Greek (Polytonic) Typing Speed Test
Free Online Greek Polytonic Keyboard – Breathings, Accents and Iota Subscript
Welcome to the Greek polytonic keyboard (πολυτονικό) — the layout for writing Ancient, Koine, and Byzantine Greek with its full accentuation. Every breathing mark, every accent, and the iota subscript are available directly, with the common breathing-plus-accent combinations available as single precomposed keystrokes rather than characters you have to assemble. It runs free in your browser with nothing to install.
What polytonic is, and why it still matters. Greek was written with this system from antiquity until 1982, when Greece adopted the simplified monotonic orthography by decree and reduced the marks to a single accent. Polytonic did not disappear: it remains standard for Ancient and Koine Greek, for classical scholarship and critical editions, for the texts of the Orthodox Church, and for publishers and readers who prefer it for modern Greek. Anyone reading Homer, Plato, the Septuagint, the Greek New Testament, or the Church Fathers is reading polytonic.
The marks and what they do. There are two breathings: the rough breathing (δασεία, ῾) adds an initial /h/, so ἡ is pronounced hē, while the smooth breathing (ψιλή, ᾿) marks its absence. There are three accents: oxia (acute, ά), varia (grave, ὰ), and perispomeni (circumflex, ᾶ). The iota subscript (ὑπογεγραμμένη) tucks a silent iota beneath long vowels — ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ — and marks datives and other forms that would otherwise be ambiguous. The dialytika separates vowels that would otherwise form a diphthong.
Precomposed combinations, one key each. The characters that make polytonic tedious elsewhere are the ones carrying two or three marks at once. This layout puts them on single keys: ἄ, ἆ, ἤ, ἦ, ὤ, ὦ, ὐ, ὒ, ὔ, ὖ and the iota-subscript forms. You are not building each letter from a base vowel and a stack of dead keys, which is where most polytonic typing goes wrong.
Perfect for: classicists and their students, biblical and patristic scholars, Byzantine historians, Orthodox clergy and cantors preparing liturgical text, papyrologists, and anyone quoting ancient Greek accurately in an essay, edition, or footnote.
Related keyboards: if you need the complete precomposed Greek Extended Unicode range — including the capital iota-adscript forms ᾈ, ᾘ, ᾨ used when setting classical text in capitals — use the Greek Extended layout instead. For modern monotonic Greek, use the standard Greek keyboard. Switch 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 polytonic Greek?
Polytonic (πολυτονικό) is the traditional Greek accentuation system: two breathing marks, three accents, the iota subscript, and the dialytika. Greek used it from antiquity until 1982, when Greece officially adopted the simpler monotonic system with a single accent. Polytonic remains standard for Ancient and Koine Greek and for Orthodox liturgical texts.
What are the breathing marks?
Every word beginning with a vowel carries one. The rough breathing (δασεία, ῾) adds an initial h sound — ἡ is read 'hē' — while the smooth breathing (ψιλή, ᾿) marks its absence. They are not optional: omitting them is a spelling error, and they can distinguish otherwise identical words.
What is the iota subscript?
A small iota written beneath a long vowel — ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ — that is no longer pronounced but is still written. It marks the dative case and certain verb forms, so dropping it loses grammatical information. All three subscript vowels are on this keyboard.
Can I type vowels with a breathing and an accent together?
Yes, as single keystrokes. Characters such as ἄ, ἆ, ἤ, ἦ, ὤ, ὦ, ὐ, ὒ, ὔ and ὖ are precomposed on the layout, so you do not have to assemble them from a base vowel plus dead keys — which is where polytonic typing usually breaks down.
How is this different from the Greek Extended keyboard?
This layout covers the polytonic characters you need for ordinary reading and writing of ancient Greek. The Extended layout covers the complete precomposed Greek Extended Unicode block, including the capital iota-adscript forms ᾈ, ᾘ and ᾨ used when classical text is set in capitals. Use this one for prose; use Extended for critical editions and full Unicode coverage.
Do I need polytonic for modern Greek?
Usually not. Modern Greek has used monotonic orthography since 1982, with a single accent and no breathings. Use the standard Greek keyboard for that. Polytonic is what you need for Ancient Greek, Koine, Byzantine texts, and Orthodox liturgy, and some publishers still prefer it for modern Greek too.
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.
Will polytonic characters display correctly?
Yes, on any modern system. These are standard Unicode characters from the Greek and Greek Extended blocks, supported by current operating systems and by any font with reasonable Greek coverage. Text you type here can be pasted into documents, email, and web forms without loss.
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