# What's your favourite letter of the Greek alphabet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 1, 2017, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630 "2017-05-01T10:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/1 "2017-05-01T10:39:23Z")
I know, I love them all too. But if you had to play favourites…? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/2 "2017-05-01T10:51:23Z")
I have an irrational love for pi. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/3 "2017-05-01T12:05:58Z")
Lamba. I’m a Computer Science person. But it’s not for the reason you might first think. (I _hate_ LISP & company.) Here is the reason: ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/4 "2017-05-01T12:11:28Z")
Omega has a nice ring to it and looks like a horse shoe. Epsilon sounds the coolest and is what I most associate with sorority names. I don’t think I’ve ever heard “omicron” said out loud. I’m not even sure I was aware of its existence before this thread. Is it rarely used or something? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/5 "2017-05-01T12:13:43Z")
Well don’t keep us waiting, **ftg**! Personally, I’m rather fond of ζετα and ξι, largely because I’m proud of the fact that I can actually write them as something more than a random scribble. I also love the fact that the two Greek “O” letters are called “Big O” and “little o”. And on the whole alphabet in general, it’s nice how each letter is spelled starting with itself. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/6 "2017-05-01T12:14:19Z")
I like delta. Change and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/7 "2017-05-01T12:39:52Z")
Sigma pretty much sums up my feelings. I don’t like Iota one … bit. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/8 "2017-05-01T13:36:47Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Omega has a nice ring to it and looks like a horse shoe. Epsilon sounds the coolest and is what I most associate with sorority names. > > I don’t think I’ve ever heard “omicron” said out loud. I’m not even sure I was aware of its existence before this thread. Is it rarely used or something? First, think about what the names omicron and omega actually mean. I assume that capital Omega started out as an underlined O and then was modified to the current form. Neither omicron is sufficiently different from the corresponding roman letter to be useful as a mathematical symbol, a trait it shares with several capitals (A,B,E,…). My favorite is Xi, because it is in three disconnected pieces; the xi is sometimes pronounced “squiggle”, although I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/9 "2017-05-01T13:38:24Z")
Upsilon, because it sounds the funniest. On the other hand, if I had said Delta I would have gotten _change._ ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/10 "2017-05-01T14:29:42Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > First, think about what the names omicron and omega actually mean. I assume that capital Omega started out as an underlined O and then was modified to the current form. Neither omicron is sufficiently different from the corresponding roman letter to be useful as a mathematical symbol, a trait it shares with several capitals (A,B,E,…). > > My favorite is Xi, because it is in three disconnected pieces; the xi is sometimes pronounced “squiggle”, although I don’t. 😕😕😕 It’s all Greek to me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/11 "2017-05-01T14:40:02Z")
Pi is the sweetest and most versatile letter. When come back, bring 3.14159265359 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/12 "2017-05-01T14:42:11Z")
I’ve liked omicron since about sixth grade. No real reason other than it sounded cool and futuristic to me at the time. I made up a fake futuristic newspaper on loose leaf paper (even had about a quarter of the class contributing articles to it) at that age and called it The Omicron Times, until l realized that was a bit esoteric and changed it to The Moon Times. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/13 "2017-05-01T14:58:16Z")
I’d say Λ, there are only three of them in the Scrabble bag, and they’re worth 3 points, so I like drawing a Λ. Maye that’s why it’s so popular. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/14 "2017-05-01T15:08:21Z")
Kappa - in honor of the movie “The House Bunny”. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/15 "2017-05-01T15:39:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Well don’t keep us waiting, **ftg**! Waiting for what? My post was complete.😃 ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/16 "2017-05-01T16:13:14Z")
I too love them all, but will go with iota, since it’s like my user name. Also, I just learned that it’s the same word as jot. And I just realized :rolleyes: that the word alphabet is alpha + bet(a)… ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/17 "2017-05-01T16:28:57Z")
Shouldn’t this be a private poll? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/18 "2017-05-01T16:37:40Z")
Let ε\>0. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/19 "2017-05-01T17:06:11Z")
My favourite, is one which features in a limerick which I’m fond of. There was a young curate of Kew Who kept a pet cat in his pew. He vowed that in Greek He’d teach it to speak; But it never got further than μ. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630/20 "2017-05-01T17:27:19Z")
I’ve always had a soft spot for the forgotten Greek letters: [digamma (Ϝϝ)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digamma), [qoppa (Ϙϙ)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koppa_(letter)), and [sampi (no Unicode for the variants I used)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampi). I’d occasionally use them in my physics homework (qoppa especially), where running out of symbols was not uncommon. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favourite-letter-of-the-greek-alphabet/785630.md?page=2)