Sanskrit Pronunciation
Ucchāraṇa Vyākhyā
उच्चारण व्याख्या
VOWELS §
Vowels marked like ā are sounded twice as long as the short vowels. The four dipthongs, e, ai, o, au, are always sounded long, but never marked as such. §
| अ | a as in about |
आ  | ā …tar, father |
इ  | i …fill, lily |
ई  | ī …machine |
उ  | u …full, bush |
ऊ  | ū …allude |
ऋ  | ṛi …merrily |
ॠ  | ṛī …marine |
| लृ | lṛi …revelry |
ए  | e …prey |
ऐ  | ai …aisle |
ओ  | o …go, stone |
औ  | au …Haus |
GUTTURAL CONSONANTS
Sounded in the throat.§
| क् | k …kite, seek |
| ख् | kh …inkhorn |
| ग् | g …gamble |
| घ् | gh …loghouse |
| ङ् | ṅ …sing |
PALATAL CONSONANTS
Sounded at the roof of the mouth.§
| च् | ch …church |
| छ् | çh …chain |
| ज् | j …jump |
| झ् | jh …hedgehog |
| ञ् | ñ …hinge |
CEREBRAL CONSONANTS
Pronounced with the tongue turned up and back against the roof of the mouth. These are also known as retroflex.§
| ट् | ṭ …true |
| ठ् | ṭh …nuthook |
| ड् | ḍ …drum |
| ढ् | ḍh …redhaired |
| ण् | ṇ …none |
DENTAL CONSONANTS
Sounded with the tip of the tongue at the back of the upper front teeth.§
| त् | t …tub |
| थ् | th …anthill |
| द् | d …dot |
| ध् | dh …adhere |
| न् | n …not |
LABIAL CONSONANTS
Sounded at the lips.§
| प् | p …pot |
| फ् | ph …path |
| ब् | b …bear |
| भ् | bh …abhor |
| म् | m …map |
SEMIVOWELS§
| य् | y …yet (palatal) |
र् | r …road (cereb.) |
| ल् | l …lull (dental) |
| व् | v …voice (labial), |
but more like w when following a consonant, as in the word swāmī.§
| ह् | h …hear (guttural) |
SIBILANTS§
| श् | ś …sure (palatal) |
| ष् | sh …shut (cerebral) |
| स् | s …saint (dental) |
ANUSVĀRA 
§
Represents the nasal of the type of letter it precedes; e.g.: अंग = aṅga. Transliterated as ṁ or as the actual nasal, e.g., ñ. At the end of words it is often म् (m).§
AYOGAVAHA 
§
An accentuated Vedic form of anusvāra preceding र ष श स ह. The 
is used following short vowels, and 
follows long vowels.§
VISĀRGA (:) ḥ§
Pronounced like huh (with a short, stopping sound), or hih, after i, ī and e. §
AVAGRAHA 
§
Marks the deletion of initial a after e or o (because of sandi). Thus: 
§
DAIḌA§
। marks end of sentence.
॥ marks end of stanza.§
SPECIAL CHARACTERS§
| ज्ञ् | jñ …a nasalized sound, like gya or jya. |
| क्ष् = | क्+ ष् ksh |
CONVENTIONS§
1. च्छ् is transliterated as cçh, and च्च् as cch.§
2. Geographical names e.g., Himalaya, generally are given without diacriticals.§