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 25 of 554
- अनुबन्धन anu-bandhanabinding, connection, succession, unbroken series.
- अनुबन्धिन् anu-bandhinconnected with, attached; having in its train or as a consequence, resulting.
- अनुबन्ध्य anu-bandhyaprincipal, primary, what may receive an adjunct, as a root, a disease; (as), m. one of…
- अनुबल anu-balarear-guard, or an auxiliary army following another.
- अनुबाध् anu-bādh-bādhate, -dhitum, to press closely, pursue.
- अनुबुध् anu-budh-budhyate, -bodhitum, to awake, to recollect, to learn (by information).
- अनुबोध anu-bodhareviving the scent of a faded perfume, replacing perfumes removed by bathing; an…
- अनुबोधन anu-bodhanarecollecting.
- अनुबोधित anu-bodhitainformed or convinced by recollection.
- अनुब्राह्मण anu-brāhmaṇaa work resembling a Brāhmaṇa.
- अनुब्राह्मणिक anu-brāhmaṇikaas, or anu-brāhmaṇin, ī, m. a knower of an anu-brāhmaṇa.
- अनुब्रू anu-brū-bravīti, -vaktum, to pronounce, utter, vow.
- अनुभाष् anu-bhāṣ-bhāṣate, -ṣitum, to pronounce clearly, to confess.
- अनुभाषण anu-bhāṣaṇarepeating what has been said; repeating a proposition in order to refute it.
- अनुभास anu-bhāsaa species of crow.
- अनुभिद् anu-bhid-bhinatti, -bhettum, to split, break.
- अनुभित्ति anu-bhittialong a cleft.
- अनुभुज् anu-bhuj-bhuṅkte, -bhoktum, to suffer the due consequence of one's actions.
- अनुभोग anu-bhoga(in law) enjoyment, a grant of hereditary land in return for service.
- अनुभू anu-bhū-bhavati, -vitum, to be after, to notice, perceive, understand; to experience, to attempt.
- अनुभव anu-bhavaperception, apprehension, fruition; understanding; impression on the mind not derived…
- अनुभाव anu-bhāvaa sign or indication of a feeling (bhāva) by look or gesture; dignity, authority…
- अनुभावक anu-bhāvakacausing to apprehend, making to understand.
- अनुभावन anu-bhāvanathe act of indicating feelings by sign or gesture.
- अनुभाविन् anu-bhāvinperceiving, knowing, an eye-witness; showing signs of feeling.
- अनुभू anu-bhūperceiving, understanding.
- अनुभूत anu-bhūtaperceived, understood, judged, experienced, apprehended; resulted, followed as a…
- अनुभूति anu-bhūtiperception, apprehension; knowledge from any source but memory; (in phil.) knowledge from…
- अनुभूय anu-bhūyahaving perceived, having experienced.
- अनुभूयमान anu-bhūyamānaunder trial, under enjoyment.
- अनुभृ anu-bhṛ-bharati, -bhartum, to praise conformably (?), to commit to, throw into.
- अनुभर्तृ anu-bhartṛpraising conformably, imitating.
- अनुभ्राज् anu-bhrāj-bhrājati, -jitum, to illuminate.
- अनुभ्रातृ anu-bhrātṛa younger brother.
- अनुमद् anu-mad-madati, -ditum, to rejoice over, to gladden, to praise.
- अनुमत्त anu-mattaintoxicated (with joy, etc.); recovered from intoxication (?).
- अनुमाद्य anu-mādyato be praised in succession, to be granted with acclamation or praise.
- अनुमध्यमम् anu-madhyamamnext oldest to the middle.
- अनुमन् anu-man-manyate, -mantum, to approve, assent to, permit, grant: Caus. P. -mānayati, -yitum, to…
- अनुमत anu-mataapproved, assented to, permitted, allowed; agreeable, pleasant; loved, beloved; concurred…
- अनुमति anu-matiassent, permission, approbation; the fifteenth day of the moon's age, on which it rises…
- अनुमनन anu-mananaassenting; independance.
- अनुमन्तृ anu-mantṛconsenting to, permitting.
- अनुमन्यमान anu-manyamānaminding, assenting.
- अनुमन्त्र् anu-mantr(P. ?) -mantrayate, -ti, -yitum, to accompany with or consecrate by magic formulas; to…
- अनुमन्त्रण anu-mantraṇaconsecration by hymns and prayers.
- अनुमन्त्रित anu-mantritaso consecrated.
- अनुमरण anu-maraṇaSee anu-mṛ.
- अनुमरु anu-marua country next to a desert.
- अनुमा1 anu-mā-mimīte, -mātum, to infer, conclude, guess, conjecture; to reconcile, to equal: Pass…
- अनुमा2 anu-māinference, a conclusion from given premises.
- अनुमान anu-mānathe act of inferring or drawing a conclusion from given premises; inference…
- अनुमापक anu-māpakacausing an inference, as an effect.
- अनुमित anu-mitainferred, conjectured.
- अनुमिति anu-mitiinference, conclusion from given premises.
- अनुमिमान anu-mimānaconcluding, inferring.
- अनुमीयमान anu-mīyamānabeing inferred.
- अनुमेय anu-meyainferable, to be inferred, proved or conjectured.
- अनुमाद्य anu-mādyaSee under anu-mad.
- अनुमाषम् anu-māṣamlike a kidney bean.
- अनुमास anu-māsathe following month.
- अनुमुद् anu-mud-modate, -ditum, to join in rejoicing, to sympathize with, to rejoice; to allow with…
- अनुमोद anu-modaa subsequent pleasure, the feeling of pleasure from sympathy.
- अनुमोदक anu-modakaassenting, showing sympathetic joy.
- अनुमोदन anu-modanapleasing, causing pleasure, applauding; assent, acceptance; sympathetic joy.
- अनुमोदित anu-moditapleased, delighted, applauded; agreeable, acceptable.
- अनुमुह् anu-muh-muhyati, -mogdhum or -moḍhum, to feel distressed at, to be troubled about.
- अनुमृ anu-mṛ-mriyate, -martum, to follow in death.
- अनुमरण anu-maraṇafollowing in death; postcremation of a widow whose husband's corpse is not on the spot…
- अनुमरिष्यत् anu-mariṣyator antī, at, about to follow in death.
- अनुमृता anu-mṛtāthe woman who burns with a part of her husband's dress.
- अनुमृग्यदाशु anumṛgya-dāśugranting all that is sought.
- अनुमृज् anu-mṛj-mārṣṭi, -mārjitum or -mārṣṭum, to purify.
- अनुमृश् anu-mṛś-mṛśati, -marṣṭum or -mraṣṭum, to consider, think of, reflect.
- अनुमर्शम् anu-marśamhaving repeatedly considered.
- अनुम्लोचा anu-mlocāor anu-mlocantī, f., name of an Apsaras.
- अनुयजुस् anu-yajusaccording to the Yajur-veda.
- अनुयाग anu-yāgaa subsequent or after-sacrifice.
- अनुयाज anu-yājaa secondary or final sacrifice or offering.
- अनुयम् anu-yam-yacchati, -yantum, to covet.
- अनुयवम् anu-yavamlike barley.
- अनुया1 anu-yā-yāti, -tum, to follow, attend; to take (off) seriatim.
- अनुया2 anu-yāfollowing; (ās), f., Vedic food.
- अनुयत anu-yatafollowed, pursued, practised.
- अनुयातव्य anu-yātavyato be followed.
- अनुयातृ anu-yātṛa follower, companion.
- अनुयात्र anu-yātraretinue, attendance, that which is required for a journey.
- अनुयात्रिक anu-yātrikafollowing as attendant.
- अनुयान anu-yānagoing after, following.
- अनुयायिन् anu-yāyingoing after; a follower, a dependant or attendant; following, consequent upon.
- अनुयुज् anu-yuj-yuṅkte, -yoktum, to examine, question, put upon trial; to order; enjoin; to select (a…
- अनुयुक्त anu-yuktaordered, enjoined; asked, inquired; examined, questioned, reprehended, censured.
- अनुयुक्तिन् anu-yuktinone who has enjoined, examined.
- अनुयुगम् anu-yugamaccording to the Yugas or four ages.
- अनुयोक्तृ anu-yoktṛan examiner, inquirer, teacher.
- अनुयोग anu-yogaa question, examination, asking, solicitation; censure, reproof; religious meditation…
- अनुयोगिन् anu-yoginwhat combines or unites; connected or combined with, situated in or on, questioning…
- अनुयोजन anu-yojanaquestion, questioning, examining.
- अनुयोज्य anu-yojyato be examined or questioned; to be enjoined or ordered; censurable; a servant, agent…
- अनुयूपम् anu-yūpamalong the Yūpa or sacrificial post.
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).