Home / Shared words
The words the world already shares
Some words travelled with the thing they name — tea (nl thee, min tê) · chai (zh chá) ; taxi, hotel, computer went everywhere at once. This page measures it: for every concept we compare the word's romanised form across all 16 languages and rank by how many languages share a recognisably similar word. Learn these first — you already know them.
Similarity is computed on romanisations (pinyin, Jyutping, Georgian transliteration), diacritics and tones stripped, scored by edit distance with an initial-sound bonus, then clustered. It finds borrowings and cognates; it can't tell them apart — the notes on each word often can.
| # | Concept | Shared by | The shared shape | Other camps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | sambo | 15/16 MS TR EN FR ES PT DE IT KA RU HI ZH VI KO JA | sambo sambo sambo sambo sambo sambo sambo Sambo sambo სამბო са́мбо सैंबो 桑搏 sambo 삼보 サンボ | — |
| 2 | taekwondo | 15/16 VI MS EN FR ES PT DE IT KA RU HI ZH KO JA TR | tekondo taekwondo taekwondo taekwondo taekwondo taekwondo taekwondo Taekwondo taekwondo ტაეკვონდო тхэквондо́ ताइक्वोंडो 跆拳道 태권도 テコンドー tekvando | — |
| 3 | karate | 14/16 MS TR EN FR ES PT DE IT KA RU HI VI KO JA | karate karate karate karate karaté kárate karaté Karate karate კარატე карате́ कराटे karate 가라테 空手 | — |
| 4 | Muay Thai | 14/16 MS TR EN FR ES PT DE IT KA RU HI VI KO JA | muetai muay thai Muay Thai Muay Thai muay-thaï muay thai muay thai Muay Thai muay thai მუაიტაი муа́й-тай मॉय थाई muay Thái 무에타이 ムエタイ | — |
| 5 | kickboxing | 14/16 VI MS EN FR ES PT DE IT KA RU HI KO JA TR | kickboxen kickboxing kickboxing kickboxing kick-boxing kickboxing kickboxing Kickboxen kickboxing კიკბოქსინგი кикбо́ксинг किकबॉक्सिंग 킥복싱 キックボクシング kick boks | — |
| 6 | judo | 13/16 MS TR EN FR ES PT DE IT HI YUE VI KO JA | judo judo judo judo judo judo judo Judo judo जूडो 柔道 judo 유도 柔道 | dziudo (KA RU) |
| 7 | jab | 13/16 MS TR EN FR ES PT DE IT KA HI VI KO JA | jab jab jab jab jab jab jab Jab jab ჯები जैब jab 잽 ジャブ | — |
| 8 | sprawl | 12/16 MS TR EN FR ES PT DE IT KA RU HI VI | sprol sprawl sprawl sprawl sprawl sprawl sprawl Sprawl sprawl სპროული спро́л स्प्रॉल sprawl | supuroru (KO JA) |
| 9 | clinch | 12/16 RU HI EN ES PT DE IT KA KO JA MS TR | klinc клинч क्लिंच clinch clinch clinch Clinch clinch კლინჩი 클린치 クリンチ clinch klinç | — |
| 10 | knockout (KO) | 12/16 IT MS EN FR ES PT DE KA RU HI KO JA | nocaut knockout knockout knockout knock-out nocaut nocaute Knockout ნოკაუტი нока́ут नॉकआउट 녹아웃 ノックアウト | — |
| 11 | balcony | 11/16 KO MS EN FR ES DE IT RU HI VI TR | balcon 발코니 balkoni balcony balcon balcón Balkon balcone балко́н बालकनी ban công balkon | varanda (PT JA) |
| 12 | Brazilian jiu-jitsu | 11/16 VI TR EN DE KA KO MS FR ES PT IT | jujitsu jiu-jitsu jiu-jitsu jiu-jitsu Jiu-Jitsu ჯიუჯიცუ 주짓수 jiu-jitsu Brazil jiu-jitsu brésilien jiu-jitsu brasileño jiu-jítsu brasileiro jiu-jitsu brasiliano | burajirian jujutsu (HI JA) |
| 13 | sofa | 10/16 JA MS EN ES PT DE HI ZH YUE KO | sofa ソファ sofa sofa sofá sofá Sofa सोफ़ा 沙发 梳化 소파 | divan (KA RU IT) — canape (FR TR) |
| 14 | tomato | 10/16 JA MS EN FR ES PT DE HI KO TR | tomato トマト tomato tomato tomate tomate tomate Tomate टमाटर 토마토 domates | pomidor (KA RU IT) |
| 15 | lamp | 10/16 KA RU EN FR ES DE IT HI MS TR | lamp ლამპა ла́мпа lamp lampe lámpara Lampe lampada लैंप lampu lamba | deng (ZH YUE JA) |
| 16 | soup | 10/16 RU MS EN FR ES PT DE KA HI JA | sup суп sup soup soupe sopa sopa Suppe სუპი सूप スープ | tang (ZH YUE) |
| 17 | low kick | 9/16 IT TR EN FR DE KA RU HI KO | loukik low kick low kick low kick low kick Lowkick ლოუკიკი ло́у-кик लो किक 로우킥 | — |
| 18 | round | 9/16 EN FR DE KA RU HI KO JA TR | round round round Runde რაუნდი ра́унд राउंड 라운드 ラウンド raunt | asalto (ES PT) |
| 19 | architect | 9/16 ES PT EN FR DE IT KA RU MS | arkitek arquitecto arquiteto architect architecte Architekt architetto არქიტექტორი архите́ктор arkitek | — |
| 20 | computer | 9/16 DE IT EN PT KA RU KO MS HI | computer Computer computer computer computador კომპიუტერი компью́тер 컴퓨터 komputer कंप्यूटर | ordenador (FR ES) |
| 21 | tea | 9/16 ZH KO PT KA RU HI YUE JA TR | cha 茶 차 chá ჩაი чай चाय 茶 お茶 çay | te (ES IT EN DE MS) |
| 22 | guard | 8/16 RU TR EN FR ES PT IT HI | gard гард gard guard garde guardia guarda guardia गार्ड | gado (KO JA) — fangshou (ZH YUE) |
| 23 | bug | 8/16 RU HI EN FR PT IT KA JA | bag баг बग bug bug bug bug ბაგი バグ | — |
| 24 | soap | 8/16 MS TR FR ES PT IT KA HI | sabun sabun sabun savon jabón sabonete sapone საპონი साबुन | seife (DE JA) |
| 25 | airport | 7/16 PT IT EN FR ES KA RU | airport aeroporto aeroporto airport aéroport aeropuerto აეროპორტი аэропо́рт | — |
| 26 | journalist | 7/16 EN DE FR PT IT KA RU | journalist journalist Journalist journaliste jornalista giornalista ჟურნალისტი журнали́ст | — |
| 27 | salt | 7/16 ES PT EN FR DE IT RU | sal sal sal salt sel Salz sale соль | — |
| 28 | TV | 7/16 KA RU PT IT KO MS TR | televizor ტელევიზორი телеви́зор televisão televisione 텔레비전 televisyen televizyon | tele (FR ES JA) — ti vi (HI VI) — din si (ZH YUE) |
| 29 | colleague | 7/16 EN FR PT DE IT KA RU | colega colleague collègue colega Kollege collega კოლეგა колле́га | doryo (KO JA) — tongshi (ZH YUE) |
| 30 | mouse | 7/16 EN IT DE KA HI KO JA | maus mouse mouse Maus მაუსი माउस 마우스 マウス | rato (ES PT) |
| 31 | to experiment | 7/16 FR ES EN DE IT RU KA | experiment expérimenter experimentar to experiment experimentieren sperimentare эксперименти́ровать ექსპერიმენტის ჩატარება | — |
| 32 | boxing | 7/16 RU TR FR ES PT DE EN | boks бокс boks boxe boxeo boxe Boxen boxing | boksing (KO JA) |
| 33 | engineer | 7/16 FR DE EN ES PT IT RU | engineer ingénieur Ingenieur engineer ingeniero engenheiro ingegnere инжене́р | gongchengshi (ZH YUE) |
| 34 | zero | 6/16 IT JA EN FR ES PT | zero zero ゼロ zero zéro cero zero | nol (DE KA RU) — ling (ZH YUE) — sfr (MS TR) — khong (VI KO) |
| 35 | software | 6/16 DE IT EN ES PT HI | software Software software software software software सॉफ़्टवेयर | — |
| 36 | uppercut | 6/16 VI MS EN FR PT RU | uppercut uppercut uppercut uppercut uppercut uppercut апперко́т | aparkat (HI TR KA JA) |
| 37 | plant | 6/16 ES PT EN FR DE IT | plant planta planta plant plante Pflanze pianta | — |
| 38 | coffee | 6/16 ES PT EN FR IT DE | cafe café café coffee café caffè Kaffee | kopi (KO MS HI JA RU ZH) |
| 39 | submission | 6/16 FR ES EN IT KO JA | sumision soumission sumisión submission sottomissione 서브미션 サブミッション | — |
| 40 | lawyer | 6/16 KA RU FR PT IT TR | avocat ადვოკატი адвока́т avocat advogado avvocato avukat | leot si (YUE VI) |
| 41 | bread | 6/16 ES JA FR PT IT KO | pan pan パン pain pão pane 빵 | roti (HI MS) — mianbao (ZH YUE) |
| 42 | shower | 6/16 PT DE FR ES RU TR | dus duche Dusche douche ducha душ duş | shawa (HI JA) |
| 43 | toilet | 6/16 FR DE EN KA RU TR | toilet toilettes Toilette toilet ტუალეტი туале́т tuvalet | — |
| 44 | to march | 6/16 ES PT EN DE IT KA | march marchar marchar to march marschieren marciare მარშირება | — |
| 45 | garden | 6/16 FR ES EN PT DE IT | jardin jardin jardín garden jardim Garten giardino | baghi (KA HI) |
| 46 | three | 6/16 ES PT EN IT RU FR | tre tres três three tre три trois | san (ZH JA KA YUE) — tiin (HI MS) |
| 47 | mattress | 6/16 EN JA FR IT RU KO | matras mattress マットレス matelas materasso матра́с 매트리스 | colchon (ES PT) |
| 48 | seven | 6/16 PT IT EN FR ES DE | sete sete sette seven sept siete sieben | — |
| 49 | to observe | 5/16 ES PT EN FR IT | observe observar observar to observe observer osservare | guancha (ZH KO) |
| 50 | to calculate / do sums | 5/16 ES PT EN FR IT | calcular calcular calcular to calculate calculer calcolare | — |
| 51 | completely | 5/16 PT IT EN FR ES | completely completamente completamente completely complètement completamente | — |
| 52 | address | 5/16 RU TR EN FR DE | adres а́дрес adres address adresse Adresse | juso (KO JA) — dizhi (ZH YUE) |
| 53 | screen | 5/16 RU TR FR PT KA | ecra экра́н ekran écran ecrã ეკრანი | skrin (HI MS EN) |
| 54 | no | 5/16 ES IT EN FR PT | no no no no non não | nein (DE HI) |
| 55 | to copy | 5/16 ES PT EN FR IT | copy copiar copiar to copy copier copiare | chao (ZH VI) |
| 56 | for example | 5/16 ES PT EN FR IT | por ejemplo por ejemplo por exemplo for example par exemple per esempio | — |
| 57 | potato | 5/16 ES IT EN PT TR | patata patata patata potato batata patates | kartopili (KA RU DE) |
| 58 | washbasin / sink | 5/16 ES TR FR PT IT | lavabo lavabo lavabo lavabo lavatório lavandino | senmendai (KO JA) — washbasin (EN HI) |
| 59 | to practise | 5/16 PT IT EN FR ES | praticar praticar praticare to practise pratiquer practicar | — |
| 60 | husband | 5/16 ES PT FR IT KA | mari marido marido mari marito ქმარი | laogong (ZH YUE) |
Ranked by cluster size, then cohesion. Concepts covered in fewer than 3 languages are excluded.