Sanskrit Study & Teaching Tips

Pronunciation

Before using Sanskrit in your teaching, practice the pronunciation out loud. Practice doesn’t always make perfect, but it makes what was previously out of reach possible. The more you practice, the more likely you will feel confident enough to use Sanskrit with students.

Basics

As in English, Sanskrit vowels have two pronunciations: short and long (drawn out or 2-beat). Here are a few examples. This is not a comprehensive list.

• a — “uh” (as in “another”).
• á —”ahhh” (as in father but with 2 beats)
• For example, the word ásana in Sanskrit has a bar over the first a, and not over the second and third.
• i — “i” (as in “pin”).
• í — “eee” (as in need but with 2 beats)
• u — “ooh” (as in “flute” while others say it’s pronounced as in “put”)
• ú — “ooooh” (as in “mood” with 2 beats)
• e — “ay” (2 beats)
• —”oh” (2 beats)
• ai — as in “aisle” (2 beats)
• au — “ow” (2 beats)