Greek (Phonetic) Typing Speed Test
Free Online Greek Phonetic Keyboard – Type Greek by Sound, Not by Position
Welcome to the easiest way to type Greek online. Our free Greek phonetic keyboard puts most Greek letters on the Latin key that makes the same sound, so you can write Greek immediately without memorising the standard Greek layout. It runs in your browser on any computer, tablet, or phone, with nothing to install and no system settings to change.
Why a phonetic layout? Greek is spoken by around 13 million people in Greece and Cyprus, plus a large diaspora in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and South Africa. A great many of those speakers read and speak Greek fluently but never learned to touch-type it, because the standard Greek keyboard arranges letters by position rather than by sound and has to be memorised outright. A phonetic layout removes that barrier entirely: if you can type in English, you can type in Greek.
Most keys are exactly where you would guess. The obvious ones map straight across — a→α, b→β, g→γ, d→δ, e→ε, z→ζ, h→η, k→κ, l→λ, m→μ, n→ν, r→ρ, s→σ, t→τ, f→φ, x→χ, y→υ. A handful cannot be obvious, because Greek has sounds and letters that Latin does not: q→θ (theta), p→ψ (psi), v→ω (omega), j and c→ξ (xi), and w→ς, the final sigma. Those five or six are the whole learning curve.
Final sigma and the tonos matter. Greek uses ς only at the end of a word and σ everywhere else — they are not interchangeable, and using σ at word end is a spelling error. The tonos marks stress on ά, έ, ή, ί, ό, ύ, ώ, and it changes meaning rather than decorating: πότε (when?) is not ποτέ (never), and πάλι (again) is not παλί. The dialytika ϊ and ϋ separate vowels that would otherwise combine. All of these are on the keyboard directly.
Perfect for: learners at every level, travellers in Greece and Cyprus, diaspora Greeks writing home, students working through modern Greek coursework, anyone searching the web in Greek rather than transliteration, and quick one-off tasks on a computer that has no Greek layout installed.
Related keyboards: if you already know the official layout, use the standard Greek keyboard. To write Greek words using Latin letters rather than converting them, see Greeklish. For ancient texts with breathings and iota subscript, use Greek Polytonic. Switch between them with the Layout dropdown above.
Your privacy is guaranteed – all typing happens 100% locally in your browser. Nothing you write is sent to a server, stored, or logged.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Greek phonetic keyboard?
It is a virtual keyboard that places Greek letters on the Latin keys with matching sounds, so you type 'a' to get α and 'd' to get δ. It exists because the official Greek layout arranges letters by position and must be memorised, which puts off anyone who speaks Greek but never learned to type it.
How is this different from the standard Greek keyboard?
The standard layout follows the official Greek key positions, which are unrelated to the Latin letters printed on your keys. This phonetic layout follows sound instead, so most letters are where an English typist would expect. If you already know the standard positions, use the standard layout — it will be faster for you.
Which keys are not obvious?
Greek has letters with no Latin equivalent, so a few keys have to be learned: q gives θ (theta), p gives ψ (psi), v gives ω (omega), j and c both give ξ (xi), and w gives ς, the final sigma. Everything else follows sound directly.
How do I type the final sigma (ς)?
Press w. Greek uses ς only at the end of a word and σ in every other position, and they are not interchangeable — writing σ at the end of a word is a spelling mistake, not a stylistic choice.
How do I add the tonos accent?
The accented vowels ά, έ, ή, ί, ό and ύ, ώ are available directly, along with the dialytika forms ϊ and ϋ. Greek accents carry meaning: πότε means 'when?' while ποτέ means 'never'. Leaving the tonos off can change the word, so it is worth typing.
Is this the same as Greeklish?
No. Greeklish means writing Greek words using Latin letters and leaving them that way — 'kalimera' stays as 'kalimera'. This keyboard converts your keystrokes into actual Greek script, so you get καλημέρα. We provide a separate Greeklish page if you want the former.
Is this Greek keyboard free?
Yes, completely free. There is no cost, no registration, no account, and no limit on how much you type. The site is supported by advertising, which is what keeps the keyboard free to use for everyone.
Does it work on mobile phones and tablets?
Yes. The layout is fully responsive and works on Android and iOS phones, tablets, Chromebooks, Windows, and macOS. On a touchscreen you tap the letters directly, which makes it practical on a device with no Greek keyboard installed.
Is my typing private?
Completely private. All processing happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never transmitted to a server, never stored, and never logged, so it is safe for personal work and unpublished research.
Can I practise Greek typing speed?
Yes. Switch to Speed Test mode to practise with real Greek sentences and measure your words per minute and accuracy — a good way to build fluency before writing anything long.
Keep Practicing
Open the keyboard layout or explore more typing tests.