Learn Cypriot Greek digitally.
The world’s first app dedicated to Cypriot Greek.
Hear native speakers, practice out loud and get instant feedback powered by A.I. speech recognition. Preserve your heritage and start speaking Cypriot Greek confidently today.
Ad-free. Download now.
Bringing modern Cypriot Greek to diasporic generations.
Preserving Cypriot Greek
for the next generation
Language is the cornerstone of any culture. But when you’re not speaking your native language daily, you can become a bit rusty.
Many Greek Cypriots face this problem when trying to pass down the language to their Australian, American or English born children.
To help preserve Cypriot Greek, we’ve gamified the dialect so you can learn all the conversational words and phrases to help you connect with your family, friends & the locals in Cyprus.
One of the world’s oldest languages now has an app.
Basic & Intermediate levels of learning.
Cyprusays® helps you learn the basics first, then gradually builds your confidence to understand and speak Cypriot Greek the way it’s really spoken. You’ll start picking up phrases you can actually use with family, friends and locals, all at your own pace.
It’s about learning naturally, one word and one phrase at a time.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Cyprusays® content was developed by an academic team of Linguists, Professors & Researchers, mapped against The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages combined with interactive and engaging learning techniques for digital natives.
Educating the
next generation
Our goal is to see Cyprusays® used by teachers and students in community Greek Schools across Australia, the UK and the US, to bring Cypriot Greek into the classroom.
We are also working toward introducing Cyprusays® into the education system in Cyprus. This will provide an avenue for the next generation to study their own dialect academically, alongside the existing Modern Greek curriculum, not just casually at home.
Ready to join Cyprusays®?
Reach out to the team,
Cypriot coffee powers every reply!
We’d love to hear your story, questions or ideas.
Meet our founding team
Cyprusays® was founded by Effie Athanassiou, an Australian-born Greek-Cypriot with a background in advertising, creative leadership, and a deep connection to her heritage. Motivated by the lack of accessible tools to learn Cypriot Greek, she created Cyprusays® to preserve the dialect through a modern, mobile-first platform. And so she could learn Cypriot Greek herself. She is joined by her husband and business partner, Costas Athanassiou, who brings commercial insight and a shared passion for celebrating and sustaining Greek and Cypriot culture.
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Founder & CEO
As an Australian born Greek Cypriot, Iphigenia, ‘Effie’, had limited access to appropriate learning channels of the Greek language, let alone the Cypriot Greek dialect, whilst growing up.
15 years in to her advertising & production career with countless successful campaigns and sales for worldwide brands including Kia, Samsung et.al., Effie capitalised on her industry skills and expertise to conceptualise and execute her tech startup whilst filling a global language void.
Cyprusays® is a tribute to her late father, her entire Cypriot Greek family (Kacopieros & Pericles), and is a gift to the next generation - to keep the soul of the language alive, no matter where they are in the world.
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Executive Partner
With a deep passion for preserving Greek & Cypriot culture and language, Konstantinos, ‘Costas’, understands the importance of passing on this traditional knowledge to subsequent generations through a digital platform.
Bringing with him a wealth of business know-how and the motivation required to help bring Cyprusays® to the world, Costas has teamed up with his wife Effie on this socially & culturally significant venture.
Meet our academic & tech team
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Spyros Armostis
Professor & Linguist
Spyros Armostis is an Assistant Professor in Linguistics at the Department of English Studies, University of Cyprus. He holds a PhD and an MPhil in Linguistics (Phonetics) from the University of Cambridge and a BA in Classics from the University of Cyprus. His research interests lie mainly in the fields of phonetics, phonology, sociolinguistics, clinical linguistics, grapholinguistics and language documentation and revitalisation.
Focal points of his work have been the study of Cypriot Greek and Cypriot Arabic, but he has also worked on Standard Modern Greek, Pontic Greek, English, French and Cypriot Turkish. Finally, he is the Coordinator of the “Cy[Φ]” (pronounced [ˈsaɪ̯ ˈfaɪ̯]) Phonetics Lab, Department of English Studies, University of Cyprus.
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Constantina Fotiou
Teacher Trainer & Linguist
Constantina Fotiou holds a PhD and MA in Sociolinguistics from the University of Essex (UK) and a BA in English language and literature from the University of Cyprus. She is an English language teacher trainer with special training on materials and syllabus development as well as technology-assisted language teaching and learning. She has completed postdoctoral research work on contemporary Cypriot Greek and is also the co-author of a textbook for teaching Cypriot Greek as a foreign language.
Her scholarly output includes peer-reviewed journal articles, edited volumes and book chapters. Constantina is also active in academic outreach by frequently contributing articles to Cypriot newspapers and publishing blogs on topics related to language teaching and learning.
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Dr. Natalia Pavlou
Lecturer & Linguist
Dr. Natalia Pavlou is a linguist from Cyprus who has worked at the University of Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates University. She earned her PhD in Linguistics from the University of Chicago in 2018. Her research focuses on morphosyntax with a particular emphasis on Cypriot Greek and Standard Modern Greek. Dr. Pavlou has conducted fieldwork on Cypriot Maronite Arabic (Sanna) and has been involved in research with Greek Cypriot heritage speakers.
Dr. Pavlou approaches language with deep intellectual curiosity, viewing it as a window into the human mind.
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Hoàng Nguyễn
Chief Data & Technology Officer
Hoàng Nguyễn is a seasoned technologist and enterprise architect, a true polymath in his field, he began programming at the age of six and was awarded his first software patent at twelve. Internationally awarded by the United Nations and across the Asia–Pacific region including multiple ICT awards and Industry Leader of the Year 2025.
Hoàng brings a rare blend of technical mastery and creative problem-solving. His expertise covers cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data-driven solutions that are always built with a strong focus on security, ethics and user privacy.
At Cyprusays®, Hoàng leads the data and technology vision, overseeing the development of the world’s first Cypriot Greek speech pronunciation engine. His innovative work integrates ancient linguistic features such as breves, stress marks and diacritics unique to the Cypriot Greek dialect, allowing them to appear and function correctly in the digital space.
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Dr. Chryso Hadjidemetriou
Linguist & UX Researcher
Dr. Chryso Hadjidemetriou is a qualitative user researcher with a PhD and MA in Sociolinguistics from the University of Essex (UK) and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Cyprus. She has a background in sociolinguistics, language contact and change, language rights and linguistic validation and localisation. She has worked extensively with minority language communities across Cyprus, the UK and New Zealand.As the lead user researcher for Cyprusays, she conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with members of the Greek Cypriot community in Australia, applying thematic analysis to uncover key user needs, expectations and pain points. Her work informed early-stage product discovery and the app’s initial design strategy. She currently works in linguistic validation and localisation, bridging cultural understanding with user experience in global products.
FAQs
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Cyprusays is the world’s first app dedicated to teaching Cypriot Greek - the dialect spoken with warmth and character across the island of Cyprus. Designed by Greek-Cypriots for the global community, it combines native audio, listen-speak-learn lessons, and the world’s first Reading & Pronunciation Guide for the Cypriot Greek alphabet. Built with AI speech recognition, Cyprusays helps learners build real-world confidence in speaking, listening and understanding authentic Cypriot Greek.
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Yes. Cypriot Greek shares its roots with Standard Modern Greek but has a distinct rhythm, pronunciation and vocabulary shaped by centuries of island culture. You’ll hear words, idioms and tones that make it unmistakably Cypriot.
Cyprusays was developed in collaboration with Greek-Cypriot Professors and Linguists who have studied the dialect at an academic level, ensuring every lesson reflects how the language is spoken in modern-day Cyprus. Like all living languages, Cypriot Greek has evolved over time; so some words or spellings may differ from how older generations remember them. If your Yiayia or Pappou says it another way, they’re not wrong; the language has simply evolved and Cyprusays content teaches how Greek-Cypriots speak today. -
Cyprusays is for anyone who wants to learn Cypriot Greek. Whether you’re part of the Cypriot diaspora, reconnecting with family roots, studying Greek, or live and work in Cyprus. The app is designed for all ages and language levels, from total beginners to those who want to grow their vocabulary and polish pronunciation. It’s more than a language course; it’s a way to preserve, celebrate and pass on Cypriot heritage to the next generation.
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Not at all. Cyprusays is designed for complete beginners, even if you’ve never studied Greek before. Each lesson introduces Cypriot Greek through English translations, native pronunciation, and guided repetition so you can follow along step by step. You’ll pick up essential words, sounds, and phrases naturally — no prior language knowledge needed. And if you already speak Greek, Cyprusays helps you recognise the unique expressions, tone, and rhythm that make Cypriot Greek its own beautiful dialect.
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Learning Cypriot Greek with Cyprusays is simple and interactive. Each lesson includes native-speaker audio, listen-speak-learn practice and instant feedback using speech recognition. You’ll follow a structured path that introduces vocabulary, phrases and pronunciation in everyday context. The app also includes a Reading & Pronunciation Guide for the Cypriot alphabet, making it easy to follow along at your own pace. There’s also a Phrasebook that grows with every learnt word or phrase, allowing practice through repetition. Every feature is built to help you speak with confidence.
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Cyprusays is available for iPhone, Android and Desktop users. You can download it from the App Store & Google Play or access the web version directly from our official website. Whether you’re on your phone, tablet or computer, your progress stays in sync so you can keep learning anywhere. Search “Cyprusays” to start learning Cypriot Greek today.
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You can access Cyprusays for free with limited lessons and features. To unlock the full app with features including all Beginner & Intermediate content, the Reading & Pronunciation Guide, Phrasebook and Triple Points Booster, subscribe to a Cyprusays Pro monthly or yearly plan. Cyprusays is ad-free and subscriptions help support the creation of new lessons and features, keeping Cypriot Greek alive for future generations.
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Cyprusays was founded by Iphigenia ‘Effie’ Athanassiou, an Australian-born Greek Cypriot, and her husband Konstantinos ‘Costas’ Athanassiou, an entrepreneur passionate about heritage and innovation. Together, they built a global team of linguists, sound engineers and developers to bring the Cypriot Greek dialect to life through technology. Their mission is simple: preserve and celebrate Cypriot Greek globally and make learning it easy and enjoyable for everyone.
