2.

Accents, Syllables & English Grammar

Learn Chapter Objectives
You will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Identify syllables for pronunciation and accents.

Identify the three Greek accents.
Recognize the basic rules of Greek accents.
Identify proclitics and enclitics.
Identify rough/smooth breathings, apostrophe and diaeresis markings.
Identify four Greek punctuation marks.
Remember English grammar points (parts of speech, noun declension and verb
parsing).

Learn Syllables
Introduction
In order to correctly pronounce Greek words we need to be able to identify the
syllables of the words.
Greek divides words into syllables in almost the same way as English. So if you
dont recognize a new word, just try to pronounce it as you would in English.
Generally, start at the left and divide after the vowel.
(Mounce, pp. 15ff; Summers, pp. 8; Hewett, p. 4)
Three Syllable Rules

1. There is one vowel or diphthong per syllable. A lone consonant often goes with the
following vowel.
2. Two consonants in a row are divided (except when the second consonant is n or a
consonant pair that is used to begin words).
3. Two vowels (two diphthongs or a vowel and a diphthong) in a row are split unless the
two vowels form a diphthong.
Syllable Names

Traditionally the last three syllables have had specific names. The last syllable is called the
ultima, the second from the last the penult and the third from the last the antepenult.
Antepenult
pro

Penult

Ultima

ko<s

mos

fh<

thj

a]

del

fo<j

Syllable Counting Drill

a` ] a` ] ] ]
e` [ ?????? (20 out of 20) 100%
Syllable Division Exercise

a` ] a` ] ] ]
e` [ ?????? (17 out of 20) 85%

Learn 3 Accents
Introduction
Accents originally indicated the pitch of ones voice but today we use them to
denote stress. While accents were not part of the original text, they are helpful for
consistent pronunciation and may, at points, differentiate between two similar
words.
We will simply learn to recognize them and use them to standardize
pronunciation.
(Mounce, pp. 14f.; Summers, p. 9; Machen, pp. 14f.)
Brief Background of Accents

The first accents are seen in the fourth century B.C. and were standardized around 200 B.C. They
are not found in the earliest New Testament manuscripts until after 500 A.D.
(Hewett, p. 4)
3 Accents

1. Acute ( < ): angles upward originally indicating a rising pitch.

2. Grave ( > ): angles downward originally indicating a falling pitch. o>
3. Circumflex ( ? ): angles upward then downward originally indicating a rising then
falling pitch au]tou?
Potential Placement

1. Acute may occur on any of the last three syllables.

2. Circumflex may occur only on the last two syllables (but only if the vowel is long.)
3. Grave may occur only on the last syllable.
(Machen, p. 14; Mounce, p. 20; Summers, p. 9)

6 Accent Rules

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Nouns are retentive. They attempt to keep their accents on the same syllable.
Verbs are recessive. Their accent recedes towards the first syllable as far as is possible.
If the ultima is long, then the antepenult cannot be accented.
If the ultima is long and the penult is accented, then the accent must be an acute.
If the ultima is short and penult is both long and accented, the accent must be a

circumflex.
6. If an acute is on the ultima, it becomes a grave when followed by another word.
(Machen, pp. 14.; Mounce, p. 20)
Accent Chart
Antepenult

Penult Possibilities

Ultima Possibilities

< or ?
<

< or >
< or ? or >

Possibilities
<
None
(cf. Hewett, p. 5)

Short ultima
Long ultima

Words with No Accents

There are several short Greek words which do not have an accent. These words are pronounced
as if they were part of the word which accompanies them.
1. Proclitic: comes before the word which carries the accent.
2. Enclitic: comes after the word which carries the accent.
Accent Rule Drill

] a` ] ]
] e` [ ?????? (18 out of 20) 90%

Learn Other Marks

Breathing Marks
There are two breathing marks which are placed on vowels and diphthongs when they begin
words.
1. Smooth breathing (
2. Rough breathing (

]
[

): It does not affect pronunciation.

): Adds an h before the sound of the initial vowel.

(Mounce, p.10; Machen, p. 11; Summers, pp. 8f.)

Punctuation Marks
There are four punctuation marks in Greek. The comma and period are the same as in English.
1. Period (
2. Comma (

.
,

): logoj.
): logoj,

3. Colon (
:
4. Question Mark (

): logoj:
;
): logoj;

(Mounce, pp.13f.; Summers, p. 8; Machen, p. 12)

Learn Other Marks

Apostrophe
In English, letters that drop out (elide) are marked with an apostrophe (e.g. its).
Greek also uses an apostrophe to mark the missing letter(s). The final letter of a preposition, if it
is a vowel, is dropped when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel.
+ becomes ' ]? (Note the a lost is replaced by an apostrophe; Jn 1: 3, 7 cf.
Jn 1: 39)
Coronis
Sometimes a final vowel word followed by an initial vowel word will contract together. This is
called crasis. A coronis ( ] ) is used to retain the breathing of the second word.
+ ] becomes ]
(Jn 1: 31, 33)
Summers, p. 8)
Diaeresis
A diaeresis is placed over the second of two vowels in a row to show that the vowels are to be
pronounced separately and not combined as a diphthong. This often occurs in personal or place
names. Note the acute accent placement in Isaiah.
] ~

Isaiah (Jn 1: 23)

Moses (Jn 1: 45)

] ~

Achaia (Acts 18: 12)

Marking Recognition Drill

25 out of 25 100%
Accent Placement Exercise

20 out of 20 100%

Learn Grammar Review

Parts of Speech
1. Noun: names a person, place, thing or idea (e.g. book).
2. Adjective: a word used to qualify the meaning of the noun (e.g. good book)
3. Definite Article: a word that specifies a particular noun (e.g. the book). The Indefinite
Article is a.
4. Pronoun: a word used instead of a noun (e.g. the book, it).
5. Preposition: a relational word that connects an object (often a noun) to its antecedent (e.g.
in the book).
6. Verb: often an action or state of being word which makes a statement, asks a question, or
gives a command (e.g. run).
7. Adverb: qualifies the meaning of the verb (e.g. run quickly).
8. Conjunction: a word that joins words, clauses or sentences (e.g. and, but).
(See any English Grammar handbook for help in this area. (cf. Wenham, pp. 1ff).
Sentence Parts
The sentence is divided into two parts:
1. Subject: about which something is said, and
2. Predicate: that which is said about the subject.
A phrase is a group of words used as a single part of speech.
A clause is a group of words which includes a subject and predicate.
Identifying Verbs
Tense: generally describes the time of action (Present, Future, Past). However, some Greek
tenses are used to denote aspect, or type of action, rather than time
Aspect: denotes the type of action: Continuous action (the event as a process), Undefined (the
event happened) or Perfect (the event happened with effects continuing into the present).
Parsing Verbs
Voice:
Active: subject does the action,
Middle: subject does action on or for itself,
Passive: subject receives the action.
Mood: how something is said
Indicative: statement of fact
Subjunctive: desire, probable
Imperative: command

Optative: wish, remote possibility

Person:
I, we = first person
you = second person
he, she, it, they = third person
Number:
Singular: I, you, he, she, it
Plural: we, they, you (all)
(Story & Story, pp. 9-13)
Nouns
Nouns in Greek have gender, number and case.
Gender: The Greek masculine, feminine, and neuter genders are often indicated by the endings
attached to the noun.
Abstract nouns and objects that are neither male nor female in English are often marked as either
masculine or feminine in Greek.
Number: as an s often marks an English word as being plural, likewise, Greek endings mark
whether a noun is singular or plural (e.g. book, books).
Case: In English we have three cases which are seen in how we use our pronouns.
1. Subjective or Nominative Case:
He = subject (e.g. He did it.)
2. Objective or Accusative Case:
Him = object (e.g. The car hit him.)
3. Possessive or Genitive Case:
His = possessive (e.g. It was his car.)
Greek adds two more:
4. Dative: the case marking the indirect object (e.g. I told the story to the apostles.)
5. Vocative: the case of direct address. (e.g. O Lord, save me.)
Endings will be added to the Greek nouns to indicate gender, number and case.

Part of Speech Drill

28 out 29 97%

Learn Vocabulary

brother

I hear, I obey

glory, fame

I have, I hold

world

lord, Lord

word, statement

Peter

son, descendant

Pharisee

Vocabulary: Greek to English Drill

10 out 10 100%

Vocabulary: English to Greek Drill

10 out 10 100%

Vocabulary: Spelling Exercise

10 out 11 91%

Review: Vocabulary Chart

(343)
(428)
(166)
(708)
(186)

brother
I hear, I obey
glory, fame
I have, I hold
world

(717)
(330)
(156)
(377)
(98)

lord, Lord
word, statement
Peter
son, descendant
Pharisee

Review: Syllable Rules

Three Syllable Rules

1. There is one vowel or diphthong per syllable. A lone consonant often goes with the
following vowel.

2. Two consonants in a row are divided (except when the second consonant is n or a
consonant pair that is used to begin words).
3. Two vowels (two diphthongs or a vowel and a diphthong) in a row are split unless the
two vowels form a diphthong.

Review: Accent Rules

6 Accent Rules

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Nouns are retentive. They attempt to keep their accents on the same syllable.
Verbs are recessive. Their accent recedes towards the first syllable as far as is possible.
If the ultima is long, then the antepenult cannot be accented.
If the ultima is long and the penult is accented, then the accent must be an acute.
If the ultima is short and penult is both long and accented, the accent must be a

circumflex.
6. If an acute is on the ultima, it becomes a grave when followed by another word.
(Machen, pp. 14.; Mounce, p. 20)

Review: Marks
Breathing:
1. Smooth breathing (
2. Rough breathing (

]
[

):
):

Punctuation:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Period (
.
Comma (
,
Colon (
:
Question Mark (

Apostrophe: () elided letters

Coronis: () words joined

): logoj.
): logoj,
): logoj:
;
): logoj;
' ]?
]

Diaeresis: vowels separately pronounced ~