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 40 of 554
- अप्रतिगृह्य a-pratigṛhyaone from whom one must not accept anything.
- अप्रतिग्राहक a-pratigrāhakanot accepting.
- अप्रतिग्राह्य a-pratigrāhyanot to be taken, unacceptable.
- अप्रतिघ a-pratighanot to be kept off, not to be vanquished.
- अप्रतिद्वन्द्व a-pratidvandvanot having an adversary in battle; not to be vanquished; irresistible.
- अप्रतिधुर a-pratidhurawithout a match in carrying burdens or the yoke (said of a horse).
- अप्रतिधृष्ट a-pratidhṛṣṭanot to be opposed, irresistible.
- अप्रतिधृष्य a-pratidhṛṣyairresistible.
- अप्रतिपक्ष a-pratipakṣawithout a rival or opponent.
- अप्रतिपण्य a-pratipaṇyanot to be bartered or exchanged.
- अप्रतिपत्ति a-pratipattinon-ascertainment; non-performance, failure; neglect, disregard.
- अप्रतिपद् a-pratipadnot stopping; not to be depended on.
- अप्रतिपन्न a-pratipannaunascertained, unaccomplished, neglected.
- अप्रतिबन्ध a-pratibandhaabsence of obstruction; (as, ā, am), unimpeded, undisputed, direct (inheritance), not…
- अप्रतिबल a-pratibalaof unequalled power.
- अप्रतिबोधवत् a-pratibodhavatwithout the sense of personal consciousness.
- अप्रतिब्रुवत् a-pratibruvatnot speaking against, not contradicting.
- अप्रतिभ a-pratibhamodest, bashful; (ā), f. shyness, timidity.
- अप्रतिम a-pratimaunequalled, incomparable, without a match.
- अप्रतिमन्यूयमान a-pratimanyūyamānabeing unable to show one's resentment to another, or to retaliate anger for anger.
- अप्रतियत्न a-pratiyatnanatural or spontaneous state or condition.
- अप्रतियोगिन् a-pratiyoginwithout adversary; not opposed (to one another), having no opposite.
- अप्रतिरथ a-pratirathahaving no antagonist, an invincible warrior; name of a Ṛṣi; (am), n., name of a hymn…
- अप्रतिरव a-pratiravauncontested, undisputed.
- अप्रतिरूप2 a-pratirūpanot corresponding with, unfit. (For 1. see under a-prati.)
- अप्रतिलब्धकाम a-pratilabdha-kāmaunsatiated in one's desires.
- अप्रतिषिद्ध a-pratiṣiddhaunprohibited, unforbidden.
- अप्रतिषेध a-pratiṣedhanon-prohibition, non-negation.
- अप्रतिष्कुत a-pratiṣkutanot to be kept off, not to be resisted, not contradicted, not refused.
- अप्रतिष्ठ a-pratiṣṭhahaving no solid ground, fluctuating; thrown away, unprofitable; infamous, disreputable…
- अप्रतिष्ठान a-pratiṣṭhānawithout solid or firm ground; (am), n. instability.
- अप्रतिष्ठित a-pratiṣṭhitaunsettled, unfixed; unconsecrated; uncelebrated, obscure.
- अप्रतिसङ्क्रम a-pratisaṅkramahaving no intermixture.
- अप्रतिसङ्ख्य a-pratisaṅkhyaunobserved.
- अप्रतिहत a-pratihatauninterrupted, unobstructed, irresistible; unaffected, unimpaired, indestructible…
- अप्रतीकार a-pratīkāraSee under a-pratikara, p. 57.
- अप्रतीक्षम् a-pratīkṣamwithout looking backward.
- अप्रतीत a-pratītaunapproached, unattackable; unopposed; unintelligible, not understood.
- अप्रतीति a-pratītithe state of not being understood; mistrust, want of confidence.
- अप्रतीत्त a-pratīttanot given back.
- अप्रतीप a-pratīpaname of a king of Magadha.
- अप्रतुल a-pratulawant of weight, want, necessity.
- अप्रत्त a-prattanot given away; (ā), f. not given away in marriage, a girl.
- अप्रत्यक्ष a-pratyakṣanot present to the sight, invisible, imperceptible; unknown.
- अप्रत्यय a-pratyayadistrust, disbelief, doubt; not an affix; (as, ā, am), distrustful (with loc.); having no…
- अप्रत्याख्यात a-pratyākhyātauncontradicted, unrefuted, assented to.
- अप्रत्याख्यान a-pratyākhyānanon-refutation.
- अप्रत्याख्येय a-pratyākhyeyanot to be contradicted, undeniable.
- अप्रत्यृत a-pratyṛtanot attacked.
- अप्रथित a-prathitaunpublished; unnoted, unknown, not celebrated.
- अप्रदीप्ताग्नि a-pradīptāgnidyspeptic.
- अप्रदुग्ध a-pradugdhanot milked to the end.
- अप्रदृपित a-pradṛpitanot proud, not arrogant; not humbled, not careless (?).
- अप्रधान a-pradhānanot principal, subordinate, secondary.
- अप्रधृष्य a-pradhṛṣyanot to be vanquished, invincible.
- अप्रपदन a-prapadanaa bad place of refuge.
- अप्रबल a-prabalainefficacious, weak.
- अप्रभ a-prabhawithout radiance, obscure; dull; mean.
- अप्रभु a-prabhuwanting power, unable, incompetent (with loc.).
- अप्रभूत a-prabhūtainsufficient, inadequate.
- अप्रभूति a-prabhūtilittle effort.
- अप्रमत्त a-pramattanot careless, careful, attentive, vigilant, sober.
- अप्रमाद a-pramādacare, vigilance; (as, ā, am), careful, cautious, steady; (am), ind. attentively…
- अप्रमादिन् a-pramādincareful, attentive.
- अप्रमद a-pramadawithout pleasure, joyless.
- अप्रमय a-pramayaunlimited, imperishable.
- अप्रमा a-pramāa rule which is no authority (see a-pramāṇa); incorrect knowledge.
- अप्रमाण a-pramāṇaimmeasurable, unlimited; without weight or proof, without authority; (am), n. a rule…
- अप्रमाणिक a-pramāṇikaunauthorized; properly a-prāmāṇika, q.v.
- अप्रमित a-pramitaunbounded, unmeasured; not proved, not established by authority.
- अप्रमेय a-prameyaimmeasurable; unfathomable, inscrutable; not to be proved.
- अप्रमायुक a-pramāyukanot dying suddenly (?), immeasurably long (?).
- अप्रमीय a-pramīyanot to be killed.
- अप्रमूर a-pramūraor a-pramūrcchita, as, ā, am, not foolish, prudent.
- अप्रमृष्य a-pramṛṣyanot to be destroyed, indestructible.
- अप्रमोद a-pramodainability to remove pain.
- अप्रयत्न a-prayatnaabsence of effort, indifference, laziness; (as, ā, am), not energetic, indifferent…
- अप्रयाणि a-prayāṇinot going, not moving.
- अप्रयापणि a-prayāpaṇior a-prayāpani, is, f. not causing to go on; not allowing to progress.
- अप्रयावम् a-prayāvamwithout interruption, attentively.
- अप्रयुच्छत् a-prayucchatunceasing, careful, attentive.
- अप्रयुत a-prayutaunaltered, continual.
- अप्रयुत्वन् a-prayutvannot separate, combined, careful.
- अप्रयास a-prayāsaease, absence of trouble.
- अप्रयोग a-prayoganon-applicability, bad application.
- अप्रयोजक a-prayojakaor akā, am, inapplicable, causeless, irrelevant.
- अप्रलम्ब a-pralambanot slow, quick, expeditious.
- अप्रवर्तक a-pravartakaabstaining from action, inert; not exciting to action.
- अप्रवर्तन a-pravartanathe act of refraining from, not engaging in; not exciting to any action.
- अप्रवृत्त a-pravṛttanot acting, not engaged in, not commenced, not instigated.
- अप्रवृत्ति a-pravṛttinot proceeding; abstaining from action, inertion; non-excitement; (in medic.) suppression…
- अप्रवीण a-pravīṇaunskilful.
- अप्रवीत a-pravītaunapproached; not approaching (to impregnate); not impregnated.
- अप्रवृद्ध a-pravṛddhanot excessively grown.
- अप्रवेद a-pravedadifficult to be found or obtained; silent (?).
- अप्रशक्त a-praśaktaprobably for a-prasakta, a-prasakti, q.v. below.
- अप्रशस्त a-praśastanot praised, worthless, contemptible; not approved, forbidden.
- अप्रशस्य a-praśasyanot praiseworthy, not good.
- अप्रशस्त2 a-praśastaindocile, disobedient.
- अप्रसक्त a-prasaktanot addicted, not attached to; moderate, temperate.
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).