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 160 of 554
- कोम्य komya= kāmya, lovely (?).
- कोयष्टि ko-yaṣṭior koyaṣṭika, as, m. the lapwing; a small white crane, commonly called a paddy-bird.
- कोर koraa movable joint, as the fingers, the knee, etc.; amphiarthrosis; a bud (see the next).
- कोरक korakaa bud, an unblown flower; the fibres of the stalk of a lotus; a species of perfume…
- कोरकित korakitacovered with buds.
- कोरित koritabudded, sprouted; ground, pounded, comminuted.
- कोरङ्गी koraṅgīsmall cardamoms;
- कोरदूष kora-dūṣaor koradūṣaka, as, m. a kind of grain eaten especially by the poor, Paspalum…
- कोरली koralīor korilā, f., name of a town.
- कोल kolaa hog; a raft, a float, a boat; a kind of weapon; the breast, the haunch, the hip or…
- कोलक kolakaname of two plants, = aṅkoṭha and bahu-vāra; (am), n. a kind of perfume, = kakkolaka…
- कोलकिल kolakilaor am, m. or n. (?), name of a town; (also read kilakila, kilinakila, kolikila.)
- कोलकुण kolakuṇaa bug;
- कोलम्बक kolambakathe body of a lute, the whole of it except the strings.
- कोलाहल kolāhala(an onomatopoetic word), a loud and confused sound, an uproar, a great and indistinct…
- कोलि kolior ī, m. f. the jujube tree, Zizyphus Jujuba;
- कोलिकिल kolikilaor am, m. or n. (?), name of a town (?);
- कोलित kolitaan epithet of Maudgalyāyana.
- कोलुह koluhaname of a man.
- कोलूक kolūkaor am, m. or n. (?), name of a country; also kolūta and śailūta;
- कोल्या kolyāPiper Longum;
- कोल्लक kollakaname of a mountain;
- कोल्वगिरेय kolva-gireyaname of a people.
- कोविद ko-vidaexperienced, skilled, learned, wise (with loc., genitive, and at the end of comp., e.g…
- कोविदार ko-vidāraa tree, Bauhinia Variegata; also one of the trees of paradise.
- कोश kośaa cask, a vessel for holding liquids; (metaphorically) a cloud; a pail; a bucket; a…
- कोशक kośakaan egg, a testicle.
- कोशयी kośayīa chest, a box; the interior of a carriage (?). According to Sāy. = kośa.
- कोशिका kośikāa drinking-vessel.
- कोशिन् kośinincased (āma-kośin, having the cavity of the ear filled up); (ī), m. the mango tree;
- कोशिला kośilāa kind of bean; name of a river.
- कोशल kośalaand kośalā. See under kosala.
- कोशलिक kośalikaa bribe; (wrong reading for kauśalika, q.v.)
- कोशातक kośātakaor koṣātaka, as, m., hair; (ī), f. several Cucurbitaceous plants, Trichosanthes Diœca…
- कोशातकिन् kośātakintrade, business; a trader, a merchant; submarine fire.
- कोश्य kośyaor e (?), m. or n. (?), du., Vedic two lumps of flesh near the heart of a sacrificial…
- कोष koṣawith its compounds, see under kośa, for which koṣa is only a later form.
- कोषला koṣalāwrongly spelt for kosalā.
- कोषातक koṣātakaq.v.
- कोष्ठ koṣṭhaany one of the viscera of the body, as the stomach, heart, lungs, etc., but particularly…
- कोष्ठक koṣṭhakaor am, m. or n. (?), a granary, a treasury; a surrounding wall; (am), n. a brick trough…
- कोष्ठकीकृ koṣṭhakī-kṛ-karoti, -kurute, -kartum, to surround, enclose.
- कोष्ठिल koṣṭhilaname of a man.
- कोष्ठ्य koṣṭhyaproceeding from the chest or interior of the body, emitted (as a sound) from the centre…
- कोष्ण koṣṇamoderately warm, tepid, warm; (am), n. warmth;
- कोसल kosala(in later books generally spelt kośala), name of a country and the warriortribe…
- कोहड kohaḍaname of a man;
- कोहल kohalaspeaking indistinctly; (as), m. a kind of musical instrument; a sort of spirituous…
- कोहलीय kohalīyatitle of Kohala's work on music.
- कोहित kohitaname of a man.
- कौकुट्टक kaukuṭṭakaname of a people; (variously written kaukuntaka and kaukundaka.)
- कौकुर kaukuraname of a people.
- कौकुवादि kaukuvādiname of a man.
- कौकूस्त kaukūstaname of a man.
- कौकृत्य kaukṛtyaevil doing, wickedness; repentance.
- कौक्कुट kaukkuṭarelating to a cock or domestic fowl, gallinaceous.
- कौक्कुटिक kaukkuṭikaa poulterer, one who sells fowls; a kind of mendicant, one who walks with his eyes fixed…
- कौक्कुटिकन्दल kaukkuṭi-kandalaa species of snake, the Boä or Bor.
- कौक्ष kaukṣaabdominal, ventral.
- कौक्षेय kaukṣeyabeing in the belly; being in a sheath.
- कौक्षेयक kaukṣeyakaa sword; a scymitar.
- कौङ्क kauṅkathe country Koṅka, = koṅka, koṅkaṇa.
- कौङ्कण kauṅkaṇaname of a people; the district of Koṅkan in the peninsula.
- कौङ्किण kauṅkiṇa= kauṅkaṇa above.
- कौङ्कुम kauṅkumarelating to the saffron flower.
- कौचवार्य kaucavāryacoming from Kūcavāra.
- कौञ्च kauñcaname of a mountain, part of the Himālaya range;
- कौञ्जर kauñjarabelonging to an elephant; (as), m., name of a race.
- कौञ्जायन kauñjāyananame of a mountain-tribe, descended from Kuñja; (ī), f. a princess of this tribe; a…
- कौञ्जायन्य kauñjāyanyaa prince of the mountaintribe called Kauñjāyana.
- कौट1 kauṭaliving in one's own house, independant, free; domestic, homely, home-born, home-bred…
- कौट2 kauṭasnared, wired; fraudulent, dishonest; (am), n. fraud, falsehood.
- कौटकिक kauṭakikaone whose occupation is to catch animals in traps, caves, etc.; (as), m. a vender of the…
- कौटिक kauṭikaone whose business is to catch animals in traps etc.; one who kills animals and sells…
- कौटज kauṭajacoming from the plant Wrightia Antidysenterica; (as), m. the plant Wrightia…
- कौटजिक kauṭajikacarrying a load of Wrightia Antidysenterica.
- कौटभी kauṭabhīan epithet of the goddess Durgā;
- कौटल्य kauṭalyaan epithet of Cāṇakya; also called Vātsyāyana;
- कौटवी kauṭavīa naked woman;
- कौटिलिक kauṭilikaa hunter; a blacksmith.
- कौटिल्य kauṭilyaan epithet of Cāṇakya; name of a grammarian; (am), n. crookedness, curvature, curliness…
- कौटीर kauṭīrabelonging to the plant Kuṭīra, made of it.
- कौटीर्या kauṭīryāan epithet of Durgā, ‘living in a hut (?).’
- कौटुम्ब kauṭumbanecessary for the household; (am), n. family relationship.
- कौटुम्बिक kauṭumbikabelonging to a family, constituting a family; having relations; (as), m. the father or…
- कौडविक kauḍavikasown with a particular measure (a Kuḍava) of grain (as a field etc.), containing a Kuḍava.
- कौडोदरि kauḍodariname of a man.
- कौड्य kauḍyaname of a people.
- कौणकुत्स्य kauṇakutsyaname of a Brāhman;
- कौणप kauṇapa‘feeding upon corpses,’ a Rākṣasa or goblin; name of a Nāga (these beings are supposed to…
- कौणिन्द kauṇindaname of a people; (as), m. sing. a prince of this people.
- कौणेय kauṇeyaa patronymic of Rajana.
- कौण्डल kauṇḍalafurnished with rings.
- कौण्डिन्य kauṇḍinyaname of a Muni or divine sage; name of a grammarian; a patronymic of the poet Jaya-deva.
- कौण्डिल्यक kauṇḍilyaka(or kauṇḍinyaka ?), a kind of poisonous insect.
- कौण्डोपरथ kauṇḍoparathaname of a warrior-tribe.
- कौण्डोपरथीय kauṇḍoparathīyaa prince of this tribe.
- कौण्य kauṇyadistortion or paralysis of the hands; the being maimed or handless.
- कौतुक kautukacuriosity, interest in anything, vehement desire for, wish, inclination; eagerness…
- कौतुकित kautukitaeagerly interested, eager.
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).