Rho (Ρ/ρ) – New Testament Greek words that start with rho

• Old Testament Hebrew
• New Testament Greek

Quick reference

Greek Name:

ῥῶ

English Name:

rho

Pronunciation:

hrō’

Upper-case Letter:

Ρ

Lower-case Letter:

ρ

Speech Sound:

consonant

Numerical Value:

100

Pronunciation guide

In Koine Greek, the letter Rho is pronounced as voiced alveolar trill, produced by vibrating the tongue against the ridge just behind the upper front teeth. Its sound is similar to the rolling “r” sound found in languages like Spanish or Italian, being more forceful and vibrant compared to the often softer “r” sound in many modern English dialects.

However, when Rho appears at the beginning of a word, it gets marked with a rough breathing (ῥ), it is pronounced with an initial “h” sound followed by the rolling “r.” This rough breathing mark adds an aspirated quality to the sound, which is not present when Rho appears without this mark or in the middle of words.

Numerical significance

In the Greek numeral system (isopsephy), Rho holds the numerical value of one hundred (100). The number one hundred, being a significant milestone number, often symbolizes an abundance or a multitude in Greek culture. It represents a large quantity, completeness of a larger order, or a significant grouping.

Cultural and symbolic meaning

The letter Rho originates from the Phoenician letter Resh, which likely depicted a head, as indicated by its name meaning “head” in Semitic languages. This pictographic origin suggests themes of leadership, prominence, or beginning (as the head is often seen as the leading or starting part of the body).