You will be astonished to find how many words you can understand while staying in Greece, if you take the trouble to learn how to read the symbols, and it is particularly useful to know the capital letters for reading bus, Toad and other signs. A surprising number of words in English are derived from the Greek language. Present-day spoken (demotic) Greek developed from the vernacular and
bears only a vague resemblance to ancient Greek; the literary language (katharevusa) is closer to it. Biblical (koine) Greek, unchanged since the early Middle Ages, is still read in church.
Place-names are a problem the Greeks are trying to solve gradually by reverting in most cases to classical spelling, which is different from the latinized version used in English and those used in French or German. Olympus is Olympos, Delphi-Delfoi, Thebes-Thivai and so on; likewise Salonica is called Thessaloniki. Complete consistency is still absent: Diakopton is often spelt Dhiakophton; a frequent word, Aghios (which means Saint) is often written Agios or Ayios. By erecting signposts in Latin characters but with Greek spelling, the Automobile and Touring Club of Greece is helping motorists of all nationalities.
The ancient Greek alphabet of 24 letters has remained unchanged and you won't find it difficult to recognize A, E, I, K, M, N, O, T, Y and Z. The letter B is pronounced V; H reads like EE; P like R, and X is a guttural CH;