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 208 of 554
- तातल tātalaa fatherly relative, one who may be considered as a father; an iron club or spike…
- ताति tātioffspring, a son.
- तात्य tātyapaternal, fatherly.
- तातन tātanaa wagtail.
- तातृपि tātṛpisatisfying, delighting much.
- तातृषाण tātṛṣāṇathirsting, very thirsty.
- तात्कर्म्य tātkarmyasameness of occupation.
- तात्कालिक tātkālikaor ī, am, ‘lasting that time,’ lasting equally long, happening at that time…
- तात्काल्य tātkālyasimultaneousness.
- तात्तलि tāttaliname of a man.
- तात्त्विक tāttvikaaccordant with reality, real, true, essential.
- तात्पर्य tātparyaaim, reference to any object (with loc.), object, purpose, intent, design; meaning…
- तात्पर्यक tātparyakaaiming at, intending, meaning.
- तात्य tātyaSee under tāta, col. 2.
- तात्स्तोम्य tātstomyasameness of praise.
- तात्स्थ्य tātsthyathe residing in that, the being contained in.
- ताथाभाव्य tāthābhāvyaa N. for the Svarita accent at the end of the first member of a compound when an Udātta…
- तादर्थिक tādarthikadestined or intended for that.
- तादर्थ्य tādarthyathe being destined or intended for that, the having that or the same object, identity of…
- तादात्म्य tādātmyasameness of nature or character, identity, unity.
- तादीत्ना tādītnāat that time.
- तादुरी tādurīepithet of a frog.
- तादृक्ष tā-dṛkṣasuch like, such a one, like that, like him, etc.
- तादृशि tā-dṛśi(Vedic nom. m. f. tādṛṅ), like that, such like, like him or it, etc.; (k), ind. in such a…
- तादृश tā-dṛśasuch like, such a one; yādṛśas tādṛśas, anybody whosoever;
- ताद्धर्म्य tāddharmyasameness of law, analogy.
- ताद्धित tāddhitaformed with a Taddhita affix.
- ताद्रूप्य tādrūpyaoneness or sameness of form, figure, etc.
- तान tānaa thread, a fibre; a tone, a protracted tone, the key-note (in music); a monotonous tone…
- तानव tānavathinness, spareness, meagreness, smallness.
- तानव्य tānavyaa patronymic from Tanu; (the fem. is tānavyāyanī.)
- तानूनपात tānūnapātarelating to Tanū-napāt, addressed to that form of Agni.
- तानूनप्त्र tānūnaptraa ceremony in which Tanū-napāt is invoked and the oblation touched by the sacrificer and…
- तानूर tānūraa whirlpool;
- तान्त tāntawearied, fatigued, distressed; languid, languishing; faded, withered, blighted; a…
- तान्तव tāntavamade of thread; (am), n. spinning, weaving; a web; a woven cloth.
- तान्तव्य tāntavyaa patronymic from Tantu; (the fem. is tāntavyāyanī.)
- तान्तुवाय्य tāntuvāyyathe son of a weaver.
- तान्त्र tāntrastringed, having wires or strings (as a musical instrument); relating to the Tantras…
- तान्त्रिक tāntrikacompletely versed in any science or system, a scholar; a philosopher; relating to the…
- तान्दन tāndanawind.
- तान्व tānvabelonging to one's own body or person, personal; (as), m. a patronymic from Tanva; (am)…
- तान्वङ्ग tānvaṅgaa patronymic from Tanv-aṅga.
- ताप tāpaheat, glow, burning, torment, pain (mental or physical); fever; sorrow, affliction…
- तापक tāpakaheating, burning, inflaming; (as), m. fever, morbid heat.
- तापत्य tāpatyarelating to Tapatī (q.v.), treating of her; a metronymic from Tapatī, epithet of Kuru…
- तापन tāpanaburning, inflaming, heating, distressing; (as), m. the sun; the hot season; the…
- तापनीय tāpanīyagolden, made of gold; (ās), m. pl., name of a school of the Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā or White…
- तापयान tāpayānawarming, burning, illuminating.
- तापयिष्णु tāpayiṣṇuheating, burning, causing pain.
- तापश्चित tāpaścitaname of a sacrificial ceremony of long continuance; (as, ī, am), an epithet of the…
- तापस tāpasaperforming penance, a practiser of austerities; devout; a hermit; a devotee, an ascetic…
- तापस्य tāpasyaasceticism, the condition of a devotee, penance.
- तापायन tāpāyananame of a school of the Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā or White Yajur-veda.
- तापिक tāpikain jala-tāpika, q.v.
- तापित tāpitaheated, inflamed, distressed, pained.
- तापिन् tāpinoppressed by heat, morbid, suffering from disease (moral or physical); anything heated or…
- ताप्य tāpyaor tāpyaka, am, n. a mineral substance, sulphuret of iron.
- तापिच्छ tāpicchaor tāpiñcha, as, m. the plant Xanthochymus Pictorius;
- तापिञ्ज tāpiñjathe plant Xanthochymus Pictorius; (am), n. = tāpīja, tāpya, sulphuret of iron.
- तापितट tāpitaṭaor tīpītaṭa or tāpītaṭadeśa, as, m., name of a country.
- तापीमाहात्म्य tāpī-māhātmyaname of a part of the Skanda-Purāṇa.
- ताबरिसाणु tābarisāṇuname of a country.
- ताबुव tābuvaan antidote against poison.
- ताम tāmaan object of terror; fault, defect, vice; anxiety, distress, desire.
- तामर tāmarawater; ghee or oiled butter.
- तामरस tāmarasaa red-coloured lotus; gold; copper; a metre consisting of four lines of twelve syllables…
- तामलकी tāmalakīthe tree Flacourtia Cataphracta.
- तामलिप्त tāmaliptaname of a people in the south of Bengal; (am, ī), n. f., name of the city and district…
- तामस tāmasadark, of or belonging to darkness; affected by or appertaining to the third quality or…
- तामसिक tāmasikadark, obscure, of or belonging to the quality of darkness, derived from it, teaching…
- तामि tāmior ī, f., restraining or keeping in the breath until it produces exhaustion; (also said…
- तामिस्र tāmisrascil. pakṣa, the dark half of the month, the time from full moon to new moon; (as), m. a…
- तामु tāmua praiser; (a various reading has stāmu.)
- ताम्बली tāmbalīname of a kind of plant.
- ताम्बूल tāmbūlabetel, Piper Betel, or rather its pungent and aromatic leaf, which together with the…
- ताम्बूलिक tāmbūlikaa seller of betel.
- ताम्बूलिन् tāmbūlinrelating or belonging to betel, having betel, giving it, etc.; (ī), m. the Pān-bearer, a…
- ताम्य tāmya(?) = kloman.
- ताम्यत् tāmyatdistressing, afflicting, annoying.
- ताम्र tāmraof a coppery red colour, (tāmrā tvac, the fourth of the seven skins or membranes with…
- ताम्रक tāmrakacopper; (ikā), f. = tāmrī, the plant Abrus Precatorius, = guñjā.
- ताम्रायण tāmrāyaṇaname of a pupil of Yājñavalkya; (also read tāmrāyaṇi.)
- ताम्रिक tāmrikacoppery, made of copper, etc.; (as), m. a brazier, a copper-smith; (for tāmrikā see…
- ताम्रिमन् tāmrimanredness, dark-red, copper colour, the colour of copper.
- ताम्रीकृ tāmrī-kṛ-karoti, -kurute, -kartum, to die red or a dark-red or coppery.
- ताम्र्य tāmryaa dark-red colour, redness.
- ताम्राकु tāmrākuname of an Upadvīpa.
- ताय् tāytāyate, tatāye, tāyiṣyate, atāyi and atāyiṣṭa, tāyitum, to spread, extend, proceed in a…
- तायन tāyanaproceeding or succeeding well; increase, growth.
- ताय tāya? in Gaṇa to Pāṇ. VI. 1, 203.
- तायादर tāyādara? Atharva-veda VI. 72, 2.
- तायिक tāyikaname of a country; the inhabitants of this country, = tarjika.
- तायु tāyua thief.
- तार tāraall-pervading, all-conquering, a protector; an epithet of Rudra and Viṣṇu; high (as a…
- तारक tārakaone who causes or enables to pass or go over, carrying over; rescuing; one who helps…
- तारकायण tārakāyaṇaa patronymic from Tāraka.
- तारकित tārakitastarry, star-spangled.
- तारकिन् tārakinstarry; (iṇī), f. night.
- तारण tāraṇawho or what causes or enables to cross; helping over a difficulty etc.; liberating…
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).