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
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55,387 headwords · page 191 of 554
- छद्मन् chadmanthe thatch or roof of a house; external covering, a deceptive dress, disguise…
- छद्मिका chadmikāthe plant Cocculus Cordifolius;
- छद्मिन् chadmin(at the end of a comp.) disguised, in an assumed dress or garb (e.g. Brāhmaṇacchadmin…
- छन्न channacovered, clad, concealed, secret, clandestine, private, solitary.
- छात्त्र chāttraa pupil, scholar, disciple, tyro, novice, (as carrying his teacher's umbrella or as…
- छात्त्रक chāttrakahoney in the comb or hive.
- छात्त्रिक्य chāttrikyathe office of a parasol-bearer.
- छाद chādathatch, a roof; (an incorrect form.)
- छादन chādanathe plant Barleria Cærulea, = nīlāmlāna; (ī), f. hide, skin; (am), n. covering, a cover…
- छादयत् chādayatcovering, veiling, shrouding.
- छादित chāditacovered, hidden, concealed; cut, divided (?).
- छादिन् chādin(at the end of a comp.) hiding, covering.
- छादिषेय chādiṣeyasuitable for the roof of a carriage or for the thatch of a house.
- छाद्मिक chādmikafraudulent, dishonest; (as), m. a rogue.
- छाद्यमान chādyamānabeing covered.
- छद्3 chador chand, cl. 10. P. A. chada-yati, -te, -yitum, cl. 1. P. and 10. P. A., Vedic chandati…
- छद्4 chad(in compounds) pleased with etc.;
- छन्द chandapleasing, alluring, inviting; praising, a praiser; (as), m. appearance, look, shape…
- छन्दक chandakain sarva-cchandaka, epithet of Nārāyaṇa, ‘assuming every shape?;’ (as), m., name of the…
- छन्दन chandanapleasing, charming.
- छन्दस् chandasdesire, longing for, delight, pleasure, wish, will; free will; meaning, intention…
- छन्दस्य chandasyataking the form of hymns, metrical, fit for hymns, relating to the Vedic hymns; made or…
- छन्दित chanditagratified, pleased.
- छन्दु chandupleasing, lovely.
- छन्दोम chandomaname of the eighth, ninth, and tenth day in a sacrificial ceremony which lasts twelve…
- छद्5 chadchadati, etc., to nourish, strengthen.
- छद्6 chad10. P. chandati and chandayati, etc., to kindle; (a various reading for chṛd.)
- छद्मट् chadmaṭ= chambaṭ (?).
- छद्वर chadvaraa tooth (?); a bower;
- छनच्छन् chanacchanan imitative sound expressive of the noise of falling drops, of sobbing etc.; (according…
- छन्न channaSee col. 1.
- छम् chamchamati, etc., to eat;
- छमच्छमिकारत्न chamacchamikā-ratnaname of a poet.
- छमच्छमित chamacchamita(an onomatopoetic word with the termination of the past pass. part.), crackling, rattling.
- छमण्ड chamaṇḍaan orphan, a fatherless son; a single man, one who has no kinsmen;
- छम्प् champchampati, champayati, etc., to go, move.
- छम्बट् chambaṭ(used with rt. kṛ, especially in sacrificial language), to make a failure, fail in…
- छर्द् chardchardayati, -yitum, to vomit, be sick;
- छर्द charda(a various reading for chardi), vomiting.
- छर्दन chardananame of a plant (= alambuṣa); of a Rākṣasa; another plant, = nimba; the plant Vangueria…
- छर्दि chardisickness, vomiting.
- छर्दिका chardikāsickness, vomiting; a plant, = viṣṇu-krāntā.
- छर्दिस्1 chardisvomiting. (For 2. chardis see below.)
- छर्दीका chardīkāvomiting, sickness.
- छर्दापनिका chardāpanikāa kind of cucumber, = karkaṭī; (a corruption of chardāpanayikā ?).
- छर्दिस्2 chardisa fence, a secure place, secure residence; a house;
- छल् chalSee under chala.
- छल chalafraud, deceit, deception, sham, guise, disguise, pretence, pretext, delusion, illusion…
- छलक chalakadelusive, deceptive, cheating.
- छलन chalanadeceiving, deluding, tricking, cheating, outwitting, feigning.
- छलय chalayachalayati, -yitum, to deceive, cheat, delude, circumvent, outwit, feign.
- छलयत् chalayatdeceiving, cheating, deluding, outwitting.
- छलित chalitadeceived, cheated, deluded; feigned.
- छलिन् chalincheating, a cheat; a swindler.
- छलिक chalikaa song consisting of four parts and recited with certain gestures or gesticulation;
- छलितक chalitakaname of a man, the builder of a sanctuary which was called after him; (am), n. = chalika…
- छल्लि challiskin, bark, rind, = challī;
- छल्लित challitain asthi-cchallita, elevation of a small portion of the bone.
- छल्ली challīskin, bark, rind; a spreading creeper (vīrudh); a kind of flower; offspring, posterity.
- छवि chavior chavī, f., skin, hide; hue, colour of the skin, colour in general; beauty, splendor…
- छविल्लाकर chavillākaraname of an historian of Kaśmīra.
- छष् chaṣchaṣati, -te, to hurt, injure, kill.
- छा chāa young animal;
- छाग chāgaa goat; the sign of the zodiac Aries; name of one of the attendants of Śiva; (ī), f. a…
- छागल chāgalacoming from or relating to a goat or to a she-goat, caprigenous; born in Chagala; (as)…
- छागलक chāgalakaa kind of fish.
- छागलि chāgalia metronymic from Chagalā and a patronymic from Chagala; a descendant of Atri; name of a…
- छागलेय chāgaleyaname of a place; (ās), m. pl., name of a school; (as), m., name of the author of a…
- छागलेयिन् chāgaleyinthe pupils of Chagalin; the Sūtras of the pupils of Chagalin.
- छागिका chāgikāa she-goat.
- छागेय chāgeyaname of a school.
- छाग्यायनि chāgyāyania patronymic from Chāga.
- छागण chāgaṇaa fire of dried cowdung (chagaṇa).
- छागलेय chāgaleyaSee above.
- छाछिका chāchikāname of a Tīrtha.
- छाटा chāṭātitle of a commentary on the Mugdha-bodha;
- छात chātaSee p. 334, col. 3.
- छात्त्र chāttraSee p. 332, col. 1.
- छाद chādaSee p. 332, col. 1.
- छान्द chāndaadj. fr. chanda or chandas (?).
- छान्दड chāndaḍaname of a Brāhman.
- छान्दस chāndasaVedic, having the sacred text of the Veda as (its) subject, peculiar to the Veda…
- छान्दसक chāndasakathe being Vedic or metrical.
- छान्दसीय chāndasīyametrical, familiar with metres, a metrical scholar.
- छान्दोग chāndogarelating to the Chando-gas.
- छान्दोग्य chāndogyathe doctrine of the Chando-gas or Udgātṛ priests contained in a Brāhmaṇa of the…
- छान्दोभाष chāndobhāṣarelating to the language of the Vedas (?).
- छान्दोम chāndomataken from the Chandomas.
- छान्दोमान chāndomānarelating to a syllable regarded as the measure of metre or metrical unity.
- छान्दोमिक chāndomikabelonging to the Chandomas.
- छाया chāyāshade, shadow, dark shadow, a shady place, (in the Naighaṇṭuka III. 4. = a screened or…
- छायक chāyakashadowy (as a demon).
- छालिक्य chālikyaname of a kind of song;
- छि chiabuse, reproach.
- छिक्कन chikkana(an onomatopoetic word with the affix of a noun of action), sneezing; (ī), f. the plant…
- छिक्का chikkāsneezing.
- छिक्किक chikkikasneezing, sternutatory; (ā), f. the plant Artemisia Sternutatoria.
- छिक्कर chikkaraa kind of animal;
- छिक्कार chikkāraa kind of antelope.
- छित chitaSee rt. cho, p. 334.
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).