Mastering SBL Greek Pronunciation: A Beginner’s Guide to Transliteration and Accents

Introduction

SBL Greek stands for Society of Biblical Literature Greek. It refers to a standardized system for writing and transliterating ancient Greek, particularly in biblical and theological studies. The SBL Greek font and transliteration style are widely used in academic settings, especially for producing consistent and readable text in publications related to biblical scholarship. This guide will help you understand how to read and pronounce Greek words using the SBL Greek system, focusing on the essentials for beginners.

Greek Alphabet and SBL Transliteration

The Greek alphabet consists of 24 letters. Here’s how each Greek letter is represented in SBL Greek transliteration and its approximate pronunciation in English:

Greek Letter	SBL Transliteration	Pronunciation (English Equivalent)
Α α	a	a as in father
Β β	b	b as in boy
Γ γ	g	g as in go
Δ δ	d	d as in dog
Ε ε	e	e as in bed
Ζ ζ	z	z as in zebra
Η η	ē	a as in fate
Θ θ	th	th as in thin
Ι ι	i	i as in machine
Κ κ	k	k as in kite
Λ λ	l	l as in lamp
Μ μ	m	m as in man
Ν ν	n	n as in not
Ξ ξ	x	x as in box
Ο ο	o	o as in not
Π π	p	p as in pen
Ρ ρ	r	r as in run
Σ σ/ς	s	s as in see
Τ τ	t	t as in top
Υ υ	y/u	u as in rune or y as in yes
Φ φ	ph	ph as in phone
Χ χ	ch	ch as in Bach
Ψ ψ	ps	ps as in lips
Ω ω	ō	o as in obey

Pronunciation Tips

Breathing Marks: In ancient Greek, words can begin with a rough or smooth breathing mark:
Rough Breathing (῾): Adds an “h” sound at the beginning of the word. Example: Ἑλλάς (Hellas).
Smooth Breathing (᾿): No additional sound. Example: Ἀθήνα (Athena).
Accent Marks: In the original Greek text, accent marks indicate pitch variations. These are typically not included in SBL Greek transliteration, but understanding them is key to correct pronunciation:
Acute (´): A rising pitch. Example: ὀξύς (oxús).
Grave (`): A lowering pitch, often used at the end of a word. Example: καλὸς (kalòs).
Circumflex (ˆ or ῀): A rise and then fall in pitch. Example: γῆ (gê).

Although SBL transliteration omits these accents, knowing where they are in the original Greek can guide you in emphasizing the correct syllables when pronouncing words.

Pronunciation Practice

Here are some examples of Greek words in SBL Greek transliteration and their pronunciations:

λόγος (logos) – Pronounced as loh-gohs (meaning word or reason).
ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) – Pronounced as an-throh-pos (meaning human).
χάρις (charis) – Pronounced as kha-ris (meaning grace).

Summary

Using SBL Greek for transliteration helps readers pronounce ancient Greek words by providing a clear representation of Greek letters using the Latin alphabet. While SBL Greek doesn’t include pitch accents, understanding the basics of Greek pronunciation, including breathing marks and accents, can enhance your ability to pronounce Greek words accurately. Practice with familiar words, and you’ll soon be comfortable reading and pronouncing Greek text using the SBL Greek system.