# reading letters separately (acronyms, etc.)



## parakseno

Γειά σας...

I just discovered while reading a newspaper article that I have NO idea of how one should read acronyms in Greek. And for that matter how you "spell out" words in Greek (as when you say your name, letter by letter).

Το ερώτημα είναι: how do Greek people read letters of a "word" separately? Do they use the Greek names of the letter (alpha, vita, gamma, etc.) or is there a system more like the English /ei/, /bi/, /si/ etc. ? Also, how should one read acronyms written in Latin characters (like "Επιτροπή Προστασίας Δημοσιογράφων (CPJ)")?

For example how does one read "E.E." (*Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση* - European Union) or "Ο.Η.Ε."(*Οργανισμός Ηνωμένων Εθνών* - United Nations) or "ΚτΕ" (Κοινωνία των Εθνών - League of Nations)? How does one say her name is "Ειρηνη" , letter by letter (Ε-Ι-Ρ-Η-Ν-Η)?


Ευχαριστώ.


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## ireney

Hello parakseno 

In general we pronounce them as a word when the acronymic "creates" a word that follows the rules of the Greek language.

So we have ΟΗΕ, ΚΤΕ, ΠΑΣΟΚ (though no words of Greek origin end in K), ΟΤΕ, ΔΕΗ, ΕΟΚ,  etc

On the other hand, ΚΚΕ is either κάππα κάππα έψιλον or κου κου ε, ΝΔ is Νου Δου ή Νέα Δημοκρατία, ΕΕ is always Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση.

When spelling out your name you name each letter separately : Πι άλφα ρο άλφα ξι έψιλον νι όμικρον 

Finally, when an acronymic is left untranslated well, it depends. CIA becomes ΣΙΑ or Σι άι έι, NATO is always νάτο etc. If the acronym is such that no Greek "word" can be made, we pronounce each letter separately: BBC = μπι μπι σι, CPJ would be Σι πι τζέι , RnB is Αρ εν μπι etc


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## parakseno

Ευχαριστώ Irenoula,

so there are several ways of reading acronyms just like in Romanian (at least in the spoken language). The part with ΟΤΕ (/ote/) and ΠΑΣΟΚ (/pasok/) I should've known as I heard it before. But the one with "ΝΔ is Νου Δου" is completely new to me... Consonant + ου (/u/)... Does it work for any consonant?


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## ireney

Γεια σου Παράξενό μου  Χαθήκαμε

Yes it does. It makes pronouncing them easier/more quick (some times, I mean you cannot be Νι when it comes to shortness ). The only letter I can think of that isn't treated this way is T (ταυ)


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## parakseno

Aha, Ευχαριστώ ξανά... και ξανά 



> Χαθήκαμε


ναι... λίγο (νομίζω είναι καλύτερο να σου στείλω PM... μη "chataroume" εδώ)


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