Capitalization Rules in Greek for English Speakers

Understanding Capitalization in Greek

Capitalization in Greek differs in some ways from English. While English capitalizes the first letter of most proper nouns and the first word of a sentence, Greek has its own set of rules that learners should understand to write correctly.

Capitalizing the First Word of a Sentence

Just like in English, the first word of every sentence in Greek is capitalized. This is a universal rule that helps readers identify the beginning of a new thought or statement.

Proper Nouns and Names

Proper nouns such as names of people, places, and organizations are capitalized in Greek. For example, Αθήνα (Athens) and Γιώργος (George) both start with capital letters.

Days of the Week and Months

Unlike English, in Greek, the names of the days of the week and months are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence. For example, Δευτέρα (Monday) and Ιανουάριος (January) are written in lowercase within sentences.

Languages and Nationalities

In Greek, names of languages and nationalities are generally written in lowercase, unlike English where they are capitalized. For example, ελληνικά (Greek language) and ελληνικός (Greek, adjective) are lowercase.

Titles and Headings

In titles and headings, only the first word is capitalized in Greek, unless other words are proper nouns. This contrasts with English title case where many words are capitalized.

The Greek Letter Sigma in Capitalization

Greek has a special rule for the letter sigma: the lowercase sigma has two forms (σ and ς), but the uppercase sigma is always Σ. This is important when capitalizing words.

Summary of Key Capitalization Rules in Greek

• Capitalize the first word of a sentence.
• Capitalize proper nouns (names of people, places, organizations).
• Do not capitalize days of the week or months unless at the start of a sentence.
• Languages and nationalities are written in lowercase.
• In titles, only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
• Uppercase sigma is always Σ regardless of position.