How to pronounce Greek letters properly?

[Haorong Wu]

Well, when we speak some equations with Greek letters in it, should we pronounce them with the modern Greek pronunciation or the English pronunciation?

For example, should I pronounce $\pi$ with /'pai/ as in the English pronunciation, or with [pi] as in the modern Greek pronunciation? Also, should I say /'tau/ or [taf] to express $\tau$?

 

[Borek]

Depends on who you are talking to.

 

[BillTre]

Brits and Americans can't even agree on how to say this: Z

 

[Haorong Wu]

Depends on who you are talking to.

I wonder how would most people do, so that most people would understand my pronunciation.

Well, I guess I should go with the English pronunciation.

Thanks.

 

[StatGuy2000]

My advice would depend on whether you are speaking to the individual in English or some other language (I assume from your PF handle name that you are a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese).

If you are talking about Greek letters used in equations in mathematics (or applications of mathematics in other scientific fields, e.g. physics) in English, then you should use the common pronunciation in English (either American or British).

If you are fluent in modern Greek and are speaking to someone about this in Greek, then you should use the Greek pronunciation.

 

[Haorong Wu]

My advice would depend on whether you are speaking to the individual in English or some other language (I assume from your PF handle name that you are a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese).

If you are talking about Greek letters used in equations in mathematics (or applications of mathematics in other scientific fields, e.g. physics) in English, then you should use the common pronunciation in English (either American or British).

If you are fluent in modern Greek and are speaking to someone about this in Greek, then you should use the Greek pronunciation.

Hi, StatGuy2000. Thanks for the advice. I will go with the English pronunciation. Thanks!

 

[AndreasC]

Greek guy here. I guess you should use the common pronunciation if you are talking to an international audience. Personally it kinda bugs me whenever I hear the letters pronounced different from what I'm used to because my brain expects it to be "mee" and I hear "miu". But for most people who aren't Greek, it's the Greek way that's going to be similarly confusing.

Funny thing is, I get confused with more regular stuff too like x and y. For whatever reason x was "hellenicized" to chi, and y (which doesn't really exist in the Greek alphabet) to psi. The result is that whenever I see them I think of them with those names and even if I am talking to someone who is not Greek I sometimes slip up and say these names instead.