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 77 of 554
- असेन्य a-senyanot worthy of an army; not striking, not wounding (?).
- असेवन a-sevanaor a-sevā, f., disregarding, neglecting; not following or practising, shunning…
- असेवित a-sevitaneglected, unattended to, disobeyed; abstained from, disused.
- असेव्य a-sevyanot to be served or attended to; not to be used or practised, not to be eaten, drank, etc.
- असौकृ asau-kṛ-karoti, -kartum, to do such and such a thing.
- असौनामन् asau-nāmanhaving such and such a name.
- असौन्दर्य a-saundaryaugliness.
- असौम्य a-saumyaugly, unlovely; disagreeable, displeasing.
- असौष्ठव a-sauṣṭhavaugliness, deformity; demerit, worthlessness.
- अस्कन्न a-skannanot spilt, not effused, not fallen; not sprinkled, not covered; permanent, durable.
- अस्कन्दित a-skanditanot spilt, not fallen, not gone, not attacked.
- अस्कम्भन a-skambhanawant of a pillar or support.
- अस्कृधोयु a-skṛdhoyunot narrow or deficient, abundant.
- अस्खलित a-skhalitaunshaken, unyielding, firm, permanent; not stumbling or slipping, undeviating.
- अस्त1 astathrown, cast; expelled, sent away; sent, despatched; removed, laid or set aside…
- अस्तृ astṛthrowing, a shooter.
- अस्त2 astahome; death, end; (as), m. the western mountain, behind which the sun is supposed to set…
- अस्तक astakahome; (as), m. going to one's eternal home, beatitude, eternal felicity.
- अस्तताति astatātihome.
- अस्तमती astamatīthe plant Desmodium Gangeticum.
- अस्तमन astamanacorruption of (astam-ayana), setting.
- अस्तमीके astamīkeat home, near.
- अस्ता astāat home.
- अस्तब्ध a-stabdhanot firm or self-possessed, confounded.
- अस्तर्क्षण astarkṣaṇadisrespect. See asūkṣaṇa.
- अस्ताग astāganame of the fifteenth Arhat of the past Utsarpiṇī.
- अस्ताघ astāghavery deep. See asthāgha.
- अस्ति astibeing, existent, present; (is), f., name of a sister of Prāpti, daughter of Jarāsandhas…
- अस्तु astulet it be, be it so, implying assent, also reluctance and pain.
- अस्तुत a-stutanot praised, not deserving praise; not recited in prayer.
- अस्तुति a-stutithe absence of praise.
- अस्तृत a-stṛtanot overcome, invincible, indestructible.
- अस्तेन a-stenaor a-steya, am, n. absence of theft, honesty.
- अस्त्य astyaa house. See 2. asta.
- अस्त्यान a-styānareproach, blame.
- अस्त्र astraa missile weapon, bolt, arrow; bow; a weapon in general, a sword;
- अस्त्रिन् astrinfighting with a missile weapon, an archer.
- अस्त्री a-strīnot a woman; (in gram.) the masculine and neuter genders.
- अस्त्रीक a-strīkahaving no wife, without a woman.
- अस्त्रैण a-straiṇawithout a wife.
- अस्थन् asthanthe base of some of the cases of asthi, ‘a bone,’ q.v.; thus, inst. asthnā, etc.
- अस्थ asthaat the end of some compounds.
- अस्थला a-sthalāname of an Apsaras.
- अस्था asthā(?), Vedic a thunderbolt.
- अस्थाग asthāgavery deep; also written astāga, asthāgha, asthāna, asthāra.
- अस्थान a-sthānavery deep; (am), n. no place, a place where there is no firm footing, a bad or wrong…
- अस्थायिन् a-sthāyinnot permanent, perishable, transient.
- अस्थावर a-sthāvaramoveable, moving, not fixed; (in law) personal, as property, money, cattle, etc., opposed…
- अस्थित a-sthitanot standing still, not fixed.
- अस्थिति a-sthitiwant of place or condition, want of firm continuance.
- अस्थि asthiasthan, a, n., a bone; the kernel or stone of a fruit. At end of compounds astha is…
- अस्थिक asthikaa bone; used at the end of compounds, e.g. an-asthika, as, ā, am, boneless.
- अस्थिर a-sthiraunsteady; trembling, shaking; uncertain, unascertained; unworthy of confidence.
- अस्थेयस् a-stheyasunsteady, not firm.
- अस्थैर्य a-sthairyainstability, unsteadiness.
- अस्थूरि a-sthūrifurnished with more than one horse; not one-sided.
- अस्थूल a-sthūlanot bulky, delicate.
- अस्नातृ a-snātṛnot fond of bathing, not a bather.
- अस्नाविर a-snāvirawithout sinews, without bands.
- अस्निग्ध a-snigdhanot smooth, harsh, hard, dry; unkind.
- अस्नेह a-snehaunkind; harsh, hard, dry; (as), m. unkindness, want of affection; absence of oiliness.
- अस्पन्द a-spandanot trembling, not moving, fixed, unchangeable.
- अस्पर्श a-sparśanot touching, not in contact; (as), m. not touching, noncontact.
- अस्पर्शन a-sparśananon-contact, avoiding the contact of anything, especially of one who is impure.
- अस्पर्शनीय a-sparśanīyanot to be touched, impure.
- अस्पर्शित a-sparśitauntouched.
- अस्पृश्य a-spṛśyanot to be touched, intangible.
- अस्पृष्ट a-spṛṣṭauntouched.
- अस्पृष्टि a-spṛṣṭinot touching, avoiding contact.
- अस्पष्ट a-spaṣṭaindistinct.
- अस्पृत a-spṛtaunconquered, irresistible.
- अस्पृह a-spṛhaundesirous, content; indifferent.
- अस्पृहणीय a-spṛhaṇīyaundesirable.
- अस्फुट a-sphuṭaindistinct speech; (as, ā, am), indistinct, obscure, invisible, unblown.
- अस्म a-smaa pronominal base from which several cases of the pronoun of the 1st person plur. and of…
- अस्मद् asmadthe plural base of the 1st personal pronoun, nom. sing. aham, ‘I,’ du. āvām, ‘we two,’…
- अस्मदीय asmadīyaour, ours.
- अस्मद्र्यञ्च् asmadryañcturned towards us; (k), ind. towards us.
- अस्मयु asmayuendeavouring to attain us, desiring us, favourable to us.
- अस्माक asmākaour, ours.
- अस्मन्त asmantaa furnace or fireplace. See aśmanta.
- अस्मरण a-smaraṇaforgetfulness, forgetting.
- अस्मरणीय a-smaraṇīyanot to be recollected.
- अस्मार्त a-smārtaimmemorial, not within memory; illegal, not according to law; not belonging to the Hindū…
- अस्मृत a-smṛtanot remembered, forgotten.
- अस्मृति a-smṛtiwant of memory, forgetfulness; the not being part of the institutes of law; (i), ind…
- अस्मिता asmi-tāegotism.
- अस्मेर a-smeranot sullen, confiding.
- अस्यन्दमान a-syandamānanot gliding away.
- अस्यवामीय asyavāmīyathe hymn beginning with the words asya vām (Ṛg-veda 1. 164).
- अस्यहत्य asya-hatyaअस्यहेति asya-heti. See Gaṇa Anuśatikādi to Pāṇini VII. 3, 20.
- अस्युद्यत asy-udyata(for udyatāsi), having the sword raised.
- अस्र asrahair of the head; a corner, an angle, see aśra; (am), n. blood; a tear, see asṛj and asan.
- अस्राय asrāyaasrāyate, -yitum, to shed tears.
- अस्रवत् a-sravatnot flowing; Vedic not leaky (as a ship).
- अस्रुव a-sruvagranulation (of a running sore).
- अस्राम a-srāmanot stiff, not lame.
- अस्रि asrian angle; ten millions. See aśri.
- अस्रिध् a-sridhor a-sridhāna, as, ā, am, or a-sredhat, an, antī, at, Vedic not doing harm; uninjured…
- अस्रीवयस् asrī-vayashaving food which falls or drops down (?).
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).