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Greek Handwriting — Handwritten letters in Greek
This page is part of the author’s set of pages on the Greek language.
Instructions for handwriting the letters of the Greek alphabet are given below. Each letter is given in its capital form on the left, and lowercase form on
the right. When the Greek letter is identical to some Roman one (even if the Greek letter stands for a different sound) no instructions are given, assuming
the reader knows how to draw the Roman letters. Otherwise, the strokes that are necessary to draw the Greek letter are numbered (1, 2, 3,...), unless
there is a single stroke, and each stroke is marked at its starting point with a green dot (•) and at its endpoint with a red dot (•).
Note: cursive writing is not customary in Greek. Some Greeks do employ cursive forms in their handwriting, but the practice is not used widely. Some
cursive, or “calligraphic” forms are given below, next to the more common noncursive ones.
Uppercase (Capital) Comment Lowercase Comment
The first of the two is the most typical,
“the Greek way” of writing an alpha.
Some Greeks, however, write it just
like a common handwritten version of
Same as Roman A. the Roman a, as shown on the right. If
you prefer your writing to look more
genuinely Greek, use the first way; but
if you like the safety of the familiar,
you may use the second way.
Two ways to draw a beta, differing
only in the starting point of the strokes.
The first way yields a more squarish
beta at the top, and is done in two
Same as Roman B. strokes. The second way yields a more
roundish top, and is done in a single
stroke (but starts a bit awkwardly at the
bottom). Use whatever seems more
convenient to you.
An alternative order to draw the strokes is just as in A, with
When written quickly, the angle at the
the horizontal line (3rd stroke) being the base of the
topleft usually comes out as a curve.
triangle.
An alternative way to draw this letter is
like a c with a horizontal line in the
middle (like this: є, or just as the math
Same as Roman E.
symbol for “belongs” — for whomever
is familiar with that — but in small
size).
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corresponding capital letter. The
second form is cursive.
Same as Roman I. Same as Roman i without the dot.
The second form (which looks like the
Roman u) is cursive but quite common
Same as Roman K.
— perhaps more common than the first
form.
Drawing the strokes in the given order
makes it a bit more cursive (preparing
Same as Roman M. for the next letter). But you can also
draw a Roman u first, and then extend
the line on the left.
Same as Roman O. Same as Roman o.
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In the first form, the top horizontal line
is about as long as 1/2 diameter (or 1
radius) of the circle. The second form
is the final sigma only (never use it
The midpoint can sometimes be drawn so that it reaches as instead of the midword sigma), and is
far to the right as the upper and lower endpoints, but more identical to the Roman s.
commonly it stands a little to the left of those. Note: some books written by non
Greek authors might suggest the
Byzantine form c instead. Nobody
writes a sigma like that today, save for
the Greek Orthodox Church.
As with Φ (above), the curve can sometimes be larger, The second stroke often starts at the
reaching further down, but never all the way to the bottom same height as the two endpoints of
line. the bowl.
Both forms are equally common.
Back to the main page on the Greek language.
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