Greek vs Turkish: Which Is Easier, and How Similar Are They?

Key takeaways

• Greek and Turkish are in the same Foreign Service Institute difficulty group (Category III).
• Their everyday vocabulary is mostly different: roughly 1 in 10 everyday words sound alike, so knowing one gives you little to lean on in the other.
• Study time will not decide it, so start with the one you will actually use.

How hard is each one?

For an English speaker the two sit in the same difficulty group, so neither is officially easier: the Foreign Service Institute puts both at 1,012 class hours. These are the figures behind the how long does it take to learn a language calculator, from the US Foreign Service Institute's published language training times.

The hours are for a native English speaker in full-time classes aiming at professional working proficiency. Useful everyday conversation comes sooner, and the calculator breaks the time down by level.

How much do the words overlap?

Their everyday vocabulary is mostly different: roughly 1 in 10 everyday words sound alike, so knowing one gives you little to lean on in the other.

A few everyday words that sound alike in Greek and Turkish:

And a few everyday words that sound completely different:

Writing system and grammar

• The writing systems differ: Greek uses the Greek alphabet and Turkish uses the Latin alphabet.
• Both have noun cases: Greek has 4 and Turkish has 6.

Which should you learn first?

Study time will not decide this one, because the two ask for about the same. If you want to reach a particular place, a person or a job, start with the one you will actually use: steady motivation counts for more than the difference in hours.

Frequently asked questions

Is Greek easier than Turkish?

For an English speaker the two sit in the same difficulty group, so neither is officially easier: the Foreign Service Institute puts both at 1,012 class hours. Hours are for a native English speaker reaching professional working proficiency in full-time classes; casual learning gets you to useful conversation well before that.

How similar are Greek and Turkish?

Their everyday vocabulary is mostly different: roughly 1 in 10 everyday words sound alike, so knowing one gives you little to lean on in the other.

Should I learn Greek or Turkish first?

Study time will not decide this one, because the two ask for about the same. If you want to reach a particular place, a person or a job, start with the one you will actually use: steady motivation counts for more than the difference in hours.

Do Greek and Turkish use the same alphabet?

No. Greek is written with the Greek alphabet and Turkish with the Latin alphabet.

Keep going

• How long does it take to learn Greek?
• Free Greek vocabulary lists
• Greek vocabulary test
• Greek quiz
• How long does it take to learn Turkish?
• Free Turkish vocabulary lists
• Turkish vocabulary test
• Turkish quiz
• The Greek Alphabet You Can Read Before You Can Spell
• Why One Turkish Word Can Carry an English Sentence

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