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 236 of 554
- धूण dhūṇaor am, m. or n. (?), the resin of the Shorea Robusta;
- धूनक dhūnakathe resin of the Shorea Robusta or resin in general;
- धूप् dhūpdhūpāyati, etc., cl. 10. P. dhūpayati, etc. See dhūpaya and dhūpāya, p. 457, col. 2.
- धूप dhūpaSee p. 457, col. 2.
- धूम dhūmaSee p. 457, cols. 2, 3.
- धूर्1 dhūrdhūryate, etc., to hurt or kill; to move or approach.
- धूर्2 dhūrfor dhur (q.v.) at the beginning of a comp.
- धूर्य dhūryafor dhurya, q.v.
- धूर्ण dhūrṇanom. ending(s) -= dhūṇa = dhūnaka — see cross-reference
- धूर्त dhūrtaSee under rt. dhūrv below.
- धूर्व् dhūrvdhūrvati, dudhūrva, dhūrviṣyati, adhūrvīt, dhūrvitum, Vedic to bend, cause to fall, hurt…
- धूर्त dhūrtacunning, crafty, dishonest, knavish, fraudulent, subtle; mischievous, injurious; (as), m…
- धूर्तक dhūrtakacunning, a cheat, a rogue; (as), m. a jackal; name of a Nāga.
- धूर्ति dhūrtiinjury, damage.
- धूर्तिल dhūrtilain akṣa-dh˚, q.v.
- धूर्वन् dhūrvancausing to fall, bending.
- धूर्वा dhūrvā= dūrvā, q.v.
- धूर्वी dhūrvīthe fore-part or pole of a carriage, = dhur, q.v.
- धूलक dhūlakapoison.
- धूलि dhūliSee col. 1.
- धूश् dhūśor dhūṣ or dhūs, cl. 10. P. dhūśayati, dhūṣayati, dhūsayati, etc., to make splendid or…
- धूषर dhūṣaraa wrong spelling for dhūsara below.
- धूसर dhūsaraof a dusty or greyish or dusty-white colour, grey; (as), m. grey (the colour); a jackass…
- धूसरक dhūsarakaname of a jackal.
- धूसरित dhūsaritamade grey, greyish.
- धूस्तूर dhūstūra= dhustūra, the thorn-apple, Datura Metel and Fastuosa.
- धृ dhṛdharati, -te, dadhāra (Vedic dādhāra), dadhre (part. dadhrāṇa), dhariṣyati, -te…
- धृक् dhṛkbearing, carrying, supporting, sustaining, suffering, wearing, possessing, having, etc.;
- धृत् dhṛt(at end of comp.), a holder, bearer, possessor; bearing, carrying, possessing, having…
- धृत dhṛtaheld, borne, carried, maintained, supported; contained; possessed; kept, retained…
- धृतक dhṛtakaname of a Buddhist patriarch.
- धृतवत् dhṛta-vathaving taken or conveyed or held or resolved; (atī), f., name of a river.
- धृति dhṛtiholding, holding fast, laying hold of, seizing, having, possessing; supporting…
- धृत्वन् dhṛtvanan epithet of Viṣṇu; of Brahmā; a clever man; virtue, morality; the sea; the sky; (arī)…
- धृत्वा dhṛtvāhaving held, having laid hold of or seized; having taken, etc.
- धृज् dhṛjor dhṛñj, cl. 1. P. dharjati, dhṛñjati, etc., to go, move.
- धृष् dhṛṣdharṣati, dhṛṣṇoti, dadharṣa (part. dadhṛṣvas), dharṣiṣyati, adharṣīt (Vedic forms…
- धृषज् dhṛṣajassailing, attacking, destroying.
- धृषत् dhṛṣator antī, at, pres. part., Vedic bold, daring, courageous, confident; (atā), ind. boldly…
- धृषित dhṛṣitabold, courageous, brave, daring.
- धृषु dhṛṣubold, proud; clever; (us), m. a heap, multitude.
- धृष्ट dhṛṣṭabold, daring, courageous, confident; insolent, impudent, rude, saucy, shameless; forward…
- धृष्टक dhṛṣṭakaname of a prince.
- धृष्टि dhṛṣṭi(according to Mahīdhara) bold; (is), m. a pair of tongs; name of a son of Hiraṇya-kaśipu…
- धृष्ण dhṛṣṇaetc., a wrong reading for dhṛṣṭa, q.v.
- धृष्णज् dhṛṣṇajbold, confident; impudent, shameless.
- धृष्णि dhṛṣṇia ray of light.
- धृष्णु dhṛṣṇucourageous, bold, confident, valiant; impudent, shameless; strong, powerful, (applied in…
- धृष्णुक dhṛṣṇukaname of a prince;
- धृष्णुया dhṛṣṇuyāin a bold or powerful manner, firmly.
- धृष्य dhṛṣyaassailable, to be attacked; conquerable.
- धृषद् dhṛṣad= dṛṣad, q.v.
- धॄ dhṝdhṛṇāti, etc., to be old, grow old;
- धे dhedhayati, dadhau, dhāsyati, adhāt, adhāsīt, adadhat, Prec. dhe-yāt, dhātum, to suck…
- धेन dhenathe ocean, a male river; (ā), f., Vedic a milch cow; a mare (?); a river; speech; voice…
- धेनु dhenua milch cow, a cow that has lately calved, (sometimes compounded with the names of other…
- धेनुक dhenukaname of an Asura or demon in the shape of a donkey (killed by Kṛṣṇa or according to other…
- धेनुष्टरी dhenuṣṭarīa milch cow ceasing to give milk.
- धेनुष्या dhenuṣyāa cow whose milk has been pledged; a cow tied up to be milked (?).
- धेनुष्यित dhenuṣyitaone who has pledged the milk of his cows and therefore cannot make use of it himself.
- धेनूक dhenūkain bahu-dh˚, q.v.
- धैनुक dhainukaa herd of cows; a kind of coitus.
- धेमात्र dhemātraa particular high number; (a various reading for dhamātra.)
- धेय dheyato be held or taken etc.; to be created; what is created or produced;
- धेष्ठ dheṣṭhagiving the most; (Sāy.) the best supporter, firmest stay.
- धैर्य1 dhairyafirmness, durability, steadiness, stability, strength, consistency, constancy; calmness…
- धैवत dhaivatathe sixth note of the gamut.
- धैवत्य dhaivatyacleverness, skilfulness (?).
- धैवर dhaivarabelonging or relating to a fisherman.
- धोईकवि dhoī-kaviname of a poet mentioned in the Śārṅgadhara-paddhati;
- धोड dhoḍaa sort of snake, commonly Dhora, a kind of water-snake.
- धोयिन् dhoyinor dhoyī, īs, m., name of a poet.
- धोर् dhordhorati, dudhora, dhoritum, to run well, to trot, to be quick or alert, to have good…
- धोरण dhoraṇaa vehicle in general, any means of conveyance (as a horse, an elephant, a car, etc.); a…
- धोरित dhoritaor dhoritaka, am, n. a horse's trot;
- धौत dhautawashed, cleansed, cleaned, purified, washed off; polished, brightened, whetted; white…
- धौतय dhautayaor am, m. or n. (?), a kind of salt (= saindhava).
- धौतरी dhautarī(according to Sāy.) shaking, agitating, causing to tremble.
- धौति dhautia spring, well; river, rivulet.
- धौन्धुमार dhaundhumāratreating of Dhundhu-māra (as an episode).
- धौन्धुमारि dhaundhumāria patronymic from Dhundhu-māra.
- धौमक dhaumakaname of a district.
- धौमत dhaumatamyrrh.
- धौमतायन dhaumatāyanaa patronymic (?).
- धौमतायनक dhaumatāyanakaa patronymic from Dhaumatāyana.
- धौमायन dhaumāyanaa patronymic from Dhūma.
- धौमीय dhaumīyasmoky.
- धौम्य dhaumyaa patronymic from Dhūma; name of an ancient Ṛṣi; a son of Vyāghra-pāda; a younger brother…
- धौम्र dhaumraname of an ancient Ṛṣi; name of a class of demons; (am), n. grey (the colour), greyness…
- धौम्रायण dhaumrāyaṇaa patronymic from Dhūmra;
- धौर dhauraGrislea Tomentosa.
- धौरितक dhauritakaa horse's trot;
- धौरेय dhaureyaor dhaureyaka, as, ī, am,, fit to be harnessed, fit for a burden, capable of drawing or…
- धौर्तक dhaurtakaroguery, knavery, fraud.
- धौर्तिक dhaurtikacheating, dishonest, roguish, knavish, fraudulent, etc.; (am), n. fraud, dishonesty.
- धौर्तेय dhaurteyaname of a warlike tribe; (as), m. a prince of this tribe.
- धौर्त्य dhaurtyafraud, dishonesty.
- धौर्य dhauryaa horse's trot, = dhorita, etc.
- धौवकि dhauvakia metronymic from Dhuvakā.
- ध्मा1 dhmādhamati, dadhmau, dhmāsyati (ep. dhamiṣyati), adhmāsīt, dhmātum, to blow (as wind or…
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).