Spelling Verb Endings | Greek Grammar

Modern Greek verb endings are a spelling minefield, but a fair one. Because the vowels /o/ and /i/ each have several spellings (ω or ο, and η, ι, υ, ει or οι), and because verb endings are full of those sounds, learners constantly write ×γράφο for γράφω or ×γράφη for γράφει. The escape route is a single principle: a verb ending is spelled by its grammatical job and paradigm, not by its sound. Every ending within a given paradigm has a fixed spelling. Learn each paradigm and the sound stops mattering — if a word conjugates, its paradigm tells you how the ending is spelled, no matter how it clashes with a noun that sounds the same.

The active present, spelled out

The ordinary "type A" verb (stress on the stem, like γράφω "to write") has these six endings. Memorize the letters, not just the pronunciation:

Person	Ending	Form	Pronounced
1sg	-ω (omega)	γράφω	ghráfo
2sg	-εις (ε+ι)	γράφεις	ghráfis
3sg	-ει	γράφει	ghráfi
1pl	-ουμε	γράφουμε	ghráfume
2pl	-ετε	γράφετε	ghráfete
3pl	-ουν(ε)	γράφουν(ε)	ghráfun(e)

Three Type A endings are especially troublesome. 1sg is -ω (omega, never omicron). 2sg is -εις — spelled ε-ι even though it sounds like plain /is/. 3sg is -ει — again ε-ι, sounding like /i/. Fix those three Type A shapes in your memory and most of the trouble disappears.

Γράφω ένα μήνυμα στη γιαγιά μου.

ghráfo éna mínima sti yayá mu.

I'm writing a message to my grandma.

Τι διαβάζεις εκεί; Φαίνεται ενδιαφέρον.

ti dhiavázis ekí; fénete endhiaféron.

What are you reading there? It looks interesting.

Μου τηλεφωνεί κάθε βράδυ στις οκτώ.

mu tilefoní káthe vrádhi stis októ.

He calls me every evening at eight.

Τι ώρα φεύγετε αύριο για το αεροδρόμιο;

ti óra févyete ávrio ya to aerodhrómio;

What time are you leaving for the airport tomorrow?

Contract verbs: -άω / -ώ

The common Type B1 pattern stresses the ending (αγαπάω/αγαπώ "to love", μιλάω/μιλώ "to speak"). The 1sg alternates between -άω and the shorter -ώ — both spelled with omega — while the 2sg/3sg are αγαπάς, αγαπά(ει). Other contracted -ώ paradigms do have forms such as καλείς, καλεί, so person alone never chooses -εις/-ει: first identify the verb's conjugation class.

Μιλάω λίγα ελληνικά, αλλά καταλαβαίνω αρκετά.

miláo lígha eliniká, alá katalavéno arketá.

I speak a little Greek, but I understand quite a lot.

Σ' αγαπώ και θα σ' αγαπώ για πάντα.

s'aghapó ke tha s'aghapó ya pánda.

I love you and I'll love you forever.

The passive present, spelled out

The singular mediopassive endings -ομαι, -εσαι, -εται all carry the /e/-digraph αι, a useful contrast on spelling the /e/ sound. The plural has its own fixed spellings, shown here in the full present paradigm of γράφομαι:

Person	Ending	Form	Pronounced
1sg	-ομαι	γράφομαι	ghráfome
2sg	-εσαι	γράφεσαι	ghráfese
3sg	-εται	γράφεται	ghráfete
1pl	-όμαστε	γραφόμαστε	ghrafómaste
2pl	-εστε	γράφεστε	ghráfeste
3pl	-ονται	γράφονται	ghráfonde

Λέγομαι Μαρία και είμαι από την Κρήτη.

léghome María ke íme apó tin kríti.

My name is Maria and I'm from Crete.

Το ξενοδοχείο βρίσκεται ακριβώς δίπλα στη θάλασσα.

to ksenodhochío vrískete akrivós dhípla sti thálasa.

The hotel is located right next to the sea.

The three homophone traps

Everything above matters because of three clashes where a verb ending sounds exactly like a noun ending — and only the fixed verbal spelling keeps them apart.

Trap 1: verb -ω vs noun -ο

A 1sg verb ends in -ω (omega). A neuter noun (and the neuter of an adjective) ends in -ο (omicron). They sound identical:

καλώ = "I call/invite" (verb, ω)
καλό = "good" (neuter adjective, ο)

Καλώ ένα ταξί για να μη βραχούμε.

kaló éna taksí ya na mi vrachúme.

I'll call a taxi so we don't get soaked.

Αυτό το κρασί είναι πολύ καλό.

aftó to krasí íne polí kaló.

This wine is very good.

Trap 2: verbal -ει vs noun -η vs plural -οι

When a 3sg form in the relevant verbal paradigm ends in /i/, it is spelled -ει; the same sound may be -η on a feminine noun or -οι on a masculine/feminine plural. This does not make -ει universal across conjugations: compare Type A γράφει, contracted καλεί, and Type B1 αγαπά(ει). The cleanest homophone illustration is a genuine triple, all pronounced kalí:

καλή = "good" (feminine singular, -η)
καλεί = "he/she calls" (3sg verb, -εί)
καλοί = "good" (masculine plural, -οί)

Η καλή μου φίλη με καλεί κάθε Κυριακή.

i kalí mu fíli me kalí káthe Kiriakí.

My good friend calls me every Sunday.

Οι καλοί μαθητές διαβάζουν κάθε μέρα.

i kalí mathités dhiavázun káthe méra.

The good students study every day.

Because καλεί conjugates (it is the 3sg of καλώ), its ending is the verbal -ει; because καλή and καλοί are adjective forms agreeing with nouns, they take the nominal -η and -οι. The grammar decides the letter.

Trap 3: passive -εται vs active -ετε

This is the one native writers slip on too. The passive 3sg -εται (αι) and the active 2pl -ετε (ε) are homophones. Compare a contract verb, where they surface as kalíte both ways:

καλείται = "he/she is called" (passive 3sg, -εται)
καλείτε = "you (all) call" (active 2pl, -ετε)

Πώς λέγεται αυτό το φαγητό στα ελληνικά;

pos léyete aftó to fayitó sta eliniká;

What is this dish called in Greek?

Γιατί καλείτε τον γιατρό κάθε μέρα;

yatí kalíte ton yatró káthe méra;

Why do you call the doctor every day?

💡

When an ending is ambiguous, ask what grammatical slot and paradigm the word belongs to. A Type A 2sg/3sg takes -εις/-ει, a Type B1 verb has forms such as αγαπάς, αγαπά(ει), and a mediopassive 3sg takes -εται. The paradigm, not the sound, selects the spelling.

Common Mistakes

1. Writing the 1sg with omicron. Every 1sg active ends in -ω (omega).

❌ Εγώ γράφο ελληνικά κάθε μέρα.

Wrong — the 1sg ending is -ω (omega): γράφω.

✅ Εγώ γράφω ελληνικά κάθε μέρα.

eghó ghráfo eliniká káthe méra.

I write Greek every day.

2. Spelling Type A 2sg -εις as ×-ης. In the Type A paradigm of κάνω, the 2sg is fixed κάνεις, with ε-ι-ς; other classes have their own endings, such as αγαπάς.

❌ Εσύ τι κάνης απόψε;

Wrong — the 2sg ending is -εις: κάνεις.

✅ Εσύ τι κάνεις απόψε;

esí ti kánis apópse;

What are you doing tonight?

3. Spelling Type A 3sg -ει as ×-η. In the Type A paradigm of γράφω, the 3sg is γράφει; other classes have forms such as αγαπά(ει), while -η belongs to nominal forms such as γραφή.

❌ Μου γράφη κάθε βδομάδα από το εξωτερικό.

Wrong — the 3sg ending is -ει: γράφει (-η belongs to feminine nouns).

✅ Μου γράφει κάθε βδομάδα από το εξωτερικό.

mu ghráfi káthe vdhomádha apó to eksoterikó.

He writes to me every week from abroad.

4. Using active -ετε for the mediopassive meaning. A 3sg mediopassive form takes -εται; active 2pl takes -ετε.

❌ Η καινούρια υπάλληλος λέγετε Άννα.

Wrong — nominative η καινούρια υπάλληλος requires 3sg mediopassive λέγεται.

✅ Η καινούρια υπάλληλος λέγεται Άννα.

i kenúria ipálilos léyete Ána.

The new employee is called Anna.

Key Takeaways

A verb ending's spelling is fixed by its grammatical job and paradigm, not its sound: Type A -ω, -εις, -ει, -ουμε, -ετε, -ουν contrasts with Type B1 -άω/-ώ, -άς, -ά(ει) and other contracted patterns.
In Type A, memorize 1sg -ω (omega), 2sg -εις (ε-ι), and 3sg -ει (ε-ι); do not transfer the last two mechanically to αγαπάς, αγαπά(ει).
Three homophone traps: -ω vs -ο (καλώ / καλό), -ει vs -η vs -οι (καλεί / καλή / καλοί), -εται vs -ετε (καλείται / καλείτε).
The test that resolves all of them: identify the grammatical slot and conjugation class, then use that paradigm's fixed spelling — the sound is a decoy.
These three traps head the list of errors natives make too; the rest of that list is on common spelling errors.

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