deriv LSK ETT STT aSTA ALPH OLDHOMEPAGE NEWHOMEPAGE

@hiatus

A "hiatus" (pronounced in correct English hayaras हयरस्, with no hiatus) are two vowels said one rigth after another, but in different syllables, as the a अ and the u उ in the middle of —

**arjuna::uvAca अर्जुन‌उवाच (six syllables ar अर् joo nu oo vA वा ca च)

This a::u अ‌उ is not the same thing as au औ. The a::u अ‌उ is first an "uh" and then an "oo". The au औ rhymes with English "cow" and is a single syllable —

arjunauvAca (WRONG pronunciation with five syllables ar अर् joo nau vA वा ca च)

The hiatus is somewhat hard to say for Sanskrit speakers because it is relatively uncommon, and there are several variants in current use. Some people just move the tongue and lips ASAP from a अ to u उ. Others insert a glottal stop in the middle. Others insert y य् or weak y in the middle. All these variants are correct. Some people might insert v व् in the middle sometimes, which is not PC.