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Erasmian variastion of Biblical Greek Pronunciation

The Erasmian or Academic pronunciation has a fascinating history and variety of manifestations. Most of the common variations of the Erasmian pronunciation have been presented in grammars. The one principle they all have in common is "one sound for one symbol." The variations that accomplish this the best are the furthest removed from any one historic Greek pronunciation. The variations that include letters that sound the same, do this to be more accurately reflect a classical pronunciation rather than the historic sound of Biblical Greek. However, none of the variations represent a pure pronunciation of Greek from any time or place in history.

1. Chart of Major Conventions of the Erasmian Pronunciation

2. Links to examples of Erasmian pronunciation variations

3. General Phonetic Sites

1. Chart of Major Conventions of the Erasmian Pronunciation

Greek Letters	Machen, Hewett, Paine	Smyth; Goodwin	Allen (Vox Graeca pp177-179)	Mounce
	a: father	a: aha (if short) a: father (if long)	u: cup (if short) a: father (if long)	a: father (if short) a: late (if long)
	b: boy	same	same	same
	g: got1	same	same	same
	d	same	same	same
	e: get	same (quicker than eta)	same	e: get
	dz	z : daze	zd: wisdom	z : daze
	a: late	ε: air (like e: get but extended)3	same	a: late
	th: thin	same	t: top (emphatically pronounced) or same	th: thin
	i : pit (if short) i : ski (if long)	i as in meteor (if short) or police (if long)	i : pit (if short) i : ski (if long)	same
	k: kite	same	k: make	k: kite
	l	same	same	same
	m	same	same	same
	n	same	same	same
	x: axe	same	same	same
	o :obey (quicker than omega)	same	o: pot (British pronunciation)	o: not (North American)
	p: peach	same	p: tap2	p: peach
	r: rod	same	rolled r	r: rod
	s	same	same	same
	t: talk	same	t: get	t: talk
	French u or German ü	same	French u brief or extended (for short & long situations)	German ü, or u: universe, or oo: book
	ph: phone	same	p: pot (emphatically pronounced) or same	ph : phone
	German ch: ich; machen	same	c: cat (emphatically pronounced) or same	ch: loch
	ps	same	same	same
	o : note	same	aw: saw (extended omicron)	o : note
Diphthongs
	ai : aisle	same	same	same
	a : fate	same	same	same
	oi : oil	same	same	same
	ui: suite	same	same	same
	ou : out	same	same	same
	eu : feud	e (met) + oo (moon)	eu : feud	same
	eu : feud	ēh'-oo	eu : feud	same
	ou : soup	same	same	same

¹ When gamma precedes kappa, chi, or another gamma it has a nasal sound like ng.
² When the last letter of a word is given in contrast to the first, it shows a lesser aspiration.
³ Bullions' Greek Grammar is the same except eta sounds like fate, eu: & hu feud. In 1860, he writes that the Erasmian pronunciation is the historic pronunciation of the ancients.

2. Links to examples of Erasmian pronunciation variations

Practical Erasmian Pronunciation Survey - An informal survey of the variations with the Erasmian tradition

Erasmian Audio Files (Machen) - Great page with recorded sounds and animations showing how to write out each letter.

Berkeley Pronunciation Guide (Allen) - This is a great page with recorded sounds (male and female voices) of each letter and diphthong. They follow Allen except on (HU).

NT Greek Pronunciation (Mounce) - Click the letters or other examples to hear how the Mounce system sounds. There are examples of complete phrases here.

Ancient Greek Pronunciation (Allen) - Pronunciation chart with examples following the Allen convention

Erasmian Chart (Machen) - This is a good reference page for more pronunciation examples and instructions on writing the letters.

Jefferson's Opinion - Thomas Jefferson argues for the Erasmian pronunciation because he believes it is more historicaly accurate (1819).

New Testament Reading (Mounce) - Marilyn Phemister reads the New Testment using the Mounce style of the Erasmian pronunciation. The New Testament is Wescott-Hort Greek New Testament 1881.

3. General Phonetic Sites

International Phonetic Association - This site has great charts which map how sounds are produced.

Free Phonetic Tutorial - This site will let you listen to sounds by selecting phonetic symbols

IPA Tutorial - This site has the International Phonetic Alphabet and has the sound spoken by both a male and female voice.

UCL Department of Phonetics & Linguistics - This site has very good web tutorials.