Greek Alphabet & Terms

Greek Alphabet

Α ALPHA (AL-fuh)

Β BETA (BAY-tuh)

Γ GAMMA (GAM-uh)

Δ DELTA (DEL-tuh)

Ε EPSILON (EP-sil-on)

Ζ ZETA (ZAY-tuh)

Η ETA (AY-tuh)

Θ THETA (THAY-tuh)

Ι IOTA (eye-OH-tuh)

Κ KAPPA (KAP-uh)

Λ LAMBDA (LAM-duh)

Μ MU (MYOO)

Ν NU (NYOO)

Ξ XI (ZEE)

Ο OMICRON (OM-i-KRON)

Π PI (PIE)

Ρ RHO (ROW)

Σ SIGMA (SIG-muh)

Τ TAU (tah)

Υ UPSILON (OOP-si-LON)

Φ PHI (f-eye or fee)

Χ CHI (K-EYE)

Ψ PSI (SIGH)

Ω OMEGA (oh-MAY-guh)

Terms

  • Active:
    A woman who has been initiated into lifelong sorority membership.
  • Alumna:
    An initiated sorority member who has graduated from college.
  • Bid:
    A formal invitation given to a potential new member to join a sorority.
  • Chapter:
    The local group of a national sorority.
  • Initiation:
    A formal ceremony through which new members become active members, sisters, of a sorority.
  • Interfraternity Council (IFC):
    The inter-fraternity programming and governing body; the fraternities’ equivalent of the Panhellenic Council.
  • Legacy:
    A woman whose mother, sister or grandmother is an active member or alumna of a sorority.
  • New Member:
    A woman who has accepted a sorority’s bid for membership but has not yet been initiated.
  • Panhellenic Council (PHC):
    The inter-sorority programming and governing body.
  • Philanthropy:
    A charitable fund-raiser or service project sponsored by a sorority or fraternity.
  • Pi Chi:
    A sorority member who leads a Recruitment group of PNMs through the stages of Recruitment. She is unbiased and is willing to honestly answer any questions about sororities and recruitment.
  • Potential New Member (PNM):
    A woman who is participating in recruitment, commonly referred to as a PNM.
  • Quota:
    The maximum number of new members a sorority may accept through Formal Recruitment.
  • Recommendation:
    A written letter sent by an alumna recommending a woman for membership in a sorority.
  • Sister:
    A term used by sorority members in the same chapter to refer to one another.