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Sanskrit Alphabet (वर्णमाला)

All 14 vowels and 33 consonants of the Sanskrit varnamala, with how each one is written in English letters, and the barakhadi chart.

Letters of the Sanskrit alphabet

Vowels (14)

  • अa
  • आā
  • इi
  • ईī
  • उu
  • ऊū
  • ऋr̥
  • ॠr̥̄
  • ऌl̥
  • ॡl̥̄
  • एe
  • ऐai
  • ओo
  • औau

Anusvara and visarga (2)

  • अंaṁ
  • अःaḥ

Consonants (25)

  • कka
  • खkha
  • गga
  • घgha
  • ङṅa
  • चca
  • छcha
  • जja
  • झjha
  • ञña
  • टṭa
  • ठṭha
  • डḍa
  • ढḍha
  • णṇa
  • तta
  • थtha
  • दda
  • धdha
  • नna
  • पpa
  • फpha
  • बba
  • भbha
  • मma

More consonants (8)

  • यya
  • रra
  • लla
  • वva
  • शśa
  • षṣa
  • सsa
  • हha

Conjunct consonants (3)

  • क्षkṣa
  • त्रtra
  • ज्ञjña

Sanskrit Barakhadi

Each row is one consonant written with every vowel sign, from क to कः. Read across a row to hear how the vowel changes the syllable.

Consonantअaआāइiईīउuऊūऋr̥ॠr̥̄एeऐaiओoऔauअंaṁअःaḥ
ककkaकाkāकिkiकीkīकुkuकूkūकृkr̥कॄkr̥̄केkeकैkaiकोkoकौkauकंkaṁकःkaḥ
खखkhaखाkhāखिkhiखीkhīखुkhuखूkhūखृkhr̥खॄkhr̥̄खेkheखैkhaiखोkhoखौkhauखंkhaṁखःkhaḥ
गगgaगाgāगिgiगीgīगुguगूgūगृgr̥गॄgr̥̄गेgeगैgaiगोgoगौgauगंgaṁगःgaḥ
घघghaघाghāघिghiघीghīघुghuघूghūघृghr̥घॄghr̥̄घेgheघैghaiघोghoघौghauघंghaṁघःghaḥ
ङङṅaङाṅāङिṅiङीṅīङुṅuङूṅūङृṅr̥ङॄṅr̥̄ङेṅeङैṅaiङोṅoङौṅauङंṅaṁङःṅaḥ
चचcaचाcāचिciचीcīचुcuचूcūचृcr̥चॄcr̥̄चेceचैcaiचोcoचौcauचंcaṁचःcaḥ
छछchaछाchāछिchiछीchīछुchuछूchūछृchr̥छॄchr̥̄छेcheछैchaiछोchoछौchauछंchaṁछःchaḥ
जजjaजाjāजिjiजीjīजुjuजूjūजृjr̥जॄjr̥̄जेjeजैjaiजोjoजौjauजंjaṁजःjaḥ
झझjhaझाjhāझिjhiझीjhīझुjhuझूjhūझृjhr̥झॄjhr̥̄झेjheझैjhaiझोjhoझौjhauझंjhaṁझःjhaḥ
ञञñaञाñāञिñiञीñīञुñuञूñūञृñr̥ञॄñr̥̄ञेñeञैñaiञोñoञौñauञंñaṁञःñaḥ
टटṭaटाṭāटिṭiटीṭīटुṭuटूṭūटृṭr̥टॄṭr̥̄टेṭeटैṭaiटोṭoटौṭauटंṭaṁटःṭaḥ
ठठṭhaठाṭhāठिṭhiठीṭhīठुṭhuठूṭhūठृṭhr̥ठॄṭhr̥̄ठेṭheठैṭhaiठोṭhoठौṭhauठंṭhaṁठःṭhaḥ
डडḍaडाḍāडिḍiडीḍīडुḍuडूḍūडृḍr̥डॄḍr̥̄डेḍeडैḍaiडोḍoडौḍauडंḍaṁडःḍaḥ
ढढḍhaढाḍhāढिḍhiढीḍhīढुḍhuढूḍhūढृḍhr̥ढॄḍhr̥̄ढेḍheढैḍhaiढोḍhoढौḍhauढंḍhaṁढःḍhaḥ
णणṇaणाṇāणिṇiणीṇīणुṇuणूṇūणृṇr̥णॄṇr̥̄णेṇeणैṇaiणोṇoणौṇauणंṇaṁणःṇaḥ
ततtaताtāतिtiतीtīतुtuतूtūतृtr̥तॄtr̥̄तेteतैtaiतोtoतौtauतंtaṁतःtaḥ
थथthaथाthāथिthiथीthīथुthuथूthūथृthr̥थॄthr̥̄थेtheथैthaiथोthoथौthauथंthaṁथःthaḥ
ददdaदाdāदिdiदीdīदुduदूdūदृdr̥दॄdr̥̄देdeदैdaiदोdoदौdauदंdaṁदःdaḥ
धधdhaधाdhāधिdhiधीdhīधुdhuधूdhūधृdhr̥धॄdhr̥̄धेdheधैdhaiधोdhoधौdhauधंdhaṁधःdhaḥ
ननnaनाnāनिniनीnīनुnuनूnūनृnr̥नॄnr̥̄नेneनैnaiनोnoनौnauनंnaṁनःnaḥ
पपpaपाpāपिpiपीpīपुpuपूpūपृpr̥पॄpr̥̄पेpeपैpaiपोpoपौpauपंpaṁपःpaḥ
फफphaफाphāफिphiफीphīफुphuफूphūफृphr̥फॄphr̥̄फेpheफैphaiफोphoफौphauफंphaṁफःphaḥ
बबbaबाbāबिbiबीbīबुbuबूbūबृbr̥बॄbr̥̄बेbeबैbaiबोboबौbauबंbaṁबःbaḥ
भभbhaभाbhāभिbhiभीbhīभुbhuभूbhūभृbhr̥भॄbhr̥̄भेbheभैbhaiभोbhoभौbhauभंbhaṁभःbhaḥ
ममmaमाmāमिmiमीmīमुmuमूmūमृmr̥मॄmr̥̄मेmeमैmaiमोmoमौmauमंmaṁमःmaḥ
ययyaयाyāयिyiयीyīयुyuयूyūयृyr̥यॄyr̥̄येyeयैyaiयोyoयौyauयंyaṁयःyaḥ
ररraराrāरिriरीrīरुruरूrūरृrr̥रॄrr̥̄रेreरैraiरोroरौrauरंraṁरःraḥ
ललlaलाlāलिliलीlīलुluलूlūलृlr̥लॄlr̥̄लेleलैlaiलोloलौlauलंlaṁलःlaḥ
ववvaवाvāविviवीvīवुvuवूvūवृvr̥वॄvr̥̄वेveवैvaiवोvoवौvauवंvaṁवःvaḥ
शशśaशाśāशिśiशीśīशुśuशूśūशृśr̥शॄśr̥̄शेśeशैśaiशोśoशौśauशंśaṁशःśaḥ
षषṣaषाṣāषिṣiषीṣīषुṣuषूṣūषृṣr̥षॄṣr̥̄षेṣeषैṣaiषोṣoषौṣauषंṣaṁषःṣaḥ
ससsaसाsāसिsiसीsīसुsuसूsūसृsr̥सॄsr̥̄सेseसैsaiसोsoसौsauसंsaṁसःsaḥ
हहhaहाhāहिhiहीhīहुhuहूhūहृhr̥हॄhr̥̄हेheहैhaiहोhoहौhauहंhaṁहःhaḥ

Type Sanskrit letters without a Sanskrit keyboard

You do not need to learn a new keyboard to write these letters. In the Sanskrit typing editor, type words the way they sound in English: "namaste" becomes नमस्ते.

Sanskrit alphabet: common questions

How many letters are in the Sanskrit alphabet?

This chart shows 14 vowels, 33 consonants and 5 other letters and signs, such as anusvara, visarga and common conjuncts. Textbooks give different totals because some count those extra letters and signs and some do not.

What is Sanskrit barakhadi?

It is the chart of every consonant written with every vowel sign, one row per consonant: क, का, कि, की, कु and so on. Learning it row by row is how most children learn to read Sanskrit.

How do I type Sanskrit letters on an English keyboard?

Use our free Sanskrit typing editor: type the word as it sounds in English and it turns into Devanagari script when you press space. For example, "namaste" becomes नमस्ते. No Sanskrit keyboard or software is needed.

What are the English letters under each letter?

They are the ISO 15919 romanisation, the standard way to write Indian scripts in English letters. Dots and lines mark sounds that plain English letters cannot tell apart: ṭa and ḍa are said with the tongue curled back, ā and ī are long vowels, and ṁ is the nasal anusvara.