Greek verb endings have fixed spellings even when several letter sequences sound identical: the grammatical person, number, and morphological voice select the ending, not the ear. The complete paradigms belong on spelling verb endings; this page is a set of diagnostics and a self-check.
1st singular: -ω, not -ο
English does not distinguish omega from omicron, and Modern Greek pronounces both as /o/. If the word is the first-person singular of an active present verb, the final letter is ω.
❌ Σου στέλνο τη διεύθυνση του ξενοδοχείου τώρα.
Incorrect verb ending — intended 1st-singular στέλνω ends in omega.
✅ Σου στέλνω τη διεύθυνση του ξενοδοχείου τώρα.
su stélno ti dhiéfthinsi tu ksenodhochíu tóra
I'm sending you the hotel's address now.
❌ Δεν ξέρο αν προλαβαίνουμε το τελευταίο τρένο.
Incorrect verb ending — intended 1st-singular ξέρω ends in -ω.
✅ Δεν ξέρω αν προλαβαίνουμε το τελευταίο τρένο.
dhen kséro an prolavénume to teleftéo tréno
I don't know whether we'll catch the last train.
The quickest diagnosis is syntactic: identify the understood “I” from the clause, then check the ending rather than comparing the sound with a neuter noun in -ο.
Type A 2nd and 3rd singular: -εις and -ει
In the large Type A class, the two active endings both contain ει, pronounced /i/. The final -ς distinguishes “you” from “he/she/it”; replacing ει with η or ι preserves the sound but breaks the spelling. Other conjugations have forms such as αγαπάς and αγαπά(ει), so first identify the paradigm rather than attaching -εις/-ει to every verb.
❌ Γιατί περιμένης ακόμα το λεωφορείο;
Incorrect Type A ending — the 2nd-singular form is περιμένεις with -εις.
✅ Γιατί περιμένεις ακόμα το λεωφορείο;
yatí periménis akóma to leoforío;
Why are you still waiting for the bus?
❌ Η Άννα δουλεύη από το σπίτι κάθε Παρασκευή.
Incorrect verb ending — the 3rd-singular form is δουλεύει with -ει.
✅ Η Άννα δουλεύει από το σπίτι κάθε Παρασκευή.
i Ána dhulévi apó to spíti káthe Paraskeví
Anna works from home every Friday.
These errors belong partly to the larger /i/-sound problem. Use the vowel-spelling diagnostic for roots and nominal endings; stay here when the uncertain letters are the verb's person ending.
-εται versus -ετε: identify the grammatical slot
In the present paradigms diagnosed here, these two endings are homophonous. -εται is third-person singular in a mediopassive-shaped paradigm; -ετε is second-person plural active. A stated subject or addressee normally makes the intended slot visible.
❌ Η αίτηση υποβάλλετε ηλεκτρονικά από τον λογιστή μέχρι την Παρασκευή.
Incorrect for the intended 3rd-singular mediopassive — nominative η αίτηση requires υποβάλλεται.
✅ Η αίτηση υποβάλλεται ηλεκτρονικά από τον λογιστή μέχρι την Παρασκευή.
i étisi ipoválete ilektroniká apó ton loyistí méchri tin Paraskeví
The application is submitted electronically by the accountant by Friday.
❌ Εσείς συμπληρώνεται μόνο την πρώτη σελίδα.
Incorrect for the intended 2nd-plural active — write συμπληρώνετε.
✅ Εσείς συμπληρώνετε μόνο την πρώτη σελίδα.
esís simplirónete móno tin próti selídha
You fill in only the first page.
Do not reduce this diagnostic to “passive meaning versus active meaning.” Many Greek verbs have mediopassive morphology without a compositional passive meaning. έρχομαι “come” is one of them, so its spelling follows its lexical paradigm.
❌ Ο τεχνικός έρχετε αύριο μεταξύ δέκα και δώδεκα.
Incorrect spelling of lexical έρχομαι — the 3rd-singular form is έρχεται.
✅ Ο τεχνικός έρχεται αύριο μεταξύ δέκα και δώδεκα.
o technikós érchete ávrio metaksí dhéka ke dhódheka
The technician is coming tomorrow between ten and twelve.
The correction does not claim that “the technician is passively come.” It identifies έρχεται as the third-singular member of the έρχομαι paradigm.
Other mediopassive-shaped lexical verbs
The same warning applies to everyday verbs such as θυμάμαι “remember,” κοιμάμαι “sleep,” and χρειάζομαι “need.” Their meanings do not supply a reliable active/passive test; their citation forms do.
❌ Δεν θυμάμε πού άφησα την κάρτα του δωματίου.
Incorrect spelling — the lexical 1st-singular form is θυμάμαι with αι.
✅ Δεν θυμάμαι πού άφησα την κάρτα του δωματίου.
dhen thimáme pu áfisa tin kárta tu dhomatíu
I don't remember where I left the room key card.
3rd plural: -ουν and licensed -ουνε
Neutral current Standard writing commonly uses -ουν. Expanded -ουνε is also a real present-tense ending, frequent in informal speech and represented dialogue; it is not an orthographic error that can be marked wrong everywhere.
Οι γείτονες φεύγουν νωρίς κάθε πρωί.
i yítones févghun norís káthe proí
The neighbours leave early every morning. (neutral across registers)
Οι γείτονες φεύγουνε χαράματα για τη λαϊκή.
i yítones févghune charámata ya ti laikí
The neighbours leave at dawn for the street market. (informal conversational form)
The diagnostic is register-sensitive: prefer -ουν in neutral edited prose, but recognize -ουνε as grammatical. What is not licensed is a sound-based invented spelling such as -ουναι.
❌ Οι υπάλληλοι φεύγουναι μόλις κλείσει το κατάστημα.
Incorrect spelling — -ουναι is not an ending of this verb.
✅ Οι υπάλληλοι φεύγουν μόλις κλείσει το κατάστημα.
i ipálili févghun mólis klísi to katástima
The employees leave as soon as the shop closes.
Common Mistakes
Correcting from sound alone
If two endings sound alike, repeating the word more slowly will not reveal the spelling. Identify the clause's subject and the verb's paradigm.
Πώς γράφεται το επώνυμό σας;
pos ghráfete to epónimó sas;
How is your surname spelled? (3rd singular mediopassive)
Πώς γράφετε το επώνυμό σας στα λατινικά;
pos ghráfete to epónimó sas sta latiniká;
How do you write your surname in Latin letters? (2nd plural/polite active)
The two verbs sound the same; their subjects and grammatical slots choose different spellings.
Treating every -εται form as semantically passive
Morphological shape and lexical meaning are separate. Check the citation form before applying a semantic label.
Η Μαρία χρειάζεται λίγες μέρες ξεκούραση.
i María chriázete líghes méres ksekúrasi
Maria needs a few days' rest.
Rejecting -ουνε without a register check
It is informal, not impossible. Use -ουν as the neutral production default and interpret -ουνε according to medium and voice.
Στα επίσημα πρακτικά αναφέρουν ότι η απόφαση ήταν ομόφωνη.
sta epísima praktiká anaférun óti i apófasi ítan omófoni
The official minutes report that the decision was unanimous. (formal)
Self-check
- Underline the uncertain ending rather than the whole word.
- Identify person and number from the subject or context.
- Check the verb's citation form and morphological paradigm.
- For -εται/-ετε, do not rely only on semantic “passive/active”; verify the slot.
- Treat -ουν/-ουνε as a register choice, while rejecting unattested sound-based spellings.
Key Takeaways
- Verb endings are fixed by grammatical person, number, and paradigm, not by sound.
- Active 1sg takes -ω; Type A 2sg/3sg take -εις/-ει, while other conjugations retain their own fixed endings.
- Homophonous -εται and -ετε require a grammatical-slot check.
- έρχεται follows lexical έρχομαι; its meaning “comes” does not turn it into an active-shaped verb.
- Neutral -ουν and informal -ουνε are both grammatical; -ουναι is not.
Related Topics
- Spelling Verb EndingsB1 — A verb ending is spelled by its paradigm, not by sound: Type A γράφω, γράφεις, γράφει contrasts with Type B αγαπάω/αγαπώ, αγαπάς, αγαπά(ει), while passive -εται contrasts with active -ετε.
- Misspelling ι/η/υ/ει/οιA2 — Diagnose /i/-sound misspellings by checking grammatical endings and learned word forms instead of guessing from pronunciation.
- Spelling the Present EndingsA2 — Present endings have fixed spellings within each paradigm: Type A γράφω, γράφεις, γράφει contrasts with Type B αγαπάς, αγαπά(ει), while mediopassive -εται contrasts with active -ετε.