Coptic for All

Level 1: Lesson 5

The Coptic alphabet

Letters with three pronunciations

Ghamma Ⲅ ⲅ

The letter Ghamma: Ⲅ ⲅ
can be pronounced in 3 ways:
1- Same as the English sound “g” in the word “English” if it was followed by an “e” sounding vowel ( ⲉ ⲏ ⲓ ⲩ )
Examples of Ghamma when pronounced “g”:
ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ
Ⲅⲉⲱⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ
ⲙⲟⲛⲟⲅⲉⲛⲏⲥ
ⲅⲏ
Ⲙⲁⲅⲓ
 
2- Same as the English letter “n” if it was followed by one of the letters ( ⲅ ⲕ ⲭ ⲝ )
Examples of Ghamma when pronounced “n”:
ⲁⲛⲁⲅⲕⲏ
ⲥⲁⲗⲡⲓⲅⲝ
ⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲟⲥ
ⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ
ⲉⲅⲭⲟⲥ
 
3- Same as the French sound “r” (sometimes transliterated to “gh” in English) in all other cases
Examples of Ghamma when pronounced “gh”:
ⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ
ⲅⲁⲣ
ⲅⲣⲁⲫⲏ
ⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲥ
ⲁⲛⲁⲅⲛⲱⲥⲓⲥ

Ki   Ⲭ ⲭ

The letter Ki: Ⲭ ⲭ
can be pronounced in 3 ways:
1- Same as the English sound “sh” if it was followed by an “e” sounding vowel ( ⲉ ⲏ ⲓ ⲩ ) in a Greek word
Examples of Ki when pronounced “sh”:
ⲭⲉⲣⲉ
ⲉⲩⲭⲏ
ⲯⲩⲭⲏ
ⲓⲥⲭⲩⲣⲟⲥ
ⲁⲣⲭⲏ
 
2- Same as the sound “kh” if not followed by an “e” sound in Greek word
Examples of Ki when pronounced “kh”:
ⲡⲓⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ
ⲭⲁⲣⲓⲥ
ⲭⲟⲣⲟⲥ
ⲙⲟⲛⲁⲭⲟⲥ
ⲗⲩⲭⲛⲓⲁ
 
3- same as English letter “k” in Coptic words
Examples of Ki when pronounced “k”:
ⲭⲱ
Ⲭ̀ⲟⲩⲁⲃ
Ⲭⲏⲙⲓ
ⲭ̀ⲗⲟⲙ
ⲭ̀ⲣⲱⲙ

Ypsilon Ⲩ ⲩ

The letter Ypsilon: Ⲩ ⲩ
can be pronounced in 3 ways:
1- Same as the English letter “v” if one of the letters ( ⲁ ⲉ ) came before it
Examples of Ypsilon when pronounced “v”:
ⲙⲁⲩ
ⲉⲩⲭⲏ
Ⲉⲩⲁ
ⲉⲩⲭⲁⲣⲓⲥⲧⲓⲁ
ⲛⲁⲩ
 
2- If the letter Omicron “ⲟ” came before it they are pronounced together as sound “oo” in the word “boot”
Examples of Ypsilon when joined by Omicron and pronounced “oo”:
ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ
ⲟⲩⲣⲟ
ϯϣⲟⲩⲣⲏ
ⲧⲟⲩⲃⲟ
ⲛⲟⲩⲃ
 
3- same as English letters ee in the word “teen” in all other cases
Examples of Examples when pronounced “ee”:
ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲟⲥ
ϩⲩⲙⲛⲟⲥ
ⲯⲩⲭⲏ
ⲑⲩⲥⲓⲁ
ⲩⲓⲟⲥ

Exercise

‌Ⲁⲣⲓⲧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲙ̀ⲡ̀ϣⲁ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ϫⲟⲥ‌ ‌ϧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲟⲩϣⲉⲡϩ̀ⲙⲟⲧ‌ ‌ϫⲉ‌
‌Ⲡⲉⲛⲓⲱⲧ‌ ‌ⲉⲧϧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲛⲓⲫⲏⲟⲩⲓ‌ ‌ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥⲧⲟⲩⲃⲟ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ϫⲉ‌ ‌ⲡⲉⲕⲣⲁⲛ‌ ‌ⲙⲁⲣⲉⲥⲓ̀‌ ‌ⲛ̀ϫⲉ‌ ‌ⲧⲉⲕⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲣⲟ‌ ‌ⲡⲉⲧⲉϩⲛⲁⲕ‌ ‌ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥϣⲱⲡⲓ‌ ‌ⲙ̀ⲫ̀ⲣⲏϯ‌ ‌ϧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲧ̀ⲫⲉ‌ ‌ⲛⲉⲙ‌ ‌ϩⲓϫⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲡⲓⲕⲁϩⲓ‌ ‌ⲡⲉⲛⲱⲓⲕ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ‌ ‌ⲣⲁⲥϯ‌ ‌ⲙⲏⲓϥ‌ ‌ⲛⲁⲛ‌ ‌ⲙ̀ⲫⲟⲟⲩ‌ ‌ⲟⲩⲟϩ‌ ‌ⲭⲁ‌ ‌ⲛⲏⲉⲧⲉⲣⲟⲛ‌ ‌ⲛⲁⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ‌ ‌ⲙ̀ⲫ̀ⲣⲏϯ‌ ‌ϩⲱⲛ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲧⲉⲛⲭⲱ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲛⲏⲉⲧⲉ‌ ‌ⲟⲩⲟⲛ‌ ‌ⲛ̀ⲧⲁⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲣⲱⲟⲩ‌ ‌ⲟⲩⲟϩ‌ ‌ⲙ̀ⲡⲉⲣⲉⲛⲧⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ϧⲟⲩⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲡⲓⲣⲁⲥⲙⲟⲥ‌ ‌ⲁⲗⲗⲁ‌ ‌ⲛⲁϩⲙⲉⲛ‌ ‌ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ‌ ‌ⲡⲓⲡⲉⲧϩⲱⲟⲩ‌ ‌ϧⲉⲛ‌ ‌Ⲡⲓⲭⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ‌ ‌Ⲓⲏⲥⲟⲩⲥ‌ ‌ⲡⲉⲛϭⲟⲓⲥ‌ ‌ϫⲉ‌ ‌ⲑⲱⲕ‌ ‌ⲧⲉ‌ ‌ϯⲙⲉⲧⲟⲩⲣⲟ‌ ‌ⲛⲉⲙ‌ ‌ϯϫⲟⲙ‌ ‌ⲛⲉⲙ‌ ‌ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ‌ ‌ϣⲁ‌ ‌ⲉⲛⲉϩ‌ ‌ⲁⲙⲏⲛ‌

Test

This is the final lesson in level 1. The only important question is: Can you now read Coptic?
If the answer is yes, please click the button below to unlock the summary and start level 2. Hope you enjoyed level 1 course

Please share your thoughts and questions with us

Subscribe
Notify of

2 Comments
Newest
Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You need to pass the test in the previous lesson in order to view this one

Coming soon

Contact us by email