Sanskrit Alphabet

Characters + IAST

a (vowel - pronounced “ah”)

ā (vowel - pronounced “ahhh”)

i (vowel - pronounced “ee”)

ī (vowel - pronounced “eeee”)

u (vowel - pronounced “oo”)

ū (vowel - pronounced “oooo”)

r with dot underneath (vowel)

r with dot underneath + line above (vowel)

l with dot underneath (vowel)

l with dot underneath + line above (vowel)

e (vowel - pronounced “eh”)

ai (vowel)

o (vowel - pronounced “oh”)

au (vowel)

am with dot above the “m” (vowel)

ah with dot underneath the ‘h” (vowel - pronounced “aha”)

ka (gutteral)

kha (gutteral)

ga (gutteral)

gha (gutteral)

na with a dot over the “n” (gutteral - pronounced like the “n” in sing)

ca (palatal - pronounced “cha”)

cha (palatal - pronounced “cha”)

ja (palatal)

jha (palatal)

ña (palatal - pronounced “nya”)

ta with dot underneath the “t” (cerebral)

tha with dot underneath the “t” (cerebral)

da with dot underneath the “d” (cerebral)

dha with dot underneath the “d” (cerebral)

na with dot underneath the “n” (cerebral - pronounced “n” with curled back tongue)

ta (dental)

tha (dental)

da (dental)

dha (dental)

na (dental - pronounced like the “na” in name)

pa (labial)

pha (labial)

ba (labial)

bha (labial)

ma (labial)

ya (semivowel)

ra (semivowel)

la (semivowel)

va (semivowel - pronounced “wa” like water)

śa (sibilant - pronounced “sh” like sheep)

sa with dot under the “s” (sibilant - pronounced almost like “shra” tongue curled back less r sound)

sa (sibilant - pronounced like “s” in surf)

ha (aspirate)