Additive connectors attach new material to what was said. Greek distinguishes a parallel addition from a reinforcing reason. This makes επίσης different from idiomatic εξάλλου/άλλωστε, despite overlapping dictionary glosses.
Register matters too: everyday speech often uses και, επίσης, ακόμα, κι άλλο, while organized prose favors επιπλέον and formal επιπροσθέτως.
και: add a focused participant or item
Before the added constituent, και means “also/too.” Its position identifies what joins an already active set.
Θα έρθει και η Δήμητρα στη συνάντηση.
tha érthi ke i Dhímitra sti sinándisi
Dimitra will come to the meeting too.
Παρήγγειλα και μια σαλάτα για τη μέση.
paríngila ke mia saláta ya ti mési
I also ordered a salad for everyone to share.
The first adds a person; the second an ordered item. See και / κι for focus and coordination.
επίσης: a neutral parallel addition
Επίσης adds another proposition or item at the same argumentative level. It is neutral in speech and writing. Sentence-initial position followed by a comma is clear in exposition; medial position often places it close to the element it adds.
Η Άννα θα ετοιμάσει την παρουσίαση. Επίσης, θα κρατήσει τις σημειώσεις της συζήτησης.
i Ána tha etimási tin parusíasi. epísis, tha kratísi tis simiósis tis sizítisis
Anna will prepare the presentation. She will also take notes on the discussion.
Η υπηρεσία προσφέρει επίσης τηλεφωνική υποστήριξη τα Σαββατοκύριακα.
i ipiresía prosféri epísis tilefonikí ipostíriksi ta Savatokíriaka
The service also offers telephone support on weekends.
Επίσης simply places another fact beside the first; it does not explain why to accept it.
ακόμα and κι άλλο: more of the same
Everyday ακόμα means “another/more” before a quantity; κι άλλο means “more/another one,” often with an understood noun.
Χρειαζόμαστε ακόμα δύο καρέκλες για τους επισκέπτες.
chriazómaste akóma dhío karékles ya tus episképtes
We need two more chairs for the visitors.
Το γλυκό ήταν υπέροχο και ζήτησα κι άλλο.
to ghlikó ítan ipérocho ke zítisa ki álo
The dessert was wonderful, and I asked for more.
Πάνω απ' όλα literally means “above all.” It adds the highest-priority consideration, not an ordinary parallel item.
Το σπίτι πρέπει να είναι φωτεινό και, πάνω απ' όλα, ήσυχο.
to spíti prépi na íne fotinó ke, páno ap' óla, ísicho
The house must be bright and, above all, quiet.
ακόμα “still” versus ακόμα και “even”
The addition of και changes the meaning. Plain temporal ακόμα means “still/yet”; focused ακόμα και introduces an unexpected member of a scale, “even.”
Ακόμα περιμένω απάντηση από την τράπεζα.
akóma periméno apándisi apó tin trápeza
I'm still waiting for an answer from the bank.
Ακόμα και ο διευθυντής βοήθησε να μεταφέρουμε τα κουτιά.
akóma ke o dhiefthindís voíthise na metaférume ta kutiá
Even the director helped us move the boxes.
The first continues through time; the second adds a surprising participant. Identify the focus of ακόμα και from position and context.
επιπλέον and επιπροσθέτως: organized written addition
Επιπλέον is the standard connector for adding another organized point in reports, presentations, and careful argument (written/formal). It commonly opens the new sentence.
Η νέα διαδικασία μειώνει τα λάθη. Επιπλέον, εξοικονομεί χρόνο για την ομάδα.
i néa dhiadhikasía mióni ta láthi. epipléon, eksikonomí chróno ya tin omádha
The new procedure reduces errors. In addition, it saves the team time. (formal writing)
Επιπροσθέτως performs a similar job but is heavier and particularly characteristic of academic, administrative, or legal prose (formal/academic).
Η μέθοδος δεν έχει αξιολογηθεί σε μεγάλο δείγμα. Επιπροσθέτως, απαιτεί εξειδικευμένο εξοπλισμό.
i méthodhos dhen échi aksioloyithí se meghálo dhíghma. epiprosthétos, apetí eksidhikevméno eksoplizmó
The method has not been evaluated on a large sample. Furthermore, it requires specialized equipment. (academic)
Επιπροσθέτως sounds ceremonious in a text message; repeated everyday και can understructure an academic argument. Choose by genre.
εξάλλου and άλλωστε: characteristically reinforcing
Εξάλλου/άλλωστε characteristically add a reason supporting an existing conclusion: “besides/after all.” Both are idiomatic in speech and writing. Άλλωστε often treats the reason as shared or sufficient; εξάλλου commonly adds another supporting consideration, though it can also introduce a substantive supplementary point.
Δεν χρειάζεται να βιαστούμε. Εξάλλου, έχουμε ολόκληρη την εβδομάδα μπροστά μας.
dhen chriázete na viastúme. eksálu, échume olókliri tin evdhomádha brostá mas
We don't need to rush. Besides, we have the whole week ahead of us.
Θα πάρω ομπρέλα· άλλωστε, η πρόγνωση λέει ότι θα βρέξει.
tha páro obréla; áloste, i próghnosi léi óti tha vréksi
I'll take an umbrella; after all, the forecast says it will rain.
Replacing them mechanically with επίσης can lose the reinforcement. When εξάλλου is merely supplementary, επίσης may come close, but it does not carry the same transition or speaker stance. Natural άλλωστε is valuable because Greek uses this shared-reason stance freely.
και…και and ούτε…ούτε
Repeated και…και includes two parallel members: “both…and.” Keep the conjunctions at matching structural points.
Και η γραμματεία και το λογιστήριο ενέκριναν την αλλαγή.
ke i ghramatía ke to loyistírio enékrinan tin alayí
Both the administration office and accounting approved the change.
The negative counterpart ούτε…ούτε means “neither…nor.” When it follows a finite verb in a negative assertion, Greek negative concord requires δεν on that verb.
Δεν αγόρασα ούτε ψωμί ούτε γάλα.
dhen aghórasa úte psomí úte ghála
I bought neither bread nor milk.
Clause-initial ούτε…ούτε can itself negate parallel predicates. It does not license an affirmative verb before a postverbal pair; see negative concord.
Ούτε τηλεφώνησε ούτε έστειλε μήνυμα όλη μέρα.
úte tilefónise úte éstile mínima óli méra
She neither called nor sent a message all day.
Common Mistakes
1. Misspelling επίσης with -εις. The connector ends in -σης.
❌ Επίσεις, η κράτηση περιλαμβάνει πρωινό.
Incorrect spelling—the connector is επίσης.
✅ Επίσης, η κράτηση περιλαμβάνει πρωινό.
epísis, i krátisi perilamváni proinó
The booking also includes breakfast.
2. Leaving a postverbal ούτε…ούτε pair without clause negation. Add δεν to the finite verb.
❌ Αγόρασα ούτε φρούτα ούτε λαχανικά.
Incorrect as a standalone negative assertion—the postverbal pair requires δεν.
✅ Δεν αγόρασα ούτε φρούτα ούτε λαχανικά.
dhen aghórasa úte frúta úte lachaniká
I bought neither fruit nor vegetables.
3. Replacing the adverb επιπροσθέτως with an adjective-like ending. The connector is invariable.
❌ Επιπρόσθετος, το μέτρο αυξάνει το διοικητικό κόστος.
Incorrect—the sentence connector is επιπροσθέτως.
✅ Επιπροσθέτως, το μέτρο αυξάνει το διοικητικό κόστος.
epiprosthétos, to métro afksáni to dhiikitikó kóstos
Furthermore, the measure increases administrative costs. (formal)
Key Takeaways
- Και, επίσης, ακόμα, κι άλλο add people, facts, or quantity in everyday language.
- Επιπλέον organizes written addition; επιπροσθέτως is heavier and formal/academic.
- Επίσης adds a parallel point; εξάλλου/άλλωστε characteristically add a reinforcing reason, although εξάλλου can also supplement.
- Plain ακόμα often means “still/yet”; ακόμα και means “even.”
- Και…και includes both members; postverbal ούτε…ούτε requires negative concord with δεν, while a clause-initial pair can supply negation itself.
Related Topics
- Text Connectors OverviewB1 — Choose Greek connectors by discourse function and register to build coherent spoken explanations and written arguments.
- Coordinating ConjunctionsB1 — Coordinate equal Greek words and clauses with και, ή, ούτε, αλλά, όμως, παρά, and λοιπόν, including the paired forms both…and, either…or, and neither…nor.
- Contrast Markers: όμως, ωστόσο, αντίθεταB1 — Signal contrast between Greek sentences with markers that reverse expectations, oppose positions, balance considerations, or limit a claim.