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 9 of 554
- अतिशाक्वर atiśākvarawritten in or connected with the Ati-śakvarī metre.
- अतिशी ati-śī-śete, -śayitum, to precede in lying down; to surpass, excel, exceed; to act as an…
- अतिशय ati-śayapre-eminence, eminence; superiority in quality or quantity or numbers; advantageous…
- अतिशयन ati-śayanaeminent, abundant; (am), ind. excessively.
- अतिशयित ati-śayitasuperior.
- अतिशयिन् ati-śayinexcelling, abounding.
- अतिशायन ati-śāyanaact of excelling; excessiveness.
- अतिशायिन् ati-śāyinexcelling, abounding; excessive.
- अतिशेत ati-śetaexcelling, exceeding; superior.
- अतिशीतम् ati-śītampast the cold, after the winter.
- अतिशेष ati-śeṣaremainder, remnant, especially of time.
- अतिश्रेष्ठ ati-śreṣṭhasuperior to the best, best of all.
- अतिश्रेयसि ati-śreyasia man superior to the most excellent woman.
- अतिश्लिष् ati-śliṣ-śliṣyati, -śleṣṭum, to fasten or tie over.
- अतिश्व ati-śvasuperior to, or worse than, a dog; (ā), m., name of a tribe.
- अतिषेल् ati-ṣel-ṣelayati, -yitum, to make one go to a great distance.
- अतिष्कद्वरी ati-ṣkadvarī(transgressor), a dissolute woman.
- अतिष्ठत् a-tiṣṭhatnot standing, unstable.
- अतिष्ठा ati-ṣṭhā-tiṣṭhati, -ṣṭhātum, to excel.
- अतिष्ठा ati-ṣṭhāprecedence, superiority; (ās), m. f., Vedic or ati-ṣṭhāvan, ā, m. or atiṣṭhā-vat, ān…
- अतिसन्धा ati-san-dhā-dadhāti, -dhatte, -dhātum, to overreach, deceive.
- अतिसन्धम् ati-sandhamin violation of an agreement or of the settled order.
- अतिसन्धान ati-san-dhānaoverreaching, cheating.
- अतिसन्धित ati-san-dhitaoverreached, cheated.
- अतिसन्धेय ati-san-dheyaeasy to be conciliated or settled.
- अतिसर्व ati-sarvasuperior to all; (as), m. the supreme.
- अतिसांवत्सर ati-sāṃvatsaraextending over more than a year.
- अतिसाम्या ati-sāmyāthe sweet juice of the Bengal Madder, Rubia Manjith.
- अतिसृ ati-sṛ-sārayati, -yitum, to extend; to exert (?).
- अतिसर ati-saraeffort, exertion.
- अतिसार ati-sāraor atī-sāra, as, m. violent straining at stool, dysentery.
- अतिसारकिन् ati-sārakinor atī-sārakin or ati-sārin or atī-sārin, ī, iṇī, i, afflicted with dysentery.
- अतिसृज् ati-sṛj-sṛjati, -sraṣṭum, to dismiss, abandon; to leave as a remnant; to remit, forgive; to give…
- अतिसर्ग ati-sargaact of parting with, dismissal, giving away, granting permission.
- अतिसर्जन ati-sarjanaliberality, granting, engaging, a gift; sending out of the world, killing.
- अतिसृज्य ati-sṛjyahaving dismissed, etc.; excessively.
- अतिसृप् ati-sṛp-sarpati, -sarptum or -sraptum, to glide over, get over.
- अतिसेन ati-senaname of a prince, a son of Śambara.
- अतिसौपर्ण ati-sauparṇasuperior to Suparṇa's or Garuḍa's (vision, etc.).
- अतिस्त्रि ati-strior ī, i, surpassing a woman; Gram. 123. b. The feminine may end in ī.
- अतिहस्तय ati-hastayaatihastayati, -yitum, to stretch out the hands;, to overtake on an elephant.
- अतिहिमम् ati-himamafter the cold or the frost.
- अती atīaty-eti, -tum, to pass, elapse, pass over, overflow; to pass on; to get over; to defer…
- अतीत atītagone by, past, passed away, dead; having gone through, having got over or beyond, having…
- अतीत्वरी atītvarī(transgressor), a bad woman.
- अतीक्ष्ण a-tīkṣṇanot sharp, blunt, dull.
- अतीन्द्रिय atīndriyabeyond the congnisance of (indriya) the senses; (as), m. in the Sānkhya phil. the soul or…
- अतीरेक atīrekaSee under ati-ric, ati-sṛ.
- अतीव atīvaexceedingly, very; excessively, too; quite; surpassing (with the acc.).
- अतीव्र a-tīvranot sharp, blunt; not pungent.
- अतुङ्ग a-tuṅganot tall, short, dwarfish.
- अतुन्द a-tundanot stout, thin, lank.
- अतुर a-turanot liberal, not rich.
- अतुल a-tulaunequalled; (as), m. (destitute of weight), the Sesamum seed and plant.
- अतुष a-tuṣawithout husks.
- अतुषारकर a-tuṣāra-kara(having not cold rays), the sun.
- अतुष्टि a-tuṣṭidispleasure, discontent.
- अतुहिन a-tuhinanot cold; used in compounds, thus atuhina-dhāman, ā, or atuhina-raśmi, is, or…
- अतूतुजि a-tūtujinot quick, slow.
- अतूर्त a-tūrtanot in a hurry; not outrun or outdone or obstructed; unhurt; (am), n. illimited space.
- अतृणाद a-tṛṇāda(not an eater of grass), a newly-born calf.
- अतृण्या a-tṛṇyāa small quantity or short supply of grass.
- अतृदिल a-tṛdilanot fragile, solid, or ‘having no holes.’
- अतृप a-tṛpanot satisfied.
- अतृप्णुवत् atṛpṇuvatinsatiable.
- अतृप्त a-tṛptaunsatisfied, insatiable, eager.
- अतृप्ति a-tṛptiunsatisfied condition, insatiability.
- अतृषित a-tṛṣitanot thirsty, not greedy.
- अतृष्णज् a-tṛṣṇajnot thirsty.
- अतृष्य a-tṛṣyabeyond the reach of thirst.
- अतृष्यत् a-tṛṣyatnot thirsting after, not greedy, not eager.
- अतेजस् a-tejasabsence of brightness or vigour; dimness, shade, shadow; feebleness, dulness…
- अतोषणीय a-toṣaṇīyaimpossible or improper to be pleased or appeased.
- अत्क atkatravelling; (as), m. a traveller; a limb or member; (Vedic) water, liquid; lightning…
- अत्कील atkīlaor utkīla, as, m., name of the author of some Vedic hymns, a descendant of Viśvāmitra.
- अत्तलि attaliname of a man.
- अत्तव्य attavyafit or proper to be eaten.
- अत्ति attian eater; f., see also s.v. attā.
- अत्तृ attṛan eater.
- अत्ता attāa mother; mother's sister; elder sister; (in Prākṛt) a mother-in-law. See akkā.
- अत्ति attior attikā, f. elder sister.
- अत्त्र attraattra, etc. See अत्र, अत्रि, अत्रिन।
- अत्न atnaor atnu, us, m., the sun. Atya, as, m., Vedic a courser, steed.
- अत्यंहस् aty-aṃhasbeyond the reach of (or emancipated from) sin or evil.
- अत्यग्नि aty-agnimorbidly rapid digestion, see s.v. ati; (is, is, i), surpassing fire.
- अत्यग्निष्टोम aty-agniṣṭomaname of the optional second part of the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice; the Vedic verse chanted at…
- अत्यङ्कुश aty-aṅkuśapast the (elephant-driver's) hook, unmanageable.
- अत्यङ्गुल aty-aṅgulaexceeding an aṅgula (finger's breadth).
- अत्यतिक्रम् aty-ati-kram-krāmati, -kramitum, to approach for sexual intercourse.
- अत्यनिल aty-anilasurpassing the wind.
- अत्यन्त aty-antapast its proper end or limit; excessive, very great or strong, etc.; endless, unbroken…
- अत्यन्तिक1 atyantikaor atyantina, as, ā, am, going much or fast or far.
- अत्यन्तिक2 aty-antikatoo close, too near, very close; (am), n. too great nearness.
- अत्यय aty-ayapassing, lapse, passage; passing away, perishing, death; danger, risk, evil, suffering…
- अत्ययिक atyayikabetter ātyayika, as, ā, am, temporary, occasional.
- अत्ययिन् atyayinpassing, surpassing.
- अत्यराति aty-arātiname of a son of Janantapa.
- अत्यर्थ aty-artha(beyond its proper worth), exorbitant, excessive.
- अत्यर्द् aty-ard-ardati, -ditum, to press hard, to distress greatly.
- अत्यर्ह् aty-arh-arhati, -hitum, to excel in worth.
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).