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 22 of 554
- अनुजिघृक्षा anu-jighṛkṣāSee under anu-grah.
- अनुजीव् anu-jīv-jīvati, -vitum, to follow or imitate in living; to live for any one; to live by or upon…
- अनुजीविन् anu-jīvinliving by or upon; dependent; (ī), m. a dependent, follower.
- अनुजीव्य anu-jīvyato be followed in living.
- अनुजुष् anu-juṣ-juṣate, -joṣitum, to seek.
- अनुजॄ anu-jṝ-jīryati, or cl. 1. P., Vedic -jarati, -jaritum, -rītum, to follow in getting old or…
- अनुजीर्ण anu-jīrṇagrown old or decayed after or in consequence of.
- अनुज्झत् an-ujjhator atī, at, not quitting, not leaving.
- अनुज्झित an-ujjhitaundiminished, unimpaired, not left or lost.
- अनुज्ञा1 anu-jñārarely A. -jānāti, jānīte, -jñātum, to permit, grant, allow, consent; to excuse, forgive…
- अनुज्ञा2 anu-jñāor anu-jñāna, am, n. assent, assenting, permission; leave to depart; allowance made for…
- अनुज्ञात anu-jñātaassented to, permitted, allowed; ordered, directed, instructed; accepted; authorized…
- अनुज्ञापक anu-jñāpakaone who commands or enjoins.
- अनुज्ञापन anu-jñāpanaor anu-jñapti, is, f. authorization; issuing an order or permission.
- अनुज्येष्ठ anu-jyeṣṭhanext eldest; (am), ind. after the eldest, according to seniority.
- अनुतक्ष् anu-takṣ-takṣati, -kṣitum, -taṣṭum, to sharpen or stimulate by offerings.
- अनुतन् anu-tan-tanoti, -tanitum, to extend along, to carry on, continue, develop.
- अनुतप् anu-tap-tapati, -taptum, to heat, to vex, annoy: Pass. -tapyate or poet. -tapyati, to suffer…
- अनुतप्त anu-taptaheated; filled with regret.
- अनुताप anu-tāparepentance, heat.
- अनुतापन anu-tāpanaoccasioning remorse, repentance or sorrow.
- अनुतापिन् anu-tāpinpenitent, regretting.
- अनुतर anu-taraSee anu-tṝ below.
- अनुतर्क् anu-tarkor poet. A. -tarkayati, -te, -yitum, to follow in thought, to regard as or take for.
- अनुतर्ष anu-tarṣathirst, wish, desire; a drinking vessel, one used for drinking spirituous liquors.
- अनुतर्षण anu-tarṣaṇaa vessel from which spirituous liquor is drunk; distributing liquor.
- अनुतिलम् anu-tilamgrain after grain (of Sesamum), i.e. very minutely or by grains.
- अनुतिष्ठमान anu-tiṣṭhamānaSee anuṣṭhā.
- अनुतुन्न anu-tunnadepressed or repressed (in sound), muffled.
- अनुतूलय anu-tūlaya-tūlayati, -yitum, to rub lengthwise (with a brush or cotton?).
- अनुतृद् anu-tṛd-tṛṇatti, -tarditum, to let go, let out; split, sever, open.
- अनुतृप् anu-tṛp-tṛpyate, -tarpitum, -tarptum, -traptum, to take one's fill (or refreshment) after or…
- अनुतॄ anu-tṝ-tarati, -ritum or -rītum, to follow across or to the end; to stretch lengthwise or…
- अनुतर anu-tarafare, freight.
- अनुत्क an-utkafree from regret, not regretting, self-complacent, not repenting of.
- अनुत्कर्ष an-utkarṣainferiority, non-elevation.
- अनुत्त a-nuttanot cast down, invincible; (or, not moistened, = an-utta?).
- अनुत्तम an-uttamaunsurpassed, incomparably the best or chief, excellent; not the best; (in gram.) not used…
- अनुत्तर an-uttarachief, principal; best, excellent; without a reply, unable to answer, silent; fixed…
- अनुत्तान an-uttānalying with the face towards the ground; not supine.
- अनुत्थान an-utthānathe not rising, want of exertion.
- अनुत्थित an-utthitanot risen, not grown up (as grain).
- अनुत्पत्ति an-utpattifailure, non-production; (is, is, i), or an-utpattika, as, ī, am, not (yet) produced.
- अनुत्पन्न an-utpannaunborn, unproduced; uneffected, unaccomplished.
- अनुत्पाद an-utpādathe not coming into existence; the not taking effect.
- अनुत्पादन an-utpādananot producing, non-production.
- अनुत्पाद्य an-utpādyanot to be produced or created, i.e. eternal.
- अनुत्साह an-utsāhawant of adequate effort; want of energy or determination; listlessness; (as, ā, am)…
- अनुत्सुक an-utsukanot eager, calm, retiring; moderate.
- अनुत्सूत्र an-utsūtranot anomalous.
- अनुत्सेक an-utsekaabsence of arrogance or highmindedness.
- अनुत्सेकिन् an-utsekinnot arrogant or puffed up.
- अनुदक an-udakawaterless.
- अनुदग्र an-udagranot lofty, low; not projecting.
- अनुदय an-udayanon-rising, the not rising (of a luminary).
- अनुदित1 an-uditanot risen, not appeared. (For 2. an-udita, see next column.)
- अनुदर an-udarathin, lank.
- अनुदह् anu-dah-dahati, -dagdhum, to burn over again, to burn up.
- अनुदा anu-dā-dadāti, -dātum, to give back, restore, give way, yield, grant, remit; to pay one out (?).
- अनुद anu-dayielding, emulating others in giving, a follower.
- अनुदत्त anu-dattagranted, remitted, given back.
- अनुदेय anu-deyato be given back or restored.
- अनुदेयी anu-deyīrestitution; a female follower or companion.
- अनुदात्त an-udāttanot raised, not elevated, not pronounced with the Udātta accent, grave …
- अनुदार1 an-udāraniggardly, mean; liberal, munificent.
- अनुदार2 anu-dāraadhered to or followed by a wife.
- अनुदित2 an-uditaunsaid, unuttered, interdicted (see 1. anu-udita under anudaya).
- अनुदिनम् anu-dinamor anu-divasam, ind. daily, every day.
- अनुदिश् anu-diś-diśati, -deṣṭum, to point out, to assign.
- अनुदिशम् anu-diśamin every quarter.
- अनुदेश anu-deśaa rule or injunction, especially one that points back to a previous rule; reference to…
- अनुदेशिन् anu-deśinpointing back, referring back; being the object of an Anudeśa.
- अनुदृभ् anu-dṛbh-dṛbhati, -darbhitum, to make into bundles or chains.
- अनुदृश् anu-dṛś-paśyati, -draṣṭum, to survey, behold; to keep in view or in mind, to foresee: Caus. P…
- अनुदर्शन anu-darśanaconsideration, regard, reference.
- अनुदर्शिन् anu-darśinconsidering, foreseeing.
- अनुदृष्टि anu-dṛṣṭiname of the ancestress of Ānudṛṣṭineya.
- अनुद्रष्टव्य an-udraṣṭavyacapable of being observed, visible.
- अनुदॄ anu-dṝ-dīryate, to break through after (another); to be scattered or confused (in consequence…
- अनुदेहम् anu-dehambehind the body.
- अनुदैर्घ्य anu-dairghyalongitudinal.
- अनुद्गीर्ण an-udgīrṇanot vomited forth, not disdained; not spurned.
- अनुद्धत an-uddhatanot lifted up, humble, unsurpassed, unequalled, unopposed.
- अनुद्धरण an-uddharaṇanon-removal; not offering, not establishing or proving.
- अनुद्धार an-uddhāranon-partition, not taking a share; non-removal.
- अनुद्धृत an-uddhṛtanon-removed, not taken away; uninjured, undestroyed; unoffered; undivided, unpartitioned…
- अनुद्भट an-udbhaṭanot exalted, unassuming.
- अनुद्य an-udyaunutterable.
- अनुद्यत an-udyatainactive, idle, destitute of perseverance.
- अनुद्योग an-udyogaabsence of exertion or effort, inactivity, laziness.
- अनुद्योगिन् an-udyogininactive, lazy, indifferent.
- अनुद्र an-udrawaterless.
- अनुद्रु anu-dru-dravati, -drotum, to run after, follow; accompany; to pursue.
- अनुद्रुत anu-drutafollowed, pursued; (am), n. a measure of time in music, half a Druta, or onefourth of a…
- अनुद्वाह an-udvāhanon-marriage, celibacy.
- अनुद्विग्न an-udvignafree from apprehension or perplexity, easy in mind.
- अनुद्वेग an-udvegafree from anxiety; (as), m. freedom from uneasiness.
- अनुधा anu-dhā-dadhāti, -dhātum, to welcome, receive kindly.
- अनुधाव्1 anu-dhāv-dhāvati, -vitum, to run after, to run up to.
- अनुधावत् anu-dhāvatrunning after.
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).