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Sanskrit Letters & Alphabet Guide
Complete reference for Sanskrit vowels, consonants and numbers with English pronunciation
About Sanskrit Script: Sanskrit is written in the Devanagari script, one of the oldest and most systematic writing systems in the world. It has 16 vowels (Svar) and 36 consonants (Vyanjana). Sanskrit is the classical language of India and the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, with a history spanning over 3,500 years.
Sanskrit Vowels — स्वर (Svar)
Sanskrit Transliteration Pronunciation Example Word
अ a as in "ab out" अज (aja - goat) आ ā as in "fa ther" आकाश (ākāśa - sky) इ i as in "si t" इन्द्र (indra - Indra) ई ī as in "see " ईश्वर (Īśvara - God) उ u as in "pu t" उदक (udaka - water) ऊ ū as in "foo d" ऊर्जा (ūrjā - energy) ऋ ṛ vocalic r ऋषि (ṛṣi - sage) ॠ ṝ long vocalic r ॠ (ṝ) ए e as in "they " एक (eka - one) ऐ ai as in "kite " ऐश्वर्य (aiśvarya - wealth) ओ o as in "go " ओम् (om - sacred sound) औ au as in "cow " औषध (auṣadha - medicine) अं aṃ nasal (anusvara) संस्कृत (saṃskṛta) अः aḥ aspirate (visarga) नमः (namaḥ - salutation)
Sanskrit Consonants — व्यञ्जन (Vyanjana)
Sanskrit Transliteration Pronunciation Example Word
क ka k as in "kit" कमल (kamala - lotus) ख kha kh aspirated खग (khaga - bird) ग ga g as in "go" गज (gaja - elephant) घ gha gh aspirated घट (ghaṭa - pot) ङ ṅa ng as in "sing" ङ (ṅa) च cha ch as in "chair" चन्द्र (candra - moon) छ chha chh aspirated छत्र (chatra - umbrella) ज ja j as in "jar" जल (jala - water) झ jha jh aspirated झर (jhara - waterfall) ञ ña ny sound ञ (ña) ट ṭa retroflex t टङ्क (ṭaṅka - coin) ठ ṭha retroflex th ठक्कुर (ṭhakkura - lord) ड ḍa retroflex d डमरु (ḍamaru - drum) ढ ḍha retroflex dh ढक्का (ḍhakkā - drum) ण ṇa retroflex n णम (ṇama) त ta t (soft dental) तारा (tārā - star) थ tha th aspirated थल (thala - land) द da d (soft dental) दान (dāna - gift) ध dha dh aspirated धर्म (dharma - righteousness) न na n as in "not" नदी (nadī - river) प pa p as in "pen" पद (pada - foot) फ pha ph / f sound फल (phala - fruit) ब ba b as in "bat" बल (bala - strength) भ bha bh aspirated भूमि (bhūmi - earth) म ma m as in "man" मन (mana - mind) य ya y as in "yes" यज्ञ (yajña - sacrifice) र ra r (rolled) राज (rāja - king) ल la l as in "lip" लोक (loka - world) व va v / w sound वायु (vāyu - wind) श śa sh as in "ship" शक्ति (śakti - power) ष ṣa retroflex sh षट् (ṣaṭ - six) स sa s as in "sun" सूर्य (sūrya - sun) ह ha h as in "hat" हस्त (hasta - hand) क्ष kṣa ksh combined क्षत्रिय (kṣatriya - warrior) त्र tra tr combined त्रिकोण (trikoṇa - triangle) ज्ञ jña gya / gna sound ज्ञान (jñāna - knowledge)
Sanskrit Numbers — संख्या (Saṃkhyā)
Number Sanskrit Pronunciation
0 शून्यम् śūnyam 1 एकम् ekam 2 द्वे dve 3 त्रीणि trīṇi 4 चत्वारि catvāri 5 पञ्च pañca 6 षट् ṣaṭ 7 सप्त sapta 8 अष्ट aṣṭa 9 नव nava 10 दश daśa 100 शतम् śatam 1000 सहस्रम् sahasram
About Sanskrit: Sanskrit is considered the mother of many Indian languages and has greatly influenced European languages. The Devanagari script used for Sanskrit is perfectly phonetic — each symbol represents exactly one sound, making it one of the most logical writing systems ever devised.