
• Lesson 2: Ultima, Penult, and Antepenult: Naming the Last Three Syllables
• Lesson 3: The Three Greek Accents: Acute, Grave, and Circumflex
• Lesson 4: Proclitics and Enclitics: Words That Lean Forward or Backward for Stress
• Lesson 5: How Accent Placement Distinguishes Identical Forms (e.g., tis vs. tis; ei vs. ei)

Chapter 5: Guided Oral Reading in the Greek New Testament

• Lesson 1: Reading Practice I: The Prologue of John (John 1:1-5)
• Lesson 2: Reading Practice II: The Word Became Flesh (John 1:6-14)
• Lesson 3: Reading Practice III: The First Epistle of John (1 John 1:1-10)
• Lesson 4: Reading Practice IV: The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) in Koine Greek
• Lesson 5: Integrating BDA’s Greek Alphabet & Flash Card Apps into Daily Study

Assessments & Grading

• Lesson Check-in Quizzes: 25 short check-in quizzes following each core lesson to reinforce retention.
• Chapter Tests: Five 10-question Chapter Tests reviewing each chapter’s linguistic and exegetical concepts (80% passing score).
• Final Course Exam: A 30-question comprehensive Final Exam covering all five chapters (80% passing score).