Epsilon Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Greek alphabet

Αα	Alpha	Νν	Nu
Ββ	Beta	Ξξ	Xi
Γγ	Gamma	Οο	Omicron
Δδ	Delta	Ππ	Pi
Εε	Epsilon	Ρρ	Rho
Ζζ	Zeta	Σσ	Sigma
Ηη	Eta	Ττ	Tau
Θθ	Theta	Υυ	Upsilon
Ιι	Iota	Φφ	Phi
Κκ	Kappa	Χχ	Chi
Λλ	Lambda	Ψψ	Psi
Μμ	Mu	Ωω	Omega
Other letters
Ϝϝ	Digamma	Ϟϟ	Koppa
Ϛϛ	Stigma	Ϡϡ	Sampi
Ͱͱ	Heta	Ϸϸ	Sho
Ϻϻ	San

Epsilon (uppercase Ε, lowercase ε) is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet. It is used to make the "e" sound in both Ancient and Modern Greek.

Epsilon: A Key Greek Letter
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Epsilon: A Key Greek Letter

Epsilon is an important letter in the Greek alphabet. It looks like a backwards "3" in its lowercase form (ε) and like a capital "E" in its uppercase form (Ε).

What Epsilon Sounds Like

When people speak Ancient or Modern Greek, the letter epsilon makes an "e" sound, like the "e" in "bed" or "pet".

Epsilon's Number Value

In the system of Greek numerals, which is how ancient Greeks wrote numbers using letters, epsilon has a value of 5. So, if you saw an epsilon, it could mean the number five!

Letters That Came From Epsilon

Epsilon is like an ancestor to some letters we use today! The Roman letter E, which is part of the English alphabet, came from epsilon. Also, the Cyrillic letter Е, used in languages like Russian, came from epsilon too.

Epsilon in Mathematics

Epsilon is not just a letter; it's also used in advanced math!

Epsilon in Calculus

In a type of math called calculus, epsilon is often used to represent a very, very tiny number. Imagine a number that is almost zero, but not quite. That's what epsilon can stand for, especially when mathematicians are proving things about limits.

Epsilon in Set Theory

In set theory, which is about groups of things, a special version of the epsilon symbol (written as $a \in A$ ) can show that something is a part of a group. For example, if you have a set of fruits, and an apple is one of them, you could say "apple is a member of the set of fruits" using this symbol.