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 310 of 554
- प्रतिद्विरद prati-dviradaan opposite elephant, a hostile elephant;
- प्रतिधर्तृ prati-dhartṛSee under pratidhṛ, col. 3.
- प्रतिधा1 prati-dhā-dadhāti, -dhatte, -dhātum (mostly Vedic), to place on, place within; to put back; to…
- प्रतिधा2 prati-dhāputting to the lips (in drinking); a draught.
- प्रतिधान prati-dhānaputting on; adopting precautions.
- प्रतिधि prati-dhia particular part of a chariot, pieces of wood fastened across the pole; (according to…
- प्रतिधाव् prati-dhāv-dhāvati, -te, -dhāvitum, to run back; to rush upon, assail, attack.
- प्रतिधावन prati-dhāvanarunning against, rushing upon, assailing, attacking.
- प्रतिधुर prati-dhuraa horse harnessed by the side of another, one horse of a pair.
- प्रतिधृ prati-dhṛ-dhārayati, -yitum, Vedic to keep back, stop, check; to keep erect, support.
- प्रतिधर्तृ prati-dhartṛone who keeps back or stops, one who checks; (according to Mahīdhara = nir-ākartṛ.)
- प्रतिधृष् prati-dhṛṣ-dharṣati, -dhṛṣṇoti, -dharṣitum (Vedic -dhṛṣe), to be bold against, brave, defy; to…
- प्रतिधृष्य prati-dhṛṣyato be braved or defied, to be withstood or resisted, resistible.
- प्रतिध्यै prati-dhyai-dhyāyati, -dhyātum, to think upon, hit upon an idea, devise.
- प्रतिध्यात prati-dhyātathought upon, meditated on, devised.
- प्रतिध्वनि prati-dhvanior prati-dhvāna, as, am, m. n. echo, reverberated sound.
- प्रतिध्वस्त prati-dhvastacast down, downcast; forsaken (?).
- प्रतिनद् prati-nad-nadati, -naditum, to sound back, repeat or re-echo a sound; to answer with a cry or with…
- प्रतिनाद prati-nādaecho, resonance, reverberation.
- प्रतिनादित prati-nāditacaused to resound, resonant, resounding, echoing, echoed.
- प्रतिनिनद prati-ninadaan echo, a reverberation.
- प्रतिनन्द् prati-nand-nandati, -nanditum, to greet cheerfully, accept or receive gladly, take thankfully (Manu…
- प्रतिनन्दन prati-nandanagreeting, salutation (Vedic); thankful acceptance; the act of returning thanks at meals…
- प्रतिनप्तृ prati-naptṛa great grandson, a son's grandson;
- प्रतिनम् prati-nam-namati, -nantum, Vedic to bow or incline towards.
- प्रतिनमस्कार prati-namaskārareturning a salutation.
- प्रतिनर्द् prati-nard-nardati, -narditum, to utter sounds or cries against; to greet or hail with cries; to…
- प्रतिनव prati-navanew, young, fresh, recent; blown, budded.
- प्रतिनाग prati-nāgaan elephant standing opposite, a hostile elephant;
- प्रतिनाडी prati-nāḍīa branch vein.
- प्रतिनाद prati-nādaSee prati-nad, p. 614.
- प्रतिनामन् prati-nāmanhaving corresponding names, related by name.
- प्रतिनायक prati-nāyakaSee col. 2.
- प्रतिनाह prati-nāhaSee pratī-nāha.
- प्रतिनिक्षिप् prati-ni-kṣip-kṣipati, -te, -kṣeptum, to put down again, deposit again.
- प्रतिनिगद् prati-ni-gad-gadati, -gaditum, Vedic to speak to, address.
- प्रतिनिग्रह् prati-ni-grah-gṛhṇāti, -gṛhṇīte, -grahītum, Vedic to take up (liquids with a ladle or other vessel)…
- प्रतिनिधा prati-ni-dhā-dadhāti, -dhatte, -dhātum, to put in the place of another, substitute; to set aside…
- प्रतिनिधाय prati-nidhāyahaving placed in, having implanted.
- प्रतिनिधि prati-nidhisubstitution; a substitute, representative, proxy, deputy, vicegerent; a surety; a…
- प्रतिनिन्द् prati-nind-nindati, -ninditum, to inveigh against, abuse, blame, censure.
- प्रतिनिपात prati-nipātafalling down, alighting.
- प्रतिनियत prati-niyatasettled, predestined.
- प्रतिनियम prati-niyamaa general rule, general prevalence.
- प्रतिनिर्जि prati-nir-ji-jayati, -jetum, to prevail against, overcome, vanquish; to rescind.
- प्रतिनिर्जित prati-nirjitaprevailed against, vanquished; rescinded.
- प्रतिनिर्दिश् prati-nir-diś-diśati, -deṣṭum, to point back, refer back.
- प्रतिनिर्देश prati-nirdeśapointing or referring back to (with genitive).
- प्रतिनिर्देशक prati-nirdeśaka(at the end of a comp.) pointing back, referring back.
- प्रतिनिर्यत् prati-nir-yat-yāta-yati, -yitum, to give back, return.
- प्रतिनिर्यातन prati-niryātanagiving back, returning; rewarding, retaliation.
- प्रतिनिवारण prati-nivāraṇakeeping off, warding off.
- प्रतिनिवासन prati-nivāsanaa kind of garment (with Buddhists).
- प्रतिनिविष्ट prati-niviṣṭahardened, obstinate, obdurate.
- प्रतिनिवृत् prati-ni-vṛt-vartate, -vartitum, to turn back or round, turn away from; to return; to run away, take…
- प्रतिनिवर्तन prati-nivartanaturning back, turning away from; returning, return.
- प्रतिनिवृत्त prati-nivṛttaturned away from, desisted from, leaving, withdrawn from; come back, returned.
- प्रतिनिशम् prati-niśamevery night, nightly, by night.
- प्रतिनिष्पू prati-niṣ-pū-punāti, -punīte, -pavitum, Vedic to cleanse or winnow close at hand (?).
- प्रतिनी prati-nī-nayati, -te, -netum, to lead back; to lead to, bring towards; to put into, mix.
- प्रतिनायक prati-nāyaka‘counter hero,’ the adversary of the hero of a play.
- प्रतिनुद् prati-nud-nudati, -te, -nottum, to thrust back, repel, repulse, ward off.
- प्रतिनोद prati-nodathrusting back, repelling, repulse.
- प्रतिनृत् prati-nṛt-nṛtyati, -nartitum, to dance before (in token of contempt), to mock in turn by dancing…
- प्रतिन्यस् prati-ny-as-asyati, -asitum, to place apart or lay down separately (for different persons), deposit.
- प्रतिन्यायम् prati-nyāyamin inverted order.
- प्रतिन्यूङ्ख prati-nyūṅkhaa corresponding insertion of the vowel o;
- प्रतिप pratipaname of a king of the lunar race the father of Śāntanu and grandfather of Bhīṣma; (more…
- प्रतिपक्ष prati-pakṣathe opposite side or party, opposite faction, opposition, hostility; an adversary, enemy…
- प्रतिपक्षित pratipakṣitacontaining a contradiction; nullified by a contradictory premiss (one of the five kinds…
- प्रतिपक्षिन् pratipakṣinan opponent, adversary.
- प्रतिपण prati-paṇabarter, exchange (Vedic);, the stake of an adversary at play.
- प्रतिपत् prati-pat-patati, -patitum, to fly or hasten towards, hasten to meet.
- प्रतिपथम् prati-pathamalong the road, by the way; straightway (?).
- प्रतिपथिक pratipathikagoing along the road, wending the way.
- प्रतिपद्1 prati-pad-padyate, -pattum, to set foot on, step upon, step up to; to light upon, meet with, find…
- प्रतिपत्तव्य prati-pattavyato be obtained, to be received; to be assumed or supposed, to be stated; to be given (as…
- प्रतिपत्ति prati-pattigaining, getting, obtaining, acquirement, gain; becoming aware of, perception…
- प्रतिपत्तृ prati-pattṛone who maintains or asserts.
- प्रतिपद्2 prati-padaccess, ingress, entrance, way; beginning, commencement; an introductory verse or stanza…
- प्रतिपद prati-padaname of an Upāṅga; (ā or ī), f. the first day of a lunar fortnight, the first day of the…
- प्रतिपन्न prati-pannacome up to, approached, reached, obtained, gained; overcome, conquered, subdued; done…
- प्रतिपन्नक pratipannaka‘arrived at an aim,’ (with Buddhists) a collective epithet of the four orders of Āryas…
- प्रतिपादक prati-pādakacausing to obtain, giving, granting, bestowing, presenting to (with loc.); stating…
- प्रतिपादन prati-pādanacausing to come back, bringing back; causing to reach or attain, causing to obtain…
- प्रतिपादनीय prati-pādanīyato be given, to be given in marriage; to be accomplished; to be discussed, to be treated…
- प्रतिपादम् prati-pādamin every Pāda, in each quarter or fourth part of a verse.
- प्रतिपादयितृ prati-pādayitṛone who discusses or expounds, a teacher, instructor.
- प्रतिपादित prati-pāditacaused to attain; given, delivered, presented; caused, produced; declared, represented…
- प्रतिपादुक prati-pādukadetermining, ascertaining; making manifest or clear; causing, effecting.
- प्रतिपाद्य prati-pādyato be treated of or discussed, to be explained or expounded.
- प्रतिपित्सा prati-pitsādesire of obtaining, longing for.
- प्रतिपित्सु prati-pitsuwishing to obtain, striving for.
- प्रतिपिपादयिषु prati-pipādayiṣuwishing to explain, about to treat of.
- प्रतिपदम् prati-padamat every step, on every occasion; at every place, everywhere; in every word; verbally…
- प्रतिपराणी prati-parā-ṇī-ṇa-yati, -te, -ṇetum, Vedic to lead back.
- प्रतिपरी prati-parī-pary-eti, -etum, Vedic to go round in a reverse direction.
- प्रतिपरे prati-pare-paraiti, -paraitum, Vedic to return again.
- प्रतिपर्णशिफा prati-parṇa-śiphāthe plant Anthericum Tuberosum (= dravantī).
- प्रतिपर्व prati-parvaat each Parvan.
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).