Pronunciation guide: Devanagari, IAST and endings
Vowels
| अ | a | a in “about” |
| आ | ā | a in “father” (long) |
| इ | i | i in “sit” |
| ई | ī | ee in “see” (long) |
| उ | u | u in “put” |
| ऊ | ū | oo in “food” (long) |
| ऋ | ṛ | vowel r, like “ri” in “rich” (short) |
| ॠ | ṝ | the same, held longer |
| ऌ | ḷ | vowel l, like “le” in “table” |
| ए | e | ay in “day” (always long) |
| ऐ | ai | ai in “aisle” |
| ओ | o | o in “go” (always long) |
| औ | au | ow in “now” |
Vowel signs (mātrās) after a consonant: का kā · कि ki · की kī · कु ku · कू kū · कृ kṛ · के ke · कै kai · को ko · कौ kau. A consonant with no sign has a built-in short a (क = ka).
Consonants
Throat (velar)
| क | k | k in “skin” |
| ख | kh | k with a puff, “blockhead” |
| ग | g | g in “go” |
| घ | gh | gh in “doghouse” |
| ङ | ṅ | ng in “sing” |
Palate
| च | c | ch in “church” |
| छ | ch | ch with a puff, “staunch heart” |
| ज | j | j in “jam” |
| झ | jh | dgeh in “hedgehog” |
| ञ | ñ | ny in “canyon” |
Tongue curled back (retroflex)
| ट | ṭ | t with the tongue tip curled back |
| ठ | ṭh | the same with a puff |
| ड | ḍ | d, tongue curled back |
| ढ | ḍh | the same with a puff |
| ण | ṇ | n, tongue curled back |
Teeth (dental)
| त | t | t with the tongue on the teeth (French t) |
| थ | th | t with a puff, “at home” (never “thin”) |
| द | d | d on the teeth |
| ध | dh | dh in “adhere” |
| न | n | n in “nut” |
Lips
| प | p | p in “spin” |
| फ | ph | p with a puff, “uphill” (never “f”) |
| ब | b | b in “bat” |
| भ | bh | bh in “abhor” |
| म | m | m in “mat” |
Others
| य | y | y in “yes” |
| र | r | a light tapped r |
| ल | l | l in “love” |
| व | v | between v and w |
| श | ś | sh in “shine” |
| ष | ṣ | sh with the tongue curled back |
| स | s | s in “sun” |
| ह | h | h in “hand” |
An h after a consonant (kh, gh, th, dh, ph, bh…) means a puff of breath; it is never the English “th”, “ph” or “sh” sound.
Special signs
| कं | ṃ | anusvāra: a nasal hum, sounding like the nasal of the next consonant (saṃskṛta) |
| कः | ḥ | visarga: a soft breath echoing the vowel before it (devaḥ ≈ “deva-ha”) |
| क् | — | virāma: removes the built-in a (क ka → क् k) |
| कँ | m̐ | candrabindu: the vowel is said through the nose |
| कऽ | ’ | avagraha: an a dropped after e or o (so ’ham = so aham) |
What the marks in IAST mean
- Line on top (ā ī ū ṝ): a long vowel, held about twice as long.
- Dot under r, l (ṛ ṝ ḷ): r or l used as a vowel.
- Dot under t, d, n, s (ṭ ḍ ṇ ṣ): tongue tip curled back (retroflex).
- ṃ: anusvāra (nasal hum) · ḥ: visarga (echoing breath).
- ṅ: ng as in “sing” · ñ: ny as in “canyon” · ś: sh as in “shine”.
Long and short syllables, and stress
A syllable is heavy if its vowel is long (ā ī ū ṝ e ai o au), or it is followed by two consonants, or it ends in ṃ or ḥ; otherwise it is light. Usual modern stress (as in Latin): stress the second-last syllable if it is heavy (saṃ·skṛ·ta: skṛ is light, so the stress falls on the heavy saṃ; ma·hā·bhā·ra·ta; rā·mā·ya·ṇa); if not, go back to the third-last, then the fourth-last. Old Vedic pitch accents are not shown.
Common endings (inflections)
Nouns: deva (masculine, “god”)
| devaḥ | the god (subject) | devāḥ | the gods |
| devam | the god (object) | devān | the gods (object) |
| devena | by / with the god | devaiḥ | by the gods |
| devāya | to / for the god | devebhyaḥ | to / for the gods |
| devāt | from the god | devebhyaḥ | from the gods |
| devasya | of the god | devānām | of the gods |
| deve | in / on the god | deveṣu | in the gods |
| he deva | O god! | he devāḥ | O gods! |
Verbs: bhū “to be, become”, present tense
| bhavati | he / she / it is | bhavanti | they are |
| bhavasi | you are (one person) | bhavatha | you are (several) |
| bhavāmi | I am | bhavāmaḥ | we are |
Dictionary headwords are stems (deva, bhū); in texts the words carry these endings, and sounds join across word boundaries (sandhi).
Sanskrit Dictionary
Dictionary scope: अ a, आ ā, ब b, भ bh, इ i, ई ī, उ u, ऊ ū, ऋ ṛ, ॠ ṝ, ऌ ḷ, ए e, ऐ ai, ओ o, औ au, क k, ख kh, ग g, घ gh, ङ ṅ, च c, छ ch, ज j, झ jh, ञ ñ, ट ṭ, ठ ṭh, ड ḍ, ढ ḍh, ण ṇ, त t, थ th, द d, ध dh, न n, प p, फ ph, म m, य y, र r, ल l, व v, श ś, ष ṣ, स s and ह h · 114,538 entries
Every headword in Monier Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872), in Sanskrit alphabetical order. Jump by letter above, use the page tabs, or keep scrolling — more words load as you go.
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55,387 headwords · page 15 of 554
- अन्1 an-occasionally अन ana-, (before a vowel) the substitute for 3. a, or a privative. (Before…
- अन्2 ananiti or Vedic anati, āna, aniṣyati, ānīt, anitum, to breathe, gasp, move, go, live…
- अन anabreath, spiration.
- अनन ananabreathing, living.
- अनंश an-aṃśaor an-aṃśin, ī, inī, i, portionless; not entitled to a share in an inheritance.
- अनंशुमत्फला an-aṃśumat-phalāa plantain (the same as aṃśumat-phalā).
- अनक anakainferior = aṇaka, q.v.
- अनकदुन्दुभ anaka-dundubhaa name of Kṛṣṇa's grandfather.
- अनकस्मात् an-akasmātnot without a cause or an object; not accidentally, not suddenly.
- अनक्ष् an-akṣor an-akṣa, as, ī, am, sightless, blind.
- अनक्षि an-akṣia bad eye.
- अनक्षर an-akṣaraunfit to be uttered; unable to articulate.
- अनक्षस्तम्भम् an-akṣa-stambhamso as not to interfere with the axle-tree.
- अनगार an-agāra(houseless), an ascetic who has adopted a houseless or vagrant condition.
- अनगारिका an-agārikāthe houseless life of such an ascetic.
- अनग्न a-nagnanot naked.
- अनग्नि an-agninon-fire; substance differing from fire; absence of fire; (is, is, i), requiring no fire…
- अनघ an-aghasinless, innocent; faultless; handsome; (as), m. white mustard; N. or epithet of various…
- अनङ्कुश an-aṅkuśaunrestrained, ungovernable.
- अनङ्ग an-aṅgaincorporeal; (as), m. Love, name of Kāma, the god of love, so called because he was…
- अनङ्गक an-aṅgakathe mind.
- अनङ्गुरि an-aṅguridestitute of fingers.
- अनच्छ an-acchanot pellucid, turbid.
- अनजका an-ajakāor an-ajikā, f. a miserable little goat.
- अनञ्जन an-añjanafree from collyrium or pigment or pain; (am), n. the sky, atmosphere; Viṣṇu.
- अनडुह् anaḍ-uhan ox; bull; the sign Taurus.
- अनडुत्क anaḍutkahaving oxen (?).
- अनडुह anaḍuhaname of the chief of a certain Gotra.
- अनणु an-aṇuor vī, u, not minute or fine, coarse; (us), m. coarse grain, peas, etc.
- अनत a-natanot bent, not bowed down; erect; stiff; haughty.
- अनति an-ati-not very-, not too-, not past-. (Words commencing with an-ati are so easily analysed by…
- अनदत् an-adatnot eating, not consuming.
- अनद्धा an-addhāor (with part. u) an-addho, ind., Vedic not truly, not really; not clearly.
- अनद्य an-adyanot fit to be eaten; (as), m. white mustard.
- अनद्यतन an-adyatanatense which is not applicable to the current day.
- अनधिक an-adhikaincapable of being enlarged or excelled; boundless; perfect.
- अनधिकार an-adhikāraabsence of authority or right or claim.
- अनधिकारिन् an-adhikārinnot entitled to.
- अनधिकृत an-adhikṛtanot placed at the head of, not appointed.
- अनधिगत an-adhigatanot obtained, not acquired; not studied.
- अनधिगम्य an-adhigamyaunattainable.
- अनधिष्ठान an-adhiṣṭhānawant of superintendence.
- अनधिष्ठित an-adhiṣṭhitanot appointed; not present.
- अनधीन an-adhīnaor an-adhīnaka, as, ā, am, independent; (as), m. an independent carpenter who works on…
- अनध्यक्ष an-adhyakṣanot observable; destitute of a superintendent.
- अनध्ययन an-adhyayananot studying; intermission of study.
- अनध्याय an-adhyāya= the preceding; time when there is or ought to be an intermission of study.
- अनन ananabreathing, living.
- अननङ्गमेजय an-anaṅgamejayanot leaving the body unshaken; see under an-aṅga.
- अननुज्ञात an-anujñātanot agreed to, not permitted, denied.
- अननुभावक an-anubhāvakaunable to comprehend.
- अननुभाषण an-anubhāṣaṇanot repeating (for the sake of challenging) a proposition; tacit assent.
- अननुभूत an-anubhūtanot perceived, not experienced, unknown.
- अननुमत an-anumatanot honoured, not liked, disagreeable, unfit.
- अननुषङ्गिन् an-anuṣaṅginnot attached to, indifferent to.
- अननुष्ठान an-anuṣṭhānanon-observance, neglect; impropriety.
- अननूक्त an-anūktanot recited or studied; not responded to.
- अनन्त an-antaendless, boundless, eternal, infinite; (as), m., name of many person, particularly of…
- अननतक ananatakaendless, boundless, eternal, infinite; (am), n. (among the Jainas) the eternal (i.e. the…
- अनन्त्य anantyainfinite, eternal; (am), n. infinity, eternity.
- अनन्तर an-antarahaving no interior; having (or leaving) no interstice or interval or pause…
- अनन्तरज anantara-ja(next-born), the son of a Kṣatriyā or Vaiśyā mother by a father belonging to the caste…
- अनन्तरायम् an-antarāyamwithout a break.
- अनन्तरित an-antaritanot separated by any interstice; unbroken.
- अनन्तरीय anantarīyaconcerning (or belonging to) the next of kin, etc.
- अनन्तर्हित an-antar-hita(past part. Pass. of antar-dhā, q.v., with an), not concealed, manifest; not separated by…
- अनन्द a-nandajoyless, cheerless; (ās), m. pl., Vedic, name of a purgatory.
- अनन्न an-annarice or food undeserving of its name.
- अनन्य an-anyano other, not another, not different, identical; self; not having a second, unique; not…
- अनन्यादृश an-anyādṛśanot like others, singular.
- अनन्वय an-anvayawant of connexion; (in rhetoric) comparison of an object with its own ideal, (as, a…
- अनन्वित an-anvitaunconnected, inconsecutive, desultory, incoherent, irrelevant, irregular; not attended…
- अनप an-apadestitute of water.
- अनपकरण an-apakaraṇanot injuring; (in law) non-payment, non-delivery.
- अनपकर्मन् an-apakarmanor anapakriyā, f. = preceding.
- अनपकार an-apakāraharmlessness.
- अनपकारिन् an-apakārininnocuous.
- अनपकृत an-apakṛtaunharmed.
- अनपकर्ष an-apakarṣanon-degradation, superiority.
- अनपग an-apaganot departing from.
- अनपच्युत an-apacyutanot fallen off, not declined; not displaced.
- अनपजय्य an-apajayyaimpossible to have its victorious character reversed or neutralized.
- अनपत्य an-apatyachildless; Vedic causing childlessness, unpropitious; (am), n. childlessness.
- अनपत्यक anapatyakaor ī, am, childless.
- अनपत्रप an-apatrapashameless.
- अनपनिहित an-apanihitanot curtailed or mutilated.
- अनपयति an-apayati(before the sun makes a start); very early.
- अनपर an-aparawithout another; having no follower; sole (as an epithet of Brahma).
- अनपराद्ध an-aparāddhahaving sustained no injury; (am), ind. without injury.
- अनपराध an-aparādhainnocence, innocuousness; (as, ā, am), innocent, faultless; free from defects.
- अनपराधिन् anaparādhininnocent.
- अनपलाषुक an-apalāṣukanot thirsty.
- अनपवाचन an-apavācanaimpossible to be talked away or wished away.
- अनपवृज्य an-apavṛjyaclear of objects that should be shunned as impure.
- अनपव्ययत् an-apavyayatunremitting, not letting go, able.
- अनपसर an-apasara(having no hole to creep out of), inexcusable, unjustifiable; (as), m. an usurper.
- अनपसरण an-apasaraṇaabsence of an outlet.
- अनपस्पृश् an-apaspṛśnot refusing, not obstinate.
- अनपस्फुर् an-apasphuror an-apasphura, as, ā, am, or an-apasphurat, an, antī, at, Vedic (a cow) not…
- अनपहतपाप्मन् an-apahata-pāpmannot freed from evil (epithet of the Pitṛs).
Source and licence. Monier Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Etymologically and Philologically Arranged (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1872; first edition). Digital text: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries (MW72, csl-orig/v02/mw72), © Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon project contributors, Cologne University, accessed 7 October 2026, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, provided without warranty.
Changes made here: entries for अ a, आ ā, ब b, भ bh, इ i, ई ī, उ u, ऊ ū, ऋ ṛ, ॠ ṝ, ऌ ḷ, ए e, ऐ ai, ओ o, औ au, क k, ख kh, ग g, घ gh, ङ ṅ, च c, छ ch, ज j, झ jh, ञ ñ, ट ṭ, ठ ṭh, ड ḍ, ढ ḍh, ण ṇ, त t, थ th, द d, ध dh, न n, प p, फ ph, म m, य y, र r, ल l, व v, श ś, ष ṣ, स s and ह h only; meanings trimmed for length and MW abbreviations expanded; Devanagari generated from the SLP1 keys with indic_transliteration; spelling notes, IPA pronunciations and labelled (“inferred”/“not given”) etymologies added. This adapted dictionary text is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Fonts: Noto Serif and Noto Serif Devanagari (SIL Open Font License).