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.
Search in IAST (ātman), plain letters (atman), Devanagari (आत्मन्) or English (fire). Pronunciation key · English index · Random entry
Jump to letter
All words A–Z
55,387 headwords · page 24 of 554
- अनुपलभ्यमान an-upalabhyamānanot being perceived.
- अनुपलम्भ an-upalambhanon-perception.
- अनुपलम्भन an-upalambhanawant of apprehension or knowledge.
- अनुपवीतिन् an-upavītinone who does not wear the sacred cord, uninvested with the sacrificial thread.
- अनुपशय an-upaśayaany aggravating thing or circumstance that increases a disease.
- अनुपशान्त an-upaśāntanot cilm; (as), m., name of a Buddhist mendicant.
- अनुपश्य anu-paśyafollowing with his looks, keeping in view or in mind.
- अनुपसर्ग an-upasargaa word that is not an Upasarga, that has not the force of one, that is destitute of one…
- अनुपसेचन an-upasecanahaving nothing (e.g. no sauce) for moistening.
- अनुपस्कृत an-upaskṛtaunfinished, unpolished; not cooked, i.e. genuine, blameless; unrequited.
- अनुपस्थान an-upasthānaabsence, the not being at hand.
- अनुपस्थापन an-upasthāpananot producing, not offering, not placing; not having ready or at hand.
- अनुपस्थापयत् an-upasthāpayatnot presenting, not having at hand.
- अनुपस्थापित an-upasthāpitanot ready, not at hand, not offered or produced.
- अनुपस्थायिन् an-upasthāyinabsent, distant.
- अनुपस्थित an-upasthitanot come near, not present, not at hand, not current; (am), n. a word not upasthita…
- अनुपस्थिति an-upasthitiabsence, not being at hand.
- अनुपहत an-upahataunimpaired, unvitiated; not rendered impure.
- अनुपहूत an-upahūtanot called upon or invited; not called upon aloud; not accompanied with invitations.
- अनुपा1 anu-pā-pibati, -pātum, to drink after or thereupon, follow in drinking, drink at: Caus…
- अनुपान anu-pānaa fluid vehicle in medicine; drink taken with or after medicine; drink close at hand.
- अनुपानीय anu-pānīyadrink close at hand; (as, ā, am), fit to be drunk after; serving as a liquid vehicle of…
- अनुपा2 anu-pā-pālayati, -te, -yitum, to preserve, keep.
- अनुपालन anu-pālanapreserving, keeping up.
- अनुपालयत् anu-pālayatkeeping, maintaining.
- अनुपालिन् anu-pālinpreserving, keeping up.
- अनुपालु anu-pāluname of a plant, wild Calladium (?).
- अनुपाकृत an-upākṛtanot rendered fit for sacrificial purposes.
- अनुपाख्य an-upākhyanot clearly discernible.
- अनुपात anu-pātafalling subsequently upon, alighting or descending upon in succession; following; going…
- अनुपातक anu-pātakaa heinous crime, as falsehood, fraud, theft, adultery.
- अनुपातम् anu-pātamin succession.
- अनुपातिन् anu-pātinfollowing as a consequence or result.
- अनुपान anu-pānaSee s.v. 1. anu-pā.
- अनुपानत्क an-upānatkashoeless.
- अनुपायिन् an-upāyinnot using means or expedients.
- अनुपार्श्व anu-pārśvalateral; along or by the side.
- अनुपावृत्त an-upāvṛttaname of a people.
- अनुपासन an-upāsanawant of attention to.
- अनुपासित an-upāsitanot attended to, neglected.
- अनुपुरुष anu-puruṣathe beforementioned man, a follower.
- अनुपुष्प anu-puṣpaa kind of reed (Saccharum Sara Roxb.).
- अनुपूर्व anu-pūrvaregular, orderly, successive, from the preceding. Anupūrveṇa or anupūrva-śas, ind. in…
- अनुपूर्व्य anupūrvyaregular, orderly, successive.
- अनुपृक्त anu-pṛktamixed with.
- अनुपृष्ठ्य anu-pṛṣṭhya(held or extended), lengthwise.
- अनुपॄ anu-pṝ-pūrayati, -yitum, to fill, to fulfil.
- अनुपेत an-upetanot endowed with, not invested with (the sacred cord).
- अनुपोषण an-upoṣaṇanot fasting.
- अनुप्त an-uptaunsown (as seed).
- अनुप्त्रिम an-uptrimagrown without being sown.
- अनुप्रकम्प् anu-pra-kamp-kampayate, -yitum, to follow in swinging or agitating.
- अनुप्रछ् anu-prach-pṛcchati, -praṣṭum (with two acc. cases of the person and thing), to ask, to inquire…
- अनुप्रश्न anupraśnasee s.v.
- अनुप्रजन् anu-pra-jan-jāyate, -janitum, to be born after; to procreate again and again: Caus. -janayati…
- अनुप्रज्ञा anu-pra-jñā-jānāti, jñātum, to track, trace, discover.
- अनुप्रज्ञान anu-prajñānatracking, tracing.
- अनुप्रणुद् anu-pra-ṇud-ṇudati, -te, -ṇottum, to push away from one's self; to frighten away, put to flight.
- अनुप्रतिक्रम् anu-prati-kram-krāmati, -kramitum, to return.
- अनुप्रथ् anu-prath-prathate, -thitum, to praise, celebrate.
- अनुप्रदा anu-pra-dā-dadāti, dātum, to surrender, make over.
- अनुप्रदान anu-pradānaa gift, donation.
- अनुप्रधाव् anu-pra-dhāv-dhāvati, -vitum, to rush after.
- अनुप्रधावित anu-pradhāvitahurried, eager.
- अनुप्रपत् anu-pra-pat-patati, -titum, to fly towards.
- अनुप्रपातम् anu-prapātamgoing in succession.
- अनुप्रपद् anu-pra-pad-padyate, -pattum, to follow.
- अनुप्रपन्न anu-prapannafollowing after, conformed to.
- अनुप्रपादम् anu-prapādamgoing in succession.
- अनुप्रपा anu-pra-pā-pibati, -te, -pātum; P. to drink one after the other; A. to drink after another (with…
- अनुप्रमाण anu-pramāṇahaving a suitable size or length.
- अनुप्रयुज् anu-pra-yuj-yuṅkte, -yoktum, to employ, apply.
- अनुप्रयुज्यमान anu-prayujyamānaemployed in addition.
- अनुप्रयोक्तव्य anu-prayoktavyaproper to be joined or employed in addition.
- अनुप्रयोग anu-prayogaadditional use.
- अनुप्ररोह anu-prarohacoming up or growing in accordance with.
- अनुप्रवह् anu-pra-vah-vahati, -voḍhum, to drag (or carry) about.
- अनुप्रविश् anu-pra-viś-viśati, -veṣṭum, to follow in entering, to attack, enter; to sleep with.
- अनुप्रविश्य anu-praviśyahaving entered.
- अनुप्रवेश anu-praveśaor anu-praveśana, am, n. return, entrance; imitation.
- अनुप्रवेशनीय anu-praveśanīyaconnected with returning or with entering.
- अनुप्रशुच् anu-pra-śuc-śocati, -citum, to regret or mourn deeply.
- अनुप्रश्न anu-praśnaa subsequent question having reference to what has been previously said by the teacher.
- अनुप्रसक्त anu-prasaktastrongly attached, closely connected.
- अनुप्रसक्ति anu-prasakticlose connection with.
- अनुप्रस्थ anu-prasthalatitudinal; according to width, following the breadth or latitude.
- अनुप्रहरण anu-praharaṇaknocking into or throwing into.
- अनुप्राण् anu-prāṇ-prāṇiti, -ṇitum, to breathe after.
- अनुप्राप् anu-prāp-āpnoti, -āptum, to come or go up to, reach, attain, overtake (?); to arrive, to get…
- अनुप्राप्त anu-prāptaarrived, returned; obtained; having reached, having got.
- अनुप्रास् anu-prās-asyati, -asitum, to throw or shoot after.
- अनुप्रास anu-prāsaalliteration, repetition of similar letters, syllables, and words.
- अनुप्रे anu-pre-praiti, -tum, to follow; to follow in death; to seek after.
- अनुप्रेक्ष् anu-prekṣ-prekṣate, -kṣitum, to follow with the eyes.
- अनुप्रेष् anu-preṣ-preṣayati, -yitum, to send forth after.
- अनुप्लव anu-plavaa companion or follower.
- अनुबन्ध् anu-bandh-badhnāti, -banddhum, to attach, tie; to bind (by an obligation); to stick, adhere…
- अनुबद्ध anu-baddhabound to, obliged to, connected with, related to, belonging to.
- अनुबन्ध anu-bandhabinding, connection, attachment, the encumbrance or clog of a family; uninterrupted…
- अनुबन्धक anu-bandhakaconnected, allied; related.
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).