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 
 ड 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 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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