You certainly don't have to learn how to read Greek to be able to speak conversationally. However, a basic understanding of the Greek alphabet will help with your pronunciation. Look for a copy of the Greek alphabet online. There are many different images available, simply choose the one you like the best. You may find that you already know part of the alphabet. Many Greek letters have similar counterparts in the Latin alphabet, which is used in English and other Western European languages. There are about 10 letters in the Greek alphabet that have the same sounds as their counterparts in the Latin alphabet. If you get these under your belt, you'll already be able to pronounce nearly half of the Greek alphabet. The vowels a (alpha, ) and e (epsilon, ) are equivalent to the short version of these vowels in English. Alpha sounds like the a in the English word "father." Epsilon sounds like the e in the English word "pet." Both omicron ( ) and omega ( ) have an o sound, similar to the o in the English word "got." The Greek letters zeta ( ), kappa ( ), mu ( ), nu ( ), and tau ( ) look like the Latin letters z, k, m, n, and t, and share the same sounds. Lambda ( ) does not look like the Latin l, but is pronounced the same. It sounds like the l in the English word "lap." Pi ( ) does not look like the Latin p, but is pronounced the same. It sounds like the p in the English word "pot." Sigma ( /)does not look like the Latin s, but is pronounced the same. It sounds like the s in the English word "soap." Note that the lower-case letter has a different form if it occurs at the end of a word. While the Greek alphabet shares many commonalities with the Latin alphabet, there are letters that may have a different pronunciation than what you would expect. Memorizing them will make it easier for you to pronounce Greek words, even if you're reading the word transliterated into the Latin alphabet. Eta ( ), iota ( ), and upsilon ( ) are the 3 i letters in the Greek alphabet. They are all pronounced like the ee in the English word "meet." You may be tempted to pronounce beta ( ) the way you would an English b. However, this Greek letter actually has a v sound, as in the English word "vet." Theta ( ) has a th sound, similar to the th in the English word "think." Delta ( ) also has a th sound, but it is softer, similar to the th in the English word "this." Ksi ( ) has a ks sound, similar to the x in the English word "fox." This letter is always pronounced the same, regardless of where it appears in a word. Phi ( ) has an f sound, similar to the f in the English word "fat." Chi ( ) sounds similar to the ch in the Scottish word "loch." If followed by either an e or an i, it sounds more like the ch in the German word "ich." Psi ( ) has a ps sound, similar to the ps in the English word "lopsided." The sound of the letter does not change, regardless of where it appears in a word. Particularly if your first language is English, you may have some difficulty with the letter g. It has 2 different sounds, depending on the vowel that comes after it. If the letter g is followed by an i or an e, it is pronounced like the y in the English word "yellow." For example, the Greek word "giro" is pronounced yee-roh. When followed by an a, o, or u, the letter g has a "soft g" sound. There is no equivalent sound in the English language. However, a sound that comes close is the ch in "Bach" or "Loch Ness Monster." The Greek word meaning "sorry" or "excuse me," signomi, has this "soft g" sound. Similar to the Greek g, the Greek r has a different sound depending on the letters that surround it. Between vowels, the r is shorter and clipped, while otherwise it sounds like a trilled or rolled r in Spanish or Italian. Between vowels, the r sounds similar to the tt in the English word "butter," or like the r in the Spanish word "pero."

Summary: Familiarize yourself with the Greek alphabet. Recognize Greek letters that share pronunciations with Latin letters. Memorize Greek letters with distinct pronunciations. Practice pronouncing the letter g (gamma, ). Pronounce r (rho, ) differently when it occurs between vowels.

Take four heads of garlic that have been cut in half horizontally, and place them on a piece of foil. Drizzle 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil over the garlic halves, and sprinkle a pinch of a salt over them. You can omit the salt if you're trying to limit sodium in your diet. Once the garlic halves are covered with the oil and salt, put them back together to form a full head. Tuck four sprigs of thyme among them, and fold the foil up around the garlic to create a sealed pouch. If you aren't a fan of thyme, you can substitute rosemary or omit the herbs entirely. Place the foil pouch with the garlic inside your slow cooker. Turn the heat setting to low, and allow the garlic to cook until it is caramelized, which should take approximately six hours.

Summary: Season the garlic. Seal the garlic in foil with thyme. Cook the garlic in the slow cooker until caramelized.

Lip balm nourishes your lips so they're less likely to get dry and flaky. Additionally, lip balm can smooth out your lips by filling in uneven spots. Swipe the lip balm over your upper lip from your Cupid's bow to the corner of your lips on each side. Then, apply the lip balm to your bottom lip from the center out to the corners. The lip balm should soak in soon after you apply it. If your lips feel gunky, gently wipe off the excess lip balm with a tissue before you apply your lipstick. Check your lips to see if the color looks even. If you have patchy spots, swipe a clean finger over the tip of the lipstick, then dab the color onto the patchy area. Repeat as needed to fill in your lips. It's generally best to not apply more than 1 coat over your lips because the lipstick can look cakey and could crease. Instead, slowly build up color by dabbing on extra lipstick with your finger as needed. Fold a clean tissue in half, then hold it between your lips with the fold facing your mouth. Press your lips together around the tissue and release. Blotting your lipstick may help prevent your lipstick from getting on your teeth. Plus, it may help set your lipstick.
Summary: Apply a thin layer of lip balm to moisturize and even out your lips. Use your finger to fill in patchy areas with a second layer. Blot the inside of your lips with a tissue to remove excess.