Greek Letter Calculator

Greek Letter Converter

Convert between Greek letters and their numerical positions in the Greek alphabet. Enter a Greek letter to find its position, or enter a number to find the corresponding Greek letter.

Enter a single Greek letter (uppercase or lowercase)
Enter a number between 1 and 24

Conversion Results

Greek Alphabet Quick Reference

# Uppercase Lowercase Name

Common Uses in Mathematics

  • α (alpha) - Angular acceleration, statistical significance
  • β (beta) - Angles, regression coefficient
  • γ (gamma) - Specific gravity, Lorentz factor
  • Δ (delta) - Change in a variable, discriminant
  • θ (theta) - Angle, phase angle
  • λ (lambda) - Wavelength, eigenvalue
  • μ (mu) - Population mean, coefficient of friction
  • π (pi) - Ratio of circumference to diameter
  • σ (sigma) - Standard deviation, sum
  • Ω (omega) - Ohm (electrical resistance), solid angle

About Greek Letters

History of the Greek Alphabet

The Greek alphabet emerged in the late 9th or early 8th century BCE, derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet. It was the first true alphabet, representing both consonants and vowels with separate symbols. The Greek alphabet has been continuously used for over 2,700 years and has influenced the development of other writing systems, including the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets.

Greek Letters in Science and Mathematics

Greek letters have been widely adopted in mathematics, science, and engineering to represent various constants, variables, and functions. Some of the most famous examples include:

  • π (pi) - The ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, approximately 3.14159
  • Σ (sigma) - Used to denote summation in mathematical notation
  • Δ (delta) - Often used to represent change or difference in a variable
  • φ (phi) - The golden ratio, approximately 1.618
  • ε (epsilon) - Often used to represent a very small quantity

Greek Letters in Fraternity and Sorority Names

Greek letters are commonly used to name fraternities and sororities in colleges and universities, particularly in the United States. This tradition began with the founding of Phi Beta Kappa in 1776, which used Greek letters representing their motto "Philosophy is the Guide of Life" (Philosophia Biou Kubernetes).

Greek Letters in Physics and Engineering

In physics and engineering, Greek letters often represent specific physical quantities:

  • ρ (rho) - Density or resistivity
  • ω (omega) - Angular velocity or frequency
  • τ (tau) - Time constant or torque
  • λ (lambda) - Wavelength
  • η (eta) - Efficiency

Typing Greek Letters

There are several ways to type Greek letters on a computer:

  • Unicode input - Use Alt codes or Unicode values
  • Character map - Use the built-in character map utility in your operating system
  • HTML entities - In web pages, use HTML entities like α for α
  • LaTeX - In mathematical typesetting, use commands like \alpha for α
  • Keyboard layouts - Install a Greek keyboard layout for typing in Greek