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 308 of 554
- प्रतिकाश prati-kāśa(or pratī-kāśa, q.v.), reflection; look, appearance; (at the end of comps.) having the…
- प्रतिकास prati-kāsawrongly spelt for prati-kāśa above.
- प्रतिकितव prati-kitavaan adversary at play, an opponent in a game
- प्रतिकुञ्चित prati-kuñcitabent, curved.
- प्रतिकुञ्जर prati-kuñjaraa hostile elephant;
- प्रतिकूज् prati-kūj-kūjati, -kūjitum, to coo or warble in return, answer by an inarticulate sound.
- प्रतिकूप prati-kūpaa moat, ditch.
- प्रतिकूल prati-kūla‘against the bank’ (opposed to anu-kūla, q.v.), against the stream or current, contrary…
- प्रतिकूलय pratikūlayapratikūlayati, -yitum, to oppose, offer opposition to.
- प्रतिकृ prati-kṛ-karoti, -kurute, -kartum, to do or make (anything as a defence) against (Vedic); to…
- प्रतिकर prati-karaacting against, counteracting; (as), m. requital, compensation.
- प्रतिकरणीय prati-karaṇīyato be counteracted, to be prevented, remediable.
- प्रतिकर्तव्य prati-kartavyato be requited or returned, to be paid or discharged (as a debt); to be counteracted or…
- प्रतिकर्तृ prati-kartṛa requiter, recompenser; an opponent, adversary.
- प्रतिकर्मन् prati-karmanrequital, retaliation; redress, remedy; counteraction, counterworking; opposing…
- प्रतिकार prati-kāra(or pratī-kāra, q.v.), rendering back, requital, reward, retaliation, retribution…
- प्रतिकारिन् prati-kārincounteracting, obviating, opposing; a-pratikārin, one who uses no remedies, one who does…
- प्रतिकार्य prati-kāryato be retaliated or revenged; (am), n. retribution.
- प्रतिकृत prati-kṛtarendered back, returned, repaid, recompensed, requited, retaliated; opposed…
- प्रतिकृति prati-kṛtiresistance, defence; retaliation, return, revenge; a reflected image, reflection, a…
- प्रतिकृत्य prati-kṛtyato be counteracted or remedied, remediable.
- प्रतिक्रिया prati-kriyārequital, retaliation, revenge; a return for kindness received, recompense; opposition…
- प्रतिकृष्ट prati-kṛṣṭaSee prati-karṣa.
- प्रतिकॄ prati-kṝ-kirati, -te, -karitum, -karītum, to scatter towards;
- प्रतिकॢप् prati-kḷp-kalpate, -kalpitum, -kalptum, Vedic to be at the service of (with acc.); to receive…
- प्रतिकल्प्य prati-kalpyato be arranged or prepared.
- प्रतिकोप prati-kopaanger against (any one), wrath; vexation.
- प्रतिक्रम् prati-kram-krāmati, -kramate, -kramitum, to come back, return.
- प्रतिक्रम prati-kramareversed or inverted order.
- प्रतिक्रमण prati-kramaṇa(Vedic) stepping towards; (with Buddhists) confessing, making confession.
- प्रतिक्रुध् prati-krudh-krudhyati, -kroddhum, to be angry with any one (acc.) in return (Manu VI. 48).
- प्रतिक्रोध prati-krodhaanger in return.
- प्रतिक्रुष्ट prati-kruṣṭamiserable, poor (said of a kind of soil).
- प्रतिक्रोश prati-krośacrying out to, hallooing.
- प्रतिक्रूर prati-krūracruel or harsh in return, returning harshness for harshness.
- प्रतिक्षणम् prati-kṣaṇamat every moment, every moment, momentarily, every instant; constantly, continually.
- प्रतिक्षत्र prati-kṣatraname of a descendant of Atri, author of the hymn Ṛg-veda V. 46; of a son of An-enas; of a…
- प्रतिक्षय prati-kṣayaa guard, attendant (‘protecting from injury or loss’).
- प्रतिक्षि prati-kṣi-kṣeti, -kṣiyati, -kṣetum, Vedic to settle near.
- प्रतिक्षिप् prati-kṣip-kṣipati, -kṣeptum, to throw or cast into; to push against, hurt; to revile, ridicule…
- प्रतिक्षिप्त prati-kṣiptathrown into; turned away, rejected, dismissed; sent, dispatched; repelled, opposed…
- प्रतिक्षिप्य prati-kṣipyahaving thrown into, having thrown.
- प्रतिक्षेप prati-kṣepacontradicting, contradiction; opposing, controverting, contravening; contest, contesting…
- प्रतिक्षेपण prati-kṣepaṇacontradicting, opposing, controverting, contesting.
- प्रतिक्षुत prati-kṣutasneezing, wheezing.
- प्रतिखुर prati-khuraa particular wrong position of a child at birth.
- प्रतिख्या prati-khyā-khyāti, -khyātum, to see, behold.
- प्रतिख्याति prati-khyātirenown; (also read pravikhyāti.)
- प्रतिगज prati-gajaa hostile elephant, elephant standing opposite;
- प्रतिगद् prati-gad-gadati, -gaditum, to speak in return, answer.
- प्रतिगम् prati-gam-gacchati, -gantum, to go or advance towards, go to meet; to go back, return, go home.
- प्रतिगत prati-gataflying backwards and forwards, wheeling in flight; lost from the memory.
- प्रतिगमन prati-gamanagoing back, returning, return.
- प्रतिगर prati-garaSee prati-gṝ below.
- प्रतिगर्ज् prati-garj-garjati, -garjitum, to roar at, roar against, roar at one another; to answer with roars…
- प्रतिगर्जत् prati-garjatroaring against; murmuring against, rebelling; reverberating, echoing.
- प्रतिगर्जना prati-garjanāroaring against, answering roar.
- प्रतिगर्हित prati-garhitablamed.
- प्रतिगा prati-gā-jigāti, -gātum, to go back, return.
- प्रतिगात्रम् prati-gātramin every limb.
- प्रतिगाह् prati-gāh-gāhate, -gāhitum, -gāḍhum, to penetrate, enter.
- प्रतिगिरि prati-girian opposite mountain; an inferior mountain or anything like a mountain.
- प्रतिगीर्य prati-gīryaSee prati-gṝ below.
- प्रतिगु prati-gu-gāvayati, -yitum, Vedic to proclaim.
- प्रतिगुप्त prati-guptaguarded, protected.
- प्रतिगुप्य prati-gupyato be guarded or protected.
- प्रतिगृध् prati-gṛdh-gṛdhyati, -gardhitum, to be greedy or eager for (with acc.).
- प्रतिगृहम् prati-gṛhamin every house.
- प्रतिगृहीत prati-gṛhītaSee under pratigrah, p. 613, col. 1.
- प्रतिगॄ prati-gṝ-gṛṇāti, -gṛṇīte, -garitum, -garītum, to invoke, salute (Vedic); to answer or make…
- प्रतिगर prati-garathe Adhvaryu's response to the address of the Hotṛ.
- प्रतिगरितृ prati-garitṛone who ejaculates or utters a response.
- प्रतिगीर्य prati-gīryato be answered with a response in singing.
- प्रतिगेहम् prati-gehamin every house.
- प्रतिग्रह् prati-grah-gṛhṇāti, gṛhṇīte, -grahītum (an irreg. 2nd sing. Impv. prati-gṛhṇa is used in Rāmāyaṇa…
- प्रतिगृहीत prati-gṛhītataken hold of; taken, accepted, received; assented to, admitted; taken as a wife, married.
- प्रतिगृहीतव्य prati-gṛhītavyaa wrong form for prati-grahītavya, q.v.
- प्रतिगृहीतृ prati-gṛhītṛa wrong form for prati-grahītṛ, q.v.
- प्रतिगृह्य1 prati-gṛhyato be accepted, acceptable; one from whom anything may be accepted.
- प्रतिगृह्य2 prati-gṛhyahaving taken or received; bringing up the rear.
- प्रतिग्रह prati-grahareceiving, accepting, acceptance, receiving a donation; the right of accepting gifts (as…
- प्रतिग्रहण prati-grahaṇareceiving, accepting; (am), n. receiving, reception, receiving presents; receiving a…
- प्रतिग्रहणीय prati-grahaṇīyato be taken or accepted, acceptable.
- प्रतिग्रहिन् prati-grahinone who receives, a receiver (opposed to dātṛ).
- प्रतिग्रहीतव्य prati-grahītavyato be taken or accepted, allowed to be taken or received; to be received (in a friendly…
- प्रतिग्रहीतृ prati-grahītṛone who receives or accepts, a receiver; one who takes in marriage, one who marries.
- प्रतिग्राह prati-grāhareceiving, accepting gifts; a spitting-pot, spittoon.
- प्रतिग्राहक prati-grāhakareceiving gifts or presents.
- प्रतिग्राहिन् prati-grāhinone who accepts, receiving presents.
- प्रतिग्राह्य1 prati-grāhyato be taken or accepted, acceptable, admissible; one from whom anything may be received.
- प्रतिग्राह्य2 prati-grāhyahaving caused to accept, having offered.
- प्रतिग्रामम् prati-grāmamin every village.
- प्रतिघ prati-gharesistance, opposing, opposition; mutual beating, striking back again, fighting, combat…
- प्रतिघात prati-ghāta(or pratī-ghāta, q.v.), warding off a blow, keeping back, repulse; hinderance…
- प्रतिघातक prati-ghātakadisturbing, interrupting, troubling; (at the end of an adj. comp.) = prati-ghāta.
- प्रतिघातन prati-ghātanawarding off, repulsing; killing, slaughter.
- प्रतिघातिन् prati-ghātinkeeping off, repelling, repulsing; troubling, encroaching, injuring; hostile, opposed to…
- प्रतिघ्न prati-ghnathe body.
- प्रतिघ्नत् prati-ghnatopposing, impeding; destructive; hostile.
- प्रतिघोषिन् prati-ghoṣinroaring against, sounding against.
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).