The monotonic (one-accent) system

Το μονοτονικό σύστημα

1. There is only one accent, the acute (οξεία), which is written on the stressed syllable: καλός,
τραπέζι, άνθρωπος, οικογένεια, καρέκλα.

Monosyllabic words have no accent, except in the instances mentioned under 2. Examples: το
φως, να το, πριν, γεια σας, για, πιο, ποιος.

2. In the following instances we do write accents on monosyllabic words to differentiate between

them and another monosyllabic word that has the same spelling but means something else.

η feminine definite article ή or

που relative pronoun πού; where?
πως conjunction "that" πώς; how?

The feminine indefinite article μια (a or an) is pronounced as one syllable and does not have
an accent, the numeral μία (one) is pronounced as two syllables and does have an accent.

3. The possessive pronoun (μου, σου, του, της, μας, σας, τους) is written after the word to which
it belongs and, of course, does not itself have an accent. It is considered to be part of (i.e., a
syllable of) the preceding word. This has consequences for words of three or more syllables
which have the accent on the antepenultimate syllable (cf. 4).

4. A word may bear an accent on the last syllable (ultimate, οξύτονο), the last but one
(penultimate, παροξύτονο) or the last but two (antepenultimate, προπαροξύτονο). The accent
can never be further from the end than the antepenultimate syllable. If, therefore, a
trisyllabic word which has the accent on the antepenultimate syllable is followed by a so-
called enclitic personal pronoun (e.g., μου, σου, μας), we place a second accent on the syllable
preceding that enclitic word: το μάθημά μου, τα μαθήματά μου, το πουκάμισό σου, το
αυτοκίνητό μας.

This is also true for object pronouns following the imperative (command) form of a verb:
διάβασέ το, απόδειξέ το.
5. In certain instances the accent does not remain on the syllable where it is found in the
nominative; rather, it shifts. This happens when the last syllable contains a vowel that
originally was long (η, ω) or was an ancient diphthong (ου). In the case of nouns this happens
especially in the genitive singular and plural. Examples: το πρόσωπο - του προσώπου - των
προσώπων, το τηλέφωνο - του τηλεφώνου - των τηλεφώνων.

6. Masculine

Rule: masculine nouns of three syllables ending in -ος that have the accent on the
antepenultimate syllable move the accent to the penultimate syllable in the genitive singular
and in the genitive and accusative plural: ο κύριος - του κυρίου - των κυρίων - τους κυρίους, ο
άνθπωπος - του ανθρώπου - των ανθρώπων - τους ανθρώπους.

Rule: masculine words ending in -ης have the accent on the last syllable in the genitive plural:
ναύτης - ναυτών.

Rule: some masculine words ending in -ας behave the same way in the genitive plural as
those ending in -ης: μήνας - μηνών, άντρας - αντρών, ταμίας - ταμιών.

7. Feminine

Rule: many feminine words have the accent on the final syllable in the genitive plural,
regardless of where the accent is in the nominative: θάλασσα - θαλασσών, ώρα - ωρών,
καρδιά - καρδιών, γυναίκα - γυναικών.

Words ending in -άδα, -ίδα and -ότητα, however, never do this: εβδομάδα - εβδομάδων,
εφημερίδα - εφημερίδων, προσωπικότητα - προσωπικοτήτων.

8. Neuter

Rule: Neuter words ending in -ι have the accent on the last syllable in the genitive singular
and genitive plural, regardless of where the accent is in the nominative: σπίτι - σπιτιού -
σπιτιών.

Rule: Neuter words ending in -μα gain an extra syllable in all other forms. This has
consequences for words of three or more syllables, such as μάθημα, which have the accent on
the antepenultimate syllable. In the genitive singular the accent shifts one syllable; in the
genitive plural it shifts another syllable, because the ω in the final syllable was originally long
(cf. 5). Thus μάθημα - μαθήματος - μαθήματα - μαθημάτων.