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 228 of 554
- देवित्वा devitvāhaving played.
- देविन् devingambling, a gambler, gamester.
- देविय deviyaa familiar diminutive of Devadatta.
- देविल devilaappertaining to a deity, divine; virtuous, pious, just; (as), m. a familiar diminutive of…
- देवीक devīkafor devī, a queen etc.
- देवृ devṛa husband's brother, especially his younger brother; the husband of a woman previously…
- देव्य devyadivine dignity or power, rank, godhead.
- देवकड devakaḍaor am, m. or n. (?), name of a Grāma.
- देवट devaṭaan artist, artisan.
- देवट्टी devaṭṭīa sort of gull, Larus Ridibundus (= gaṅgācillī).
- देश deśaany place or spot shown or pointed out; place or spot in general, region, country…
- देशक deśakawho or what shows, points out, describes, directs, teaches, etc.; a shower, indicator…
- देशना deśanādirection, command, instruction, doctrine.
- देशिक deśikafamiliar with a place, a guide; (as), m. a Guru or spiritual teacher; a traveller…
- देशित deśitadirected, commanded; shown, pointed out; advised, instructed.
- देशिन् deśinshowing, pointing out, instructing, guiding; of or belonging to a country; (inī), f. the…
- देशी deśīscil. bhāṣā, the dialect of a country; name of a Rāgiṇī, (according to Hanu-mat) wife of…
- देशीय deśīyapeculiar or belonging to a country or province, provincial, native; (at the end of a…
- देश्य deśyato be pointed out, to be ordered or proved; being in a place or on the spot, present at…
- देष्टव्य deṣṭavyato be pointed out or shown or declared.
- देष्टृ deṣṭṛone who shows or directs or points out, an indicator; (ṭrī), f., name of a divine female…
- देष्ट्र deṣṭradirection, order; promise.
- देशकारी deśakārīname of a Rāgiṇī or musical mode, (according to Hanu-mat) the wife of the Rāga Megha;
- देशाख deśākhaand deśāga, as, m., name of a Rāga; (ī), f., name of a Rāgiṇī.
- देष्ठ deṣṭhagiving the most, most liberal, greatest giver.
- देष्ण deṣṇagiving, a gift;
- देष्णु1 deṣṇuliberal, giving, a donor.
- देष्णु2 deṣṇudifficult of subjection, intractable, ungovernable.
- देष्णु3 deṣṇua washerman.
- देह dehathe body; (ī), f. a mound, bank, rampart, surrounding wall;
- देहला dehalāspirituous liquor.
- देहलि dehalior dehalī, f. the threshold of a door, the sill or lower part of the wooden frame of a…
- देहिका dehikāa sort of ant or insect which throws up the earth;
- देहिन् dehinhaving a body, corporeal, embodied; (ī), m. living, a living being, especially a man; the…
- दै daidāyati, etc., to purify, cleanse; to protect;
- दैक्ष daikṣarelating to initiation, inauguration, etc.
- दैतेय daiteyaa son of Diti, an Asura, an enemy of the gods, (especially) epithet of Rāhu; (as, ī, am)…
- दैत्य daityaa son of Diti, a demon; (as, ā, am), belonging or relating to the Daityas; (ā), f. a kind…
- दैधिषव्य daidhiṣavyathe son of a woman by her second husband (?).
- दैन1 dainarelating to a day, diurnal, daily.
- दैनन्दिन dainandinahappening daily, diurnal, quotidian.
- दैनिक dainikadiurnal, relating daily to a day; (ī), f. a day's hire or wages.
- दैन2 dainaor dainya, am, n., wretchedness, feebleness, weakness, affliction, sorrow, grief…
- दैनार dainārabought with a Dīnār, of the value of a Dīnār.
- दैप daiparelating or belonging to a lamp.
- दैयांपाति daiyāṃpātia patronymic from Dyāmpāta, q.v.
- दैर्घ dairghalength.
- दैर्घ्य dairghyalength, longness.
- दैलीपि dailīpia patronymic from Dilīpa, q.v.
- दैव daivaof or belonging to a deity or divinity, coming from the gods, divine, celestial; royal…
- दैवक daivaka(at the end of an adj. comp.) = daiva, a deity, etc.; (ī), f. = devakī, name of the…
- दैवत daivataof or relating to a god or to the gods, especially relating to the peculiar deity…
- दैवत्य daivatyahaving as one's deity, addressed to some deity, sacred to a deity;
- दैवलक daivalakathe servant or worshipper of an evil spirit, an attendant on an idol (?);
- दैवात् daivātby chance, by accident, fatally. See daiva.
- दैवातिथ daivātitharelating to Devātithi.
- दैविक daivikapeculiar to the gods, relating to the deities, divine, deific; performed in honour of the…
- दैविन् daivinan astrologer.
- दैव्य daivyaor vyā, am, divine; (am), n. divine power or effect; fortune, fate.
- दैवजन daivajanabelonging to the gods collectively.
- दैवदत्त2 daivadattabeing in the village Deva-datta; (ās), m. pl. the disciples of Deva-datta.
- दैवदत्तिक daivadattikaor ī, am, relating to Devadatta.
- दैवदर्शनिन् daivadarśaninthe adherents or disciples of Deva-darśana.
- दैवदारव daivadāravamade of the tree Deva-dāru, being upon it.
- दैवयातक daivayātakainhabited by the Deva-yātas.
- दैवयातवक daivayātavakainhabited by the Deva-yātus.
- दैवयानेय daivayāneyaa patronymic from Deva-yānī.
- दैवराति daivarātia descendant of Deva-rāta; a patronymic of Janaka; a name of Yājñavalkya.
- दैववात daivavātarelating to Deva-vāta; (as), m. an epithet of Sṛñjaya.
- दैवाकरि daivākari‘the son of the Sun,’ a patronymic of Yama and Śani or the planet Saturn; (ī), f. ‘the…
- दैवादिक daivādikabelonging to the class of roots which begins with div, i.e. to the fourth class.
- दैवावृध daivāvṛdhaa patronymic of Babhru.
- दैवासुर daivāsurarelating to the gods and Asuras; (with vaira) the natural enmity perpetually subsisting…
- दैवोदास daivodāsarelating to Divo-dāsa; (as), m. a patronymic from Divo-dāsa.
- दैशिक daiśikabelonging or relating to a place, local, provincial; relating or having reference to…
- दैष्टिक daiṣṭikafated, predestined; (as), m. a predestinarian, a fatalist.
- दैहिक daihikacorporeal, bodily.
- दैह्य daihyabeing in the body; (as), m. the soul (enclosed by the body).
- दो do(sometimes written dā, see 3. dā, p. 408, col. 1), cl. 4. 2. P. dyati, dāti, dadau…
- दोग dogaa bull (?).
- दोग्धव्य dogdhavyato be milked.
- दोग्धुकाम dogdhu-kāmawishing to milk.
- दोग्धृ dogdhṛa milker, who or what milks; one who performs anything from interested motives or who…
- दोघ doghamilking; (as), m. milking.
- दोडी doḍīa species of plant and its fruit;
- दोदुल्यमान dodulyamānaswinging backwards and forwards, being swung repeatedly or violently.
- दोध dodhaa calf.
- दोधक dodhakaor dodhaka-vṛtta, am, n. a kind of metre consisting of four lines of eleven syllables…
- दोधूयमान dodhūyamānashaking or trembling violently.
- दोमन् domanpain, inconvenience, (occurring only in a-doma-da, q.v.)
- दोरक dorakaa string for fastening the wires of a lute.
- दोल dolaswinging, rocking, oscillating; a festival on the fourteenth of the month Phālguna…
- दोलाय dolāyadolāyate, etc., to swing, rock about like a swing, shake, toss, move to and fro…
- दोलायमान dolāyamānaoscillating, swinging, rocking, tossing, being swung backwards and forwards; vacillating…
- दोलायित dolāyitaswinging about, oscillating, moving to and fro, rocking.
- दोलिका dolikāa litter, swing; a cradle.
- दोलित dolitaswung, shaken, rocked, tossed backwards and forwards.
- दोष doṣafault, vice, defect, deficiency, want, blemish, blame, accusation, reproach (with rt…
- दोषक doṣakaa calf.
- दोषण doṣaṇaimputation of a crime, accusation.
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).