Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide
Vowels
अ a आ ā इ i ई ī उ u ऊ ū ऋ ṛ ऋ ṛ
ल l ए e ऐ ai ओ o औ au
— ṁ ( anusvāra ) ः ḥ ( visarga )
Consonants
Gutturals: क ka ख kha ग ga घ gha ङ ṅa
Palatals: च ca छ cha ज ja झ jha ञ ña
Cerebrals: ट ṭa ठ ṭha ढ ḍa ढ ḍha ण ṇa
Dentals: त ta थ tha द da ध dha न na
Labials: प pa फ pha ब ba भ bha म ma
Semivowels: य ya र ra ल la व va
Sibilants: श śa ष ṣa स sa
Aspirate: ह ha ऽ ' ( avagraha ) – the apostrophe
The vowels above should be pronounced as follows:
a — like the  a  in  organ  or the  u  in  but .
ā — like the  a  in  far  but held twice as long as short  a .
i — like the  i  in  pin .
ī — like the  i  in  pique  but held twice as long as short  i .
u — like the  u  in  push .
ū — like the  u  in  rule  but held twice as long as short  u .
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