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 177 of 554
- गृभ gṛbhathe place where anything is seized, handle, hold.
- गृभि gṛbhiholding, containing, bearing.
- गृभीत gṛbhītagrasped, seized; impregnated, bearing fruit.
- गृष्टि gṛṣṭia cow which has had only one calf, a young cow; (in compounds with the names of other…
- गृष्टिका gṛṣṭikāa kind of plant.
- गृष्ट्या gṛṣṭyāyoung (as a cow).
- गृह् gṛhat the end of compounds, taking, holding, seizing, taking away, drawing away.
- गृह gṛhaor ās, n. or m. pl. (in Vedic also m. sing.), a house, a habitation, a mansion; (mṛnmayo…
- गृहयाप्य gṛhayāpyaor gṛhayāyya, as, m. a householder, the master of a house or family.
- गृहयालु gṛhayāludisposed to seize or to lay hold of.
- गृहल gṛhalaname of a man.
- गृहालिका gṛhālikāa small house-lizard;
- गृहिन् gṛhinpossessing a house; (ī), m. the master of a house, a householder, the Brāhman as a…
- गृहीभू gṛhī-bhū-bhavati, -vitum, to become a house or habitation.
- गृहोलिका gṛholikāa small house-lizard;
- गृह्य1 gṛhyabelonging to a house, domestic; name of a series of ceremonies relating to family or…
- गृह्यक gṛhyakatame, domesticated, domestic; dependent, docile, not following one's own inclinations…
- गृहणी gṛhaṇīsour gruel made from the fermentation of rice-water;
- गृहीत gṛhītaSee under rt. grah.
- गृह्य1 gṛhya2. 3. gṛhya. See last col. and under rt. grah.
- गॄ1 gṝgṛṇāti, gṛṇīte, jagāra, gariṣyati and garīṣyati, agārīt, garitum and garītum, to utter a…
- गृणत् gṛṇatpraising, flattering; speaking.
- गृणीषन् gṛṇīṣanfound only in the loc. gṛṇīṣaṇi, = in praise, with invocation; (Sāy.) to be praised.
- गॄ2 gṝgirati and gilati, jagāra and jagāla, gariṣyati and galiṣyati, or garīṣyati and…
- गॄ3 gṝor kṝ, cl. 10. A. gārayate, -yitum, to know, discern, make known, teach.
- गेण्डु geṇḍuor geṇḍuka or geṇḍūka or genduka, as, m. a ball for playing with;
- गेप् gepgepate, to shake, tremble;
- गेय geyaetc. See under gai next col.
- गेल gelaor gelu, a particular number.
- गेव् gevgevate, to serve, to gratify by service;
- गेष् geṣgeṣate, to seek, search, investigate;
- गेष्ण geṣṇaetc. See under gai.
- गेह gehaa house, a dwelling, a habitation.
- गेहिन् gehinhaving a house, domestic; (ī), m. a householder; (inī), f. a housewife, a wife.
- गेह्य gehyadomestic, being in a house; (am), n. domestic affairs; wealth.
- गै gai(rarely A.) gāyati, jagau, gāsyati, agāsīt, gātum, to sing, to speak or recite in a…
- गातव्य gātavyato be sung, what may be sung.
- गायक gāyakaetc. See s.v.
- गेय geyato be sung; singing, a singer; (am), n. song, singing, a song or chant.
- गेष्ण geṣṇaa singer, a professional singer, an actor, a mime, a chanter of the Sāma-veda.
- गेष्णु geṣṇua singer, an actor, a chanter of the Sāma-veda.
- गैर gairacoming from mountains, grown on them, mountain-born, mountain, mountaineer; (ī), f., name…
- गैरायण gairāyaṇaa patronymic from Giri.
- गैरिक gairikamountain, mountain-born or produced; (as, ā, am), m. f. n. red chalk, sometimes used as a…
- गैरिक्षित gairikṣitaa patronymic of Trasadasyu; also of the Yaskas.
- गैरेय gaireyamountain-born, mountain; (am), n. bitumen, red chalk.
- गैरकंवूल gairakaṃvūlaor gairikaṃvūla, name of the ninth Yoga.
- गो goan ox, a cow; cattle, kine, a herd of cattle (pl.); anything coming from or belonging to…
- गोका gokādiminutive of go, a cow.
- गोखा gokhāa particular part of the body.
- गोघ्नत goghnataname of a people.
- गोच्छाल gocchālaname of a plant, also called Alambuṣa; the palm of the hand with the fingers extended (?).
- गोजी gojīname of a plant with sharp leaves; (also goji if required by the metre.)
- गोड goḍa= goṇḍa, a fleshy navel; a lump of flesh on the navel; (also read goḍu.)
- गोडनि goḍaniname of a country; (a wrong reading for 1. go-dāna.)
- गोडुम्ब goḍumbathe water-melon; (ā), f. a kind of cucumber, Cucumis Maderaspatanus; a coloquintida.
- गोडुम्बिका goḍumbikāCucumis Maderaspatanus.
- गोण goṇaan ox.
- गोणिक goṇikaa kind of woollen clot.
- गोणी goṇī(at the end of an adj. comp. goṇi), a sack; the measure of a Droṇa; torn or ragged…
- गोण्ड goṇḍaa fleshy navel; a person with a fleshy or prominent navel; a man of a low tribe, a…
- गोण्डकिरी goṇḍakirīor goṇḍākrī, f., name of a Rāgiṇī.
- गोतम gotamaname of a Ṛṣi belonging to the family of Aṅgiras, with the patronymic Rāhūgaṇa, author of…
- गोत्र go-traSee under go, p. 297.
- गोद3 godaor as, n. m. the brain;
- गोदान2 godānathe part of the head close to the right ear: (for 1. go-dāna see under go.)
- गोदानिक godānikaq.v.
- गोदावरी go-dāvarīSee under go, p. 297.
- गोधा go-dhāa sinew; a chord; a leathern fence wound round the left arm to prevent injury from the…
- गोधाय godhāyagodhāyati, -yitum, to be curved as the leathern fence of archers.
- गोधि godhithe forehead; the Gangetic alligator; an Iguana.
- गोधिका godhikāa kind of lizard or alligator, Lacerta Godica;
- गोधिनी godhinīa kind of Solanum;
- गोधूम go-dhūmaSee under go.
- गोधेर godheraa guardian, a protector, a preserver;
- गोनाडीक gonāḍīkaa kind of plant; (other authorities have gonāḍīca.)
- गोप go-paa cowherd, a herdsman, a milkman, considered as a man of mixed caste; the chief of a…
- गोपक gopakaone who guards or protects; (as), m. the superintendent of a district; myrrh; (ikā), f…
- गोपा go-pāa herdsman, a protector, a guardian;
- गोपी gopīa cowherd's wife (especially applied to the cowherdesses of Vṛndā-vana, the companions of…
- गोपन gopanaetc. See under rt. gup.
- गोपालव gopālavaname of a warrior-tribe; (for gopālaka?).
- गोपुटा gopuṭālarge cardamoms;
- गोभिल gobhilaname of an author of certain Gṛhya-sūtras and of grammatical Sūtras.
- गोभिलीय gobhilīyarelating to or proceeding from Gobhila.
- गोमायु go-māyuSee under go, p. 298.
- गोयीचन्द्र goyīcandraname of a scholiast of the Saṅkṣipta-sāra; (for gopī-candra?).
- गोरट goraṭaa kind of Acacia;
- गोरण goraṇaeffort, exertion, = guraṇa.
- गोर्द gordaor gordha, am, n. the brain;
- गोल golaa ball, a celestial or terrestrial globe; a circle, anything round or globular, a sphere…
- गोलक golakaa ball or globe; a wooden ball for playing with, anything globular, a sphere etc.; a…
- गोलन्द golandaname of a man.
- गोलास golāsaa mushroom, a kind of fungus springing from cow-dung;
- गोव govaor am, m. or n. (?), name of a country; (also read kuva.)
- गोवय govayagovayati, -yitum, to keep back, to prevent from approaching.
- गोवाल govālaname of a man;;
- गोविचन्द्र govicandraname of a prince;
- गोविन्द go-vindaSee under go, p. 299.
- गोशर्य gośaryaname of a man.
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).