Greek Months: All 12 Months in Greek With Pronunciation

Greek months look intimidating at first, mostly because of the alphabet. Once you get past that, they are one of the friendliest sets of Greek vocabulary to learn. Many of the names sound familiar to English speakers, and the standard month names follow similar grammatical patterns.

This guide gives you every month with its Greek spelling, a simple pronunciation guide, the shorter forms Greeks use in daily speech, and example sentences you can use right away.

The 12 Months in Greek: Full List With Pronunciation

Here are the months of the year in Greek, written in the Greek alphabet, with a stress-marked pronunciation. Capital letters show the stressed syllable.

The English-style pronunciations below are simplified guides for beginners, not exact phonetic transcriptions. For precise sounds, listen to a native speaker alongside the guide.

English	Greek	Pronunciation
January	Ιανουάριος	ee-ah-noo-AH-ree-os
February	Φεβρουάριος	fev-roo-AH-ree-os
March	Μάρτιος	MAR-tee-os
April	Απρίλιος	ah-PREE-lee-os
May	Μάιος	MAH-ee-os
June	Ιούνιος	ee-OO-nee-os
July	Ιούλιος	ee-OO-lee-os
August	Αύγουστος	AV-goo-stos
September	Σεπτέμβριος	sep-TEM-vree-os
October	Οκτώβριος	ok-TOH-vree-os
November	Νοέμβριος	no-EM-vree-os
December	Δεκέμβριος	the-KEM-vree-os

The accent mark in the Greek spelling (ά, ώ, ύ) shows which syllable to stress, so it doubles as a pronunciation guide once you know how to read it.

Pronunciation Tips for Greek Months

A few letters behave differently from what English speakers expect:

• β sounds like an English "v", which is why Σεπτέμβριος is "sep-TEM-vree-os", not "sep-TEM-bree-os".
• δ is a soft "th" as in "this". That gives Δεκέμβριος its opening "the-".
• ου sounds like "oo" in "moon", as in Ιανουάριος and Αύγουστος.
• γ in Αύγουστος has a softer sound than the English "g". For beginners, the pronunciation guide above is a practical approximation.
• αυ in Αύγουστος is pronounced "av", not "ow".

Don't worry about perfection. Stress the right syllable and get the "v" sounds right, and you will be understood.

January in Greek and February in Greek

January in Greek is Ιανουάριος (ee-ah-noo-AH-ree-os). It comes from the Latin Ianuarius, named after the Roman god Janus. In casual speech you will very often hear Γενάρης (yeh-NAH-rees) instead.

February in Greek is Φεβρουάριος (fev-roo-AH-ree-os), from Latin Februarius. The everyday form is Φλεβάρης (fleh-VAH-rees). If you have ever wondered why Greek speakers seem to say something quite different from the textbook, this is the reason: the short forms are the natural spoken versions.

Formal Names vs. Everyday Short Forms

Many Greek month names have a standard form and a shorter colloquial form. The standard forms are common in writing and formal contexts, while shorter colloquial forms are also widely used in everyday speech. The shortened forms (ending in -ης) are also widely heard in everyday speech.

Month	Standard form	Everyday form	Pronunciation of everyday form
January	Ιανουάριος	Γενάρης	yeh-NAH-rees
February	Φεβρουάριος	Φλεβάρης	fleh-VAH-rees
March	Μάρτιος	Μάρτης	MAR-tees
April	Απρίλιος	Απρίλης	ah-PREE-lees
May	Μάιος	Μάης	MAH-ees
June	Ιούνιος	Ιούνης	ee-OO-nees
July	Ιούλιος	Ιούλης	ee-OO-lees
September	Σεπτέμβριος	Σεπτέμβρης	sep-TEM-vrees
October	Οκτώβριος	Οκτώβρης	ok-TOH-vrees
November	Νοέμβριος	Νοέμβρης	no-EM-vrees
December	Δεκέμβριος	Δεκέμβρης	the-KEM-vrees

August is normally learned as Αύγουστος. You may also encounter the variant Άγουστος, but it is best to learn the standard form first. Learn the standard names first, then pick up the everyday forms as you hear them.

Where the Greek Month Names Come From

If the names feel familiar, that is not a coincidence. The month names used in Greek today follow the Roman calendar and were borrowed from Latin. That explains the resemblance to English: Ιανουάριος and January both trace back to Ianuarius, and Αύγουστος and August both go back to Augustus.

The last four months make a handy memory hook. September through December come from the Latin words for seven, eight, nine, and ten, because they were once the seventh to tenth months of the old Roman year. The Greek forms are Σεπτέμβριος, Οκτώβριος, Νοέμβριος, and Δεκέμβριος.

Ancient Greek city-states used their own local month names, such as Hekatombaion in Athens. In modern times, Greece adopted the Gregorian calendar for civil use in 1923, replacing the Julian calendar for civil dating: 16 February (Julian) became 1 March. Church calendar practice followed a more complicated path, and that is why Orthodox religious dates can differ from civil ones. Knowing this history is optional, but it makes the names easier to remember.

How to Use Months in Greek Sentences

Knowing the names is only half the job. Here is how to actually use the months in Greek.

Saying "in" a Month

When talking about something that happens in a particular month, Greekcommonly uses τον (ton) with the accusative form of the month. For masculine nouns ending in -ος, the accusative simply drops the final -ς:

• Τον Αύγουστο κάνει πολλή ζέστη. (Ton AV-goo-sto KAH-nee po-LEE ZES-tee.) In August it is very hot.
• Το σχολείο ξεκινά τον Σεπτέμβριο. (To sko-LEE-o kse-kee-NAH ton sep-TEM-vree-o.) School starts in September.
• Γεννήθηκα τον Μάιο. (Yeh-NEE-thee-ka ton MAH-ee-o.) I was born in May.
• Τα Χριστούγεννα είναι τον Δεκέμβριο. (Ta hris-TOO-yen-a EE-neh ton the-KEM-vree-o.) Christmas is in December.

Note that τον is not a fixed word for "in". It is the masculine article, and here it does the job that "in" does in English.

Saying a Date

For dates, Greek uses στις (stis, "on the") plus the day number, followed by the month in the genitive form:

• στις 25 Μαρτίου (stis EE-ko-see PEN-de mar-TEE-oo): on 25 March. This is also the date of Greece's national Independence Day holiday.
• στις 28 Οκτωβρίου (stis EE-ko-see ok-TOH ok-toh-VREE-oo): on 28 October, another national holiday.

The genitive forms for reference:

Month	Genitive
January	Ιανουαρίου
February	Φεβρουαρίου
March	Μαρτίου
April	Απριλίου
May	Μαΐου
June	Ιουνίου
July	Ιουλίου
August	Αυγούστου
September	Σεπτεμβρίου
October	Οκτωβρίου
November	Νοεμβρίου
December	Δεκεμβρίου

For the first of the month, Greeks say την πρώτη (tin PRO-tee): την πρώτη Μαΐου means "on the first of May". May Day itself is often called Πρωτομαγιά (pro-to-ma-YAH).

How to Learn the Greek Months Faster

A few habits work better than staring at a list:

• Start with what you already know. You probably recognize the sound of Μάρτιος, Απρίλιος, and Αύγουστος. Learn those first to build confidence.
• Group them. Learn January to June, then July to December, rather than all twelve at once.
• Anchor months to events. Link Μάρτιος to 25 March, Οκτώβριος to 28 October, and Δεκέμβριος to Christmas.
• Say them aloud. Read the pronunciation guide, then cover it and try again. Stress is what makes Greek sound natural.
• Practice with your own life. Write your birthday, your favorite month, and your holidays in Greek. Personal sentences stick.
• Add them to your wider Greek vocabulary. Pair the months with days of the week and numbers so you can talk about dates naturally.

Conclusion

The Greek months are a compact, practical set of words that you can start using immediately. You now have all twelve names, their pronunciation, the everyday short forms, and the two patterns you need most: talking about "in" a month with τον, and dates with the genitive month. Take it one group at a time, say each word aloud, and build a few sentences of your own.

FAQ

What are the months in Greek?
Ιανουάριος, Φεβρουάριος, Μάρτιος, Απρίλιος, Μάιος, Ιούνιος, Ιούλιος, Αύγουστος, Σεπτέμβριος, Οκτώβριος, Νοέμβριος, Δεκέμβριος.

Are Greek months capitalized?
Practice varies. They are commonly capitalized on calendars and in dates, and some style guides prefer lowercase in running text. Beginners can capitalize them without being wrong.

Why do some Greeks say Γενάρης instead of Ιανουάριος?
Γενάρης is the shortened, colloquial form of January. Ιανουάριος is the standard form used in writing. Most months have a similar pair.

How do I say "in July" in Greek?
Say τον Ιούλιο (ton ee-OO-lee-o). Greek commonly uses τον with the accusative form of the month to say something happens in that month.

How do I say a date like "5 May" in Greek?
Say στις 5 Μαΐου (stis PEN-de mah-EE-oo), using the genitive form of the month.

Sources

• Centre for the Greek Language, Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek (Triantafyllidis) online search — search for any month name, such as Ιανουάριος.
• Centre for the Greek Language, Triantafyllidis dictionary entry for Γενάρης — lists it as the colloquial form of Ιανουάριος, with its etymology.
• Institute of Modern Greek Studies (Manolis Triantafyllidis Foundation), Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek — publication information for the dictionary.
• Oxford Academic, "Note on the Calendar" — information on Greece's adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1923, including the change from 16 February (Julian) to 1 March (Gregorian).
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Gregorian Calendar" — background information on the Gregorian calendar.