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.
Search in IAST (ātman), plain letters (atman), Devanagari (आत्मन्) or English (fire). Pronunciation key · English index · Random entry
Jump to letter
All words A–Z
55,387 headwords · page 156 of 554
- कुह1 kuhaan epithet of Kuvera; a rogue, a cheat (in a-kuha, q.v.).
- कुहक kuhakacheating, a cheat, a rogue, a juggler; (as), m. a frog; name of a king of the…
- कुहन kuhanaenvious, hypocritical; (as), m. a mouse, a rat; a snake; name of a man; (ā), f…
- कुहनिका kuhanikāhypocrisy etc.;
- कुह2 kuhawhere? kuha cid, wherever, anywhere, somewhere, to any place.
- कुहया kuhayāwhere?
- कुहकस्वन kuhaka-svanaor kuhaka-svara, as, m. (kuhaka being here an onomatopoetic word), a wild cock, Phasianus…
- कुहर kuharaname of a serpent belonging to the Krodhavaśa race; (am), n. a cavity, hollow; a hole…
- कुहरित kuharitanoise, a sound in general; especially the song or cry of the Kokila or Indian cuckoo; a…
- कुहलि kuhalithe leaf of the Piper Betel (commonly called Pān) with small pieces of the Areca-nut and…
- कुहा kuhāname of a plant, also called Kaṭukī.
- कुहारीत ku-hārīta(see 1. ku), name of a man.
- कुहु kuhuthe new moon; name of a river; the cry of the Kokila;
- कुहुकुहाय kuhukuhāyakuhukuhāyate, to show one's admiration.
- कुहू kuhūthe new moon, personified as a daughter of Aṅgiras; the first day of the first quarter on…
- कुहूल kuhūlaa pit filled with stakes.
- कुहेडिका kuheḍikāor kuheḍī or kuhelikā, f. a fog, a mist, haze, haziness.
- कुह्वान ku-hvāna(see 1. ku), a disagreeable noise.
- कू1 kūor ku, cl. 2. P. kauti, kavīti, or cl. 1. A. kavate, or cl. 6. A. kuvate, or cl. 9. P. A…
- कू2 kūa female Piśāca or goblin.
- कूकुद kūkudaone who gives a girl in marriage with due ceremony and suitable decorations.
- कूच kūcaa breast; the female breast, especially that of a young or unmarried woman;
- कूचका kūcakāthe milky juice of a bulbous plant;
- कूचक्र kūcakraor am? m. or n.? (for ku-cakra), Vedic the female breast.
- कूचवार kūcavāra(?), name of a region; also of a man.
- कूचिका kūcikāa small brush or hairpencil; a key;
- कूचिदर्थिन् kūcid-arthin(for ku-cid-ar˚), Vedic striving to get everywhere; (Sāy.) seeking (oblations) from any…
- कूची kūcīa paint brush, a pencil;
- कूच्छलिङ्ग kūcchaliṅga= kukundara, q.v.
- कूज् kūjkūjati, cukūja, kūjitum, to make any inarticulate or monotonous sound, to utter a cry as…
- कूज kūjarumbling (as of the bowels etc.); cooing, murmuring, a warbling etc.
- कूजक kūjakacooing, warbling, sounding, etc.
- कूजत् kūjatcooing, warbling, etc.
- कूजन kūjanarumbling of the bowels; the uttering of any inarticulate sound, cooing, moaning; the…
- कूजित kūjitauttered inarticulately, cooed, etc.; (am), n. the cry of a bird, cooing, warbling, etc.
- कूजिन् kūjinmaking a rumbling sound in the bowels; warbling.
- कूट् kūṭkūṭayati, to burn; to give pain, be distressed, to call, invite; to counsel, advise; A…
- कूट kūṭathe bone of the forehead with its projections or prominences, a horn; the crown of the…
- कूटक kūṭakaelevation, prominence, projection; the body of a plough (i.e. the wood without the…
- कूटज kūṭajathe plant Wrightia Antidysenterica;
- कूड् kūḍkūḍati, -ḍitum, to eat; to graze; to become firm or fat or solid.
- कूड्य kūḍyaa wall, = kuḍya.
- कूण् kūṇkūṇayati, -te, -yitum, to draw together, contract, close.
- कूणित kūṇitacontracted, shut, closed.
- कूणकुच्छ kūṇakucchaname of one of Śiva's attendants.
- कूणि kūṇicrooked-armed, having a curved or withered arm;
- कूणिका kūṇikāthe horn of any animal; the peg of a lute;
- कूदर kūdarathe offspring of a Brāhman woman by a Ṛṣi, begotten during menstruation.
- कूदी kūdīa fetter for the feet.
- कूद्दाल kūddālamountain ebony, Bauhinia Variegata;
- कूप् kūpkūpayati, -yitum, to be weak, to weaken.
- कूप kūpaa hole, a hollow, a cave; a well; a post to which a boat or ship is moored; a mast (?); a…
- कूपक kūpakaa hole, a hollow, a cave; the hollow below the loins; a well, a temporary well, a hole…
- कूप्य kūpyabeing in a hole or well.
- कूपद kūpada= kūkuda, q.v.
- कूपार kūpārathe ocean, = akūpāra.
- कूपुष kūpuṣathe bladder.
- कूबर kūbaraor in the later language generally kūvara, as, ī, am, m. f. n. the pole of a carriage or…
- कूबरिन् kūbarinor kūvarin, ī, m. a carriage.
- कूम kūmaa lake, a pond, a pool.
- कूमनस् kū-manas(for ku-manas, see 1. ku), Vedic wicked-minded.
- कूर kūraboiled rice.
- कूर्कुर kūrkuraname of a demon who persecutes children.
- कूर्च kūrcaa bunch of anything, a bundle of grass etc. (often used as a seat); a handful of Kuśa…
- कूर्चक kūrcakaa bushel; a brush for cleaning the teeth, a painter's brush etc.; certain parts of the…
- कूर्चकिन् kūrcakinstuffed, puffy.
- कूर्चल kūrcala(?) an animal teething for the second time.
- कूर्द् kūrdand kurd, cl. 1. P. A. kūrdati, -te, cukūrde, kūrdiṣyate, akūrdiṣṭa, kūrditum, to leap…
- कूर्द kūrdaa jump; name of a Sāman.
- कूर्दन kūrdanaleaping; playing, sport, pastime; (ī), f. the day of full moon in the month Caitra; a…
- कूर्प kūrpathe space between the eyebrows;
- कूर्पर kūrparathe elbow; the knee.
- कूर्पास kūrpāsaa cuirass or quilted jacket worn as armour.
- कूर्पासक kūrpāsakaa bodice, a jacket with short sleeves worn next the body, especially by women.
- कूर्म kūrmaa tortoise, a turtle; the earth considered as a tortoise swimming on the waters; a…
- कूर्मि kūrmiSee tuvi-kūrmi.
- कूल्1 kūlkūlati, -litum, to cover, hide, screen, protect; to enclose; to keep off, obstruct;
- कूल kūlaa declivity, slope; a shore, a bank; a heap, a mound; a pond or pool; the rear of an…
- कूलक kūlakaor am, m. or n. a bank, shore, dyke; a mound of earth, a heap, a pile; (as), m. an…
- कूलिन् kūlinfurnished with banks or shores; (inī), f. a river.
- कूल्य kūlyabelonging to a bank or shore.
- कूल्2 kūlor kūḍ, cl. 10. P., Vedic kūla-yati, -yitum, to burn, scorch.
- कूलिक kūlikaname of a prince; (ā), f. the bottom or lower part of the Indian lute.
- कूवर kūvaraSee kūbara.
- कूवार kūvārathe ocean. See kūpāra and akūpāra.
- कूष्माण्ड kūṣmāṇḍaa kind of pumpkin-gourd, Benincasa Cerifera; a kind of spirit or imp, of which there…
- कूष्माण्डक kūṣmāṇḍakaa kind of pumpkin-gourd, Benincasa Cerifera Savi; name of one of Śiva's attendants.
- कूष्माण्डिनी kūṣmāṇḍinīname of a goddess;
- कूहना kūhanāhypocrisy, affectation of religious zeal or austerity;
- कूहा kūhāa fog, a mist, = kujjhaṭikā.
- कृ1 kṛThe conjugational tenses are formed in the Veda according to four different methods, as…
- कृत्1 kṛtmaking, doing, performing, accomplishing, effecting, manufacturing, acting; one who…
- कृत kṛtadone, made, accomplished, performed; prepared, made ready; obtained, gained, acquired…
- कृतक kṛtakaartificial, factitious, done artificially, made, prepared, not produced spontaneously…
- कृतय kṛtayakṛtayati, -yitum, to take the die called Kṛta.
- कृतान्त kṛtāntaSee under kṛta above.
- कृति1 kṛti(for 2. see col. 2), doing, making, performing, manufacturing, composing; action…
- कृतिन् kṛtinexpert; clever, skilful, knowing, wise, learned; good, virtuous; pure, pious; following…
- कृते kṛteand kṛtena, ind., on account of, for the sake of, for (with genitive or in comp., e.g…
- कृतेयुक kṛteyukaname of a son of Raudrāśva.
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).