Monodisperse PbWO 4 :Tb 3+ hierarchical ellipsoidal particles have been fabricated through a hydrothermal method by using trisodium citrate and SDBS as surfactants. The as-obtained PbWO 4 :Tb 3+ are well-dispersed with narrow size distribution and are assembled by many closely packed nanoparticles. The as-obtained PbWO 4 :Tb 3+ ellipsoidal particles exhibit intense green emission under ultraviolet excitation, which might find potential applications in fields of optical displays, optoelectronic devices, and light emitting diodes.