Sanskrit Alphabet Explained for Beginners
The Sanskrit alphabet (varṇamālā) explained: vowels, the five consonant groups, semivowels, sibilants, anusvāra and visarga, with charts.
By Sanskritam Academy Editorial TeamPublished 5 min read
The Sanskrit alphabet is called the varṇamālā (वर्णमाला), literally a garland of sounds. Unlike the English alphabet, it is not a random list. The letters are arranged by how and where in the mouth each sound is produced, so once you understand the arrangement, you understand the pronunciation as well. This article walks through the whole chart in Devanagari with roman transliteration (IAST).
Vowels (svara)
Vowels are sounds that can be pronounced on their own. Sanskrit has short vowels, long vowels held for twice the length, and four combined vowels (ए, ऐ, ओ, औ) which are always long.
| Short | Long | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| अ (a) | आ (ā) | a as in the first sound of 'about'; ā as in 'father' |
| इ (i) | ई (ī) | i as in 'pin'; ī as in 'machine' |
| उ (u) | ऊ (ū) | u as in 'put'; ū as in 'rule' |
| ऋ (ṛ) | ॠ (ṝ) | a vowel-like r; the long form is rare |
| ऌ (ḷ) | — | very rare; seen mainly in the root कॢप् |
| — | ए (e), ऐ (ai) | e as in 'they' without the glide; ai as in 'aisle' |
| — | ओ (o), औ (au) | o as in 'go' without the glide; au as in 'cow' |
That makes thirteen vowels in common use. School charts usually add अं (aṃ) and अः (aḥ) at the end of the vowel row; these show two signs, the anusvāra and the visarga, which are explained below.
The five groups of consonants (varga)
The first twenty-five consonants form a grid of five rows and five columns. Each row is produced at one place in the mouth, moving from the throat forward to the lips. Each column is produced in one manner. In the chart every consonant is shown with the inherent vowel a, because a consonant cannot be pronounced without a vowel.
| Place | Unvoiced | Unvoiced aspirated | Voiced | Voiced aspirated | Nasal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Throat (kaṇṭhya) | क ka | ख kha | ग ga | घ gha | ङ ṅa |
| Palate (tālavya) | च ca | छ cha | ज ja | झ jha | ञ ña |
| Roof of mouth (mūrdhanya) | ट ṭa | ठ ṭha | ड ḍa | ढ ḍha | ण ṇa |
| Teeth (dantya) | त ta | थ tha | द da | ध dha | न na |
| Lips (oṣṭhya) | प pa | फ pha | ब ba | भ bha | म ma |
- Unvoiced sounds are made without vibration of the vocal cords; voiced sounds with it. Compare क (ka) and ग (ga).
- Aspirated sounds are released with a clear puff of breath: ख (kha) is क (ka) plus breath, not the English 'kh' of 'khaki' said softly.
- In transliteration, c always stands for the sound of 'ch' in 'church', never for k or s.
- Each row has its own nasal. That is why we write अङ्क (aṅka), पञ्च (pañca), कण्ठ (kaṇṭha), दन्त (danta) and कम्प (kampa): the nasal matches the consonant that follows it.
Semivowels and sibilants
After the twenty-five grid consonants come eight more. Four are semivowels (antaḥstha), which stand between vowels and consonants, and four are called ūṣman, the three sibilants and ह.
| Type | Letters | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Semivowels | य ya, र ra, ल la, व va | palate, roof of mouth, teeth, teeth and lips |
| Sibilants | श śa, ष ṣa, स sa | palate, roof of mouth, teeth |
| Aspirate | ह ha | throat |
The three sibilants are often confused. श (śa) is said with the tongue at the palate, as in शान्ति (śānti, peace). ष (ṣa) is said with the tongue curled back, as in कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa). स (sa) is the ordinary dental s, as in सत्य (satya, truth). In total Sanskrit has thirty-three consonants.
Anusvāra and visarga
- Anusvāra (ं, written ṃ) is a nasal sound shown by a dot above the line, as in संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam).
- Visarga (ः, written ḥ) is a light breath after a vowel, as in रामः (rāmaḥ). It is very common at the end of masculine nouns.
Neither can stand alone; each always follows a vowel. That is why charts show them attached to अ as अं and अः.
Three conjuncts that look like letters
Many alphabet charts end with क्ष, त्र and ज्ञ. These are not separate letters but conjunct consonants, two consonants written together with no vowel between them.
| Conjunct | Made of | Example |
|---|---|---|
| क्ष (kṣa) | क् + ष | क्षमा (kṣamā, forgiveness) |
| त्र (tra) | त् + र | मित्रम् (mitram, friend) |
| ज्ञ (jña) | ज् + ञ | ज्ञानम् (jñānam, knowledge) |
How to practise the alphabet
- Recite the consonant grid row by row, feeling the tongue move from the throat to the lips.
- Then recite it column by column (ka, ca, ṭa, ta, pa) to hear what unvoiced, aspirated and voiced mean.
- Write five letters a day, saying each one aloud as you write it.
- Once the letters are steady, move on to vowel signs and conjuncts, covered in How to Read and Write Sanskrit.
If you read Hindi, note two differences. Sanskrit pronounces the inherent a at the end of a word, so राम is rāma, not rām. And Sanskrit does not use the dotted letters such as ड़ and ढ़ or the nuqta sounds like ज़ and फ़.
For detailed guidance on the sounds themselves, see How to Pronounce Sanskrit Correctly. Learners who want guided practice of the script with a teacher can look at the Sanskrit Reading and Writing course.