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 157 of 554
- कृत्नु kṛtnuworking well, able to work, powerful; skilful, clever, an artificer or mechanic, an…
- कृत्य kṛtyato be done or performed; practicable, feasible; right, proper to be done; one who may be…
- कृत्यक kṛtyakaan injurer?; (ā), f. an enchantress, a witch, a woman who is the fatal cause of injury or…
- कृत्रिम kṛtrimamade artificially, factitious, artificial, the reverse of what is naturally or…
- कृत्वन् kṛtvancausing, effecting; active, busy; practising magic or sorcery in order to bewitch.
- कृत्वस् kṛtvasat the end of a numeral or numeral adjective, = fold, times. In the earlier language…
- कृत्वा kṛtvāhaving made or done.
- कृत्वी kṛtvīname of a daughter of Śuka, wife of Aṇuha (Nīpa) and mother of Brahma-datta.
- कृत्व्य kṛtvyaone who is able to perform anything, strong, efficacious; having accomplished many deeds…
- क्रियमाण kriyamāṇabeing done, made, etc.
- कृ2 kṛcakarti, akārīt, Intens. carkarti, to make mention of, to praise, to speak highly of…
- कृ3 kṛto injure etc. See 2. kṝ.
- कृति2 kṛti(for 1. see col. 1), Vedic a kind of weapon, a sort of knife or a dagger; (is), f. hurt…
- कृक kṛkathe throat, the larynx.
- कृकण kṛkaṇaa kind of partridge, commonly Kaër, Perdix Sylvatica; a worm; name of a man; name of a…
- कृकणीय kṛkaṇīyabelonging or relating to a partridge.
- कृकणेयु kṛkaṇeyuname of a son of Raudrāśva.
- कृकदाशु kṛkadāśuor ūs, m., Vedic one who hurts or injures.
- कृकर kṛkaraa kind of partridge, commonly Kaër, Perdix Sylvatica; a kind of pepper, Piper Chaba; the…
- कृकला kṛkalālong pepper;
- कृकलाश kṛkalāśaor kṛkalāsa or kṛka-lāsaka, as, m. a lizard, a chameleon.
- कृकवाकु kṛkavākua cock, a gallinaceous fowl; a peacock; a lizard, a chameleon;
- कृकषा kṛkaṣāa kind of bird;
- कृकाट kṛkāṭathe joint of the neck.
- कृकाटक kṛkāṭakathe neck; a part of a column; (ikā), f. the back of the neck; the raised and straight…
- कृकालिका kṛkālikāa kind of bird.
- कृकिन् kṛkinname of a mythical king.
- कृकुलास kṛkulāsaa lizard, a chameleon;
- कृच्छ्र kṛcchracausing trouble or pain, painful, attended with pain or labour; being in a difficult or…
- कृच्छ्राय kṛcchrāyakṛcchrāyate, -yitum, to feel pain; to have wicked designs.
- कृच्छ्रिन् kṛcchrinencompassed with difficulties, being in trouble, feeling pain; angry.
- कृड् kṛḍkṛḍati, to become thick or coarse; to become fat or gross, to become solid; to eat…
- कृणञ्ज kṛṇañjaa kind of Chenopodium, = kuṇañjara.
- कृणु kṛṇua painter.
- कृत्2 kṛtkṛntati, cakarta, kartsyati and kartiṣyati, akartīt, kartitum, to cut, cut in pieces, cut…
- कृत्त kṛttacut, divided; desired, sought, wished for.
- कृत्ति kṛttiskin, hide; a garment made of skin; the hide or skin on which the religious student sits…
- कृत्तिका kṛttikāname of a constellation, = the Pleiades, (originally the first, but in later times the…
- कृन्तत्र kṛntatraa section, a shred, chip; a plough.
- कृन्तन kṛntanacutting, cutting off, dividing.
- कृत्3 kṛtkṛṇatti, cakarta, kartiṣyati, kartitum, to twist threads, to spin; to surround…
- कृतद्वसु kṛtad-vasudistributing goods (?).
- कृता kṛtāan abyss (?).
- कृत्स kṛtsawater; entire, whole;
- कृत्स्न kṛtsna(rarely used in pl.), all, whole, entire; (am), n. water; the flank or hip; the belly.
- कृत्स्नक kṛtsnakaall, every.
- कृतान्त kṛtāntaSee p. 247.
- कृदन्त kṛd-antaSee under 1. kṛt, p. 246.
- कृदर kṛdaraa store-room, a vessel; the lap; (as), m. a granary, a cupboard etc. for holding corn…
- कृधु kṛdhuor kṛdhuka, as, ā, am, Vedic shortened, mutilated, small, deficient.
- कृन्तत्र kṛntatraSee under 2. kṛt.
- कृप्1 kṛp(occurring only in inst.), beautiful appearance, beauty, splendor.
- कृप्2 kṛpkarpate, to have pity or mercy on; cl. 10. P. kṛpayati or kṛpāpayati, -yitum, to be weak…
- कृप kṛpaname of a man described in the Veda as a friend of Indra …
- कृपण kṛpaṇaor ī, am, inclined to grieve; pitiable, miserable, poor, wretched, feeble; low, vile…
- कृपणाय kṛpaṇāyakṛpaṇāyate, to feel miserable.
- कृपणिन् kṛpaṇinmiserable, one who is in misery.
- कृपण्य kṛpaṇyakṛpaṇyati, to wish, desire, be a suppliant for anything, pray for, obtain by entreaties…
- कृपण्यु kṛpaṇyuone who praises.
- कृपा kṛpāpity, tenderness, compassion; name of a river.
- कृपाय kṛpāyakṛpāyate, -yitum, to mourn, grieve, lament, have pity.
- कृपाण kṛpāṇaa sword, a scymitar, a sacrificial knife; (ī), f. a pair of shears or scissors; a dagger.
- कृपाणक kṛpāṇakaa sword, a scymitar; (ikā), f. a dagger, a knife.
- कृपीट kṛpīṭaunderwood, wood, forest; fire-wood, wood, timber; water; the belly.
- कृमि kṛmior krimi, is, m., a worm, an insect in general; a spider; an ant; lac, the red dye caused…
- कृमिक kṛmikaa small worm.
- कृमिण kṛmiṇahaving worms.
- कृमिन् kṛminaffected with worms.
- कृमिल kṛmilahaving worms, wormy; (ā), f. a fruitful woman, one bearing many children; name of a town…
- कृमिलिका kṛmilikālinen cloth dyed with red colour.
- कृमीलक kṛmīlakaa white sort of kidney-bean;
- कृमुक kṛmukaa kind of tree;
- कृव् kṛv= 1. kṛ, cl. 5. kṛṇoti. See p. 246.
- कृवि kṛvia loom (?);
- कृश् kṛśkṛśyati, cakarśa, karśiṣyati, akṛśat, karśitum, to become lean or thin, to become…
- कृश kṛśalean, emaciated, thin, spare, weak, feeble; small, little, minute, insignificant, poor…
- कृशिका kṛśikāthe plant Salvinia Cucculata.
- कृशन kṛśanaa pearl, motherof-pearl; gold; form, shape; (as, ā, am), yielding or containing pearls;
- कृशनिन् kṛśanindecorated with pearls.
- कृशर kṛśaraa dish composed of milk, sesamum, and rice; rice and peas boiled together with a few…
- कृशला kṛśalāthe hair of the head.
- कृशाकु kṛśākuheating, grieving; (a various reading for kṛśānu.)
- कृशानु kṛśānu‘bending the bow,’ an epithet applied to a good archer,; a name of Agni or fire; fire in…
- कृशानुक kṛśānukacontaining the word Kṛśānu, as an Anuvāka or Adhyāya.
- कृष् kṛṣkarṣati, cakarṣa, karkṣyati and krakṣyati, akṛkṣat, akārkṣīt and akrākṣīt, karṣṭum and…
- कर्ष karṣaetc. See s.v. at p. 210.
- कृषक kṛṣakaattractive, drawing, who or what draws furrows or ploughs; (as), m. a ploughman…
- कृषाण kṛṣāṇaa ploughman, a husbandman.
- कृषि kṛṣiploughing, cultivation of the soil; agriculture, husbandry; the cultivation of the soil…
- कृषिक kṛṣikaa cultivator of the soil, a husbandman; the ploughshare.
- कृषीवल kṛṣīvalaone who lives by husbandry or agriculture; (as), m. a husbandman.
- कृष्ट kṛṣṭaploughed or tilled, a field etc.
- कृष्टि kṛṣṭimen, races of men, sometimes with the epithet māṇuṣīs; (originally the word may have…
- कृष्य kṛṣyato be ploughed.
- क्रष्टव्य kraṣṭavyato be drawn or drawn out.
- कृषाणु kṛṣāṇua name of fire; (a wrong reading for kṛśānu.)
- कृष्कर kṛṣkaraan epithet of Śiva;
- कृष्ण1 kṛṣṇablack, dark, dark-blue (opposed to śveta, śukla, rohita, and aruṇa); wicked, evil; (as)…
- कृष्ण2 kṛṣṇakṛṣṇati, to behave or act like Kṛṣṇa.
- कृष्णक kṛṣṇakablack, blackish; (as), m. a kind of plant, = kṛṣṇa-taṇḍulā.
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).