Om

What does Om mean?

Om is the sacred syllable itself, used directly as a name. Wiktionary records ॐ and alternative spellings for the sound, while Monier-Williams gives praṇava as a term for the same syllable. This explains the connection between Om and Pranav. The syllable's deeper etymology is disputed, and the available evidence includes several proposed explanations. Its established religious use is clearer than any single linguistic derivation.

Source: Wiktionary, ॐ. How we use sources.

Spelling and pronunciation

ॐ is also written ओम or ओम्, and is read om as one syllable with a sustained o closing into m. Aum is a Roman spelling that represents the three sounds identified within the syllable in religious interpretation. Recitation can hold the vowel longer than ordinary speech.

Also spelled Aum.

Om in tradition and story

Om has a central place in Hindu recitation and meditation. The Mandukya Upanishad explores its sounds and significance, and the Bhagavad Gita identifies it with the divine. The cited dictionary also records uses in other Indian religious traditions.