How to say “ear” around the world
5,773 languages · 448 in their own spelling
Dots of one colour begin with a similar sound. Colours group words by the class of their first consonant (a sound-class method used in linguistics): words that begin alike share a colour. This shows resemblance, not common origin — proving relationship needs case-by-case comparison. Readable forms come from Wiktionary translation tables; many smaller languages come from the ASJP word lists, in ASJP’s simplified transcription.
| Language | Word | Romanization | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 耳朵 | ěrduo | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | ear | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | oreja | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | कान | kān | Indo-European |
| Arabic | أُذُن | ʔuḏun | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | কান | kan | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | telinga | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | orelha | Indo-European | |
| French | oreille | Indo-European | |
| Russian | у́хо | úxo | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 耳 | mimi | Japonic |
| Marathi | कान | kān | Indo-European |
| Swahili | sikio | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | kulak | Turkic | |
| Telugu | చెవి | cevi | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 耳朵 | ⁶gni-tu | Sino-Tibetan |
| Korean | 귀 | gwi | Koreanic |
| German | Ohr | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | tai | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | காது | kātu | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 耳仔 | ji⁵ zai² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | کان | kān | Indo-European |
| Italian | orecchio | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | ودن | widn | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | કાન | kān | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | گوش | guš | Indo-European |
| Bhojpuri | कान | kān | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 耳空 | hīⁿ-khang | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 耳公 | ngí-kûng | Sino-Tibetan |
| Jinyu Chinese | 耳朵 | er² due¹ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Levantine Arabic | دانة | dāne | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hausa | kunne | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಕಿವಿ | kivi | Dravidian |
| Polish | ucho | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | etí | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 耳朵 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Malayalam | ചെവി | cevi | Dravidian |
| Odia | କାନ | kāna | Indo-European |
| Burmese | နား | na: | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | ودن | wdan | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | ntị | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | ву́хо | vúxo | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | quloq | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | ڪَنُ | kanu | Indo-European |
| Romanian | ureche | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | oor | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 耳朵 | eo³ dau | Sino-Tibetan |
| Amharic | ጆሮ | ǧoro | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | หู | hǔu | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | likútu | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | у̏во | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ត្រចៀក | trɑɑciək | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | dheg | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | gulak | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | dunggan | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | कान | kān | Indo-European |
| Assamese | কাণ | kan | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | කන | kana | Indo-European |
| Greek | αυτί | aftí | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | guh | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | إذن | ʔidin | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | гӯш | güš | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠇꠣꠘ | xan | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | құлақ | qulaq | Turkic |
| Hungarian | fül | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | ugutwi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | indlebe | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | khutú | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | aso | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | غوږ | ǧwaẓ | Indo-European |
| Czech | ucho | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | قۇلاق | qulaq | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | oor | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 耳 | ngê | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | zòrèy | Indo-European | |
| Kanuri | sǝmo | Saharan | |
| Swedish | öra | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | qulaq | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | ухо́ | uhó | Indo-European |
| Shona | nzeve | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xhosa | indlebe | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Belarusian | ву́ха | vúxa | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | እዝኒ | ʾəzni | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | recchia | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | گوێ | gwê | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱞᱩᱛᱩᱨ | lutur | Austroasiatic |
| Tumbuka | khutu | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kikuyu | gũtũ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Northern Thai | ᩉᩪ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Danish | øre | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | ucho | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | tsebe | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Wolaytta | hayttaa | Ta-Ne-Omotic | |
| Minangkabau | talingo | Austronesian | |
| Finnish | korva | Uralic | |
| Lao | ຫູ | hū | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | øre | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | колак | qolaq | Turkic |
| Buginese | toli | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | orella | Indo-European | |
| Sicilian | aricchiu | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | кулак | kulak | Turkic |
| Tswana | tsebe | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Riffian | ameẓẓuɣ | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Armenian | ականջ | akanǰ | Indo-European |
| Bambara | tulo | Mande | |
| Balinese | kuping | Austronesian | |
| S'gaw Karen | နၢ် | na̱ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Lithuanian | ausis | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | yau | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | oreggia | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | ყური | q̇uri | Kartvelian |
| Goan Konkani | कानु | kānu | Indo-European |
| Waray | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | vesh | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | tó | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Shan | ႁူ | hǔu | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | чих | čix | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Chadian Arabic | أدان | ʔadān | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bikol | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Galician | orella | Indo-European | |
| Pampanga | balugbug | Austronesian | |
| Slovenian | uho | Indo-European | |
| Iban | pending | Austronesian | |
| Swati | Ín-dlebé | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Bouyei | riez | Tai-Kadai | |
| Esperanto | orelo | Artificial Language | |
| Kʼicheʼ | xikin | Mayan | |
| Macedonian | у́во | úvo | Indo-European |
| Piedmontese | orija | Indo-European | |
| Venetian | récia | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | rwz | Tai-Kadai | |
| Rohingya | han | Indo-European | |
| Sidamo | macca | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Afar | aytí | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kabardian | тхьэкӏумэ | tḥɛkʷʼumɛ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Limburgan | oer | Indo-European | |
| Makasar | toli | Austronesian | |
| Latvian | auss | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | rinri | Quechuan | |
| Scots | lug | Indo-European | |
| Chechen | лерг | lerg | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Emilian | uraccia | Indo-European | |
| Estonian | kõrv | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | ҡолаҡ | qolaq | Turkic |
| Tibetan | རྣ | rna | Sino-Tibetan |
| Beja | angwííl | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Romagnol | urècia | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | tainga | Austronesian | |
| Kinaray-a | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Newari | न्हाय्पं | nhæpaṃ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Central Okinawan | 耳 | min | Japonic |
| Kabuverdianu | oredja | Indo-European | |
| Western Frisian | ear | Indo-European | |
| Kalmyk | чикн | çikn | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | tangila | Austronesian | |
| Pontic | ωτίν | otín | Indo-European |
| Avar | гӏин | ʻin | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | quş | Indo-European | |
| Basque | belarri | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | хӑлха | hălh̬a | Turkic |
| Welsh | clust | Indo-European | |
| Yucatec Maya | xikin | Mayan | |
| Lü | ᦠᦴ | ḣuu | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | йаб | jab | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | у́хо | úxo | Indo-European |
| Morisyen | zorey | Indo-European | |
| Réunion Creole French | zorèy | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | oraye | Indo-European | |
| Kara-Kalpak | qulaq | Turkic | |
| Adyghe | тхьакӏум | tḥakʷʼum | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Maltese | widna | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | qulaq | Turkic | |
| Occitan | aurelha | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | kan | Indo-European | |
| Upper Guinea Crioulo | oredja | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | oêgia | Indo-European | |
| Mari | пылыш | pylyš | Uralic |
| Tetum | tilun | Austronesian | |
| Asturian | oyíu | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | кулгаах | kulgaax | Turkic |
| Kumyk | къулакъ | qulaq | Turkic |
| Samoan | taliga | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | yesi | Indo-European | |
| Ibanag | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Fiji Hindi | kaan | Indo-European | |
| Masbatenyo | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Tzotzil | chikinil | Mayan | |
| Fijian | daliga | Austronesian | |
| Dhivehi | ކަންފަތް | kan̊fat̊ | Indo-European |
| Ingush | лерг | lerg | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Papiamento | orea | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | eyra | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | shishio | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Karachay-Balkar | къулакъ | qulaq | Turkic |
| Friulian | orele | Indo-European | |
| Mapuche | alcüpeyün | Araucanian | |
| Tuvinian | кулак | kulak | Turkic |
| Saho | ayti | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Udmurt | пель | peľ | Uralic |
| Plautdietsch | Oa | Indo-European | |
| Nama | ǂgaes | Khoe-Kwadi | |
| Laz | ყუჯი | quci | Kartvelian |
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic | ܢܵܬܵܐ | nātā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Zeelandic | ôre | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | шэхэн | šexen | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | taringa | Austronesian | |
| Egene | ẹ́sọụ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| West Coast Bajau | telingo | Austronesian | |
| Extremaduran | oyíu | Indo-European | |
| Dongxiang | chighin | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Abkhaz | алымҳа | aləmḥa | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | telinga | Austronesian | |
| Navajo | ajaaʼ | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Komi | пель | peľ | Uralic |
| Lak | вичӏи | wičʼi | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Corsican | arechja | Indo-European | |
| Solu-Khumbu Sherpa | नम्जोक | namdzok | Sino-Tibetan |
| Gagauz | kulak | Turkic | |
| Pennsylvania German | Ohr | Indo-European | |
| Irish | cluas | Indo-European | |
| Ladino | oído | Indo-European | |
| Cuyonon | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Aromanian | ureaclji | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | ùchò | Indo-European | |
| Breton | skouarn | Indo-European | |
| Mwani | sikiro | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Erzya | пиле | pile | Uralic |
| Nogai | кулак | kulak | Turkic |
| Atayal | papak | Austronesian | |
| Võro | kõrv | Uralic | |
| Tabasaran | иб | ib | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Faroese | oyra | Indo-European | |
| Tahitian | tari’a | Austronesian | |
| Chamorro | talanga | Austronesian | |
| Komi-Permyak | пель | peľ | Uralic |
| Scottish Gaelic | cluas | Indo-European | |
| Mansaka | taringa | Austronesian | |
| Aguaruna | kuwiš | Chicham | |
| Southern Altai | кулак | kulak | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | कर्ण | karṇa | Indo-European |
| Abaza | лымхӏа | ləmḥa | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Argobba | እዝን | ǝzǝn | Afro-Asiatic |
| Khakas | хулах | xulax | Turkic |
| Dungan | эрдуә | erduə | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | ureglia | Indo-European | |
| Chepang | नो | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Karelian | korvu | Uralic | |
| Higaonon | tangila | Austronesian | |
| Ladin | orëdla | Indo-European | |
| Bau-Jagoi Bidayuh | kojit | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | pepeiao | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | beallji | Uralic | |
| Lamboya | katillu | Austronesian | |
| Inabaknon | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Andi | гьантӏикӏа | hantʼikʼa | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Central Yupik | ciun | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | се̄н | sēn | Tungusic |
| Comorian | kio | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Khaling | ङेचो | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mirandese | oubido | Indo-European | |
| Tohono O'odham | na꞉k | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Svan | შდიმ | šdim | Kartvelian |
| Drung | vna | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Upper Sorbian | wucho | Indo-European | |
| Tuvalu | taliga | Austronesian | |
| Cherokee | ᎦᎴᏂ | galeni | Iroquoian |
| Yagnobi | ғуш | ġuš | Indo-European |
| Fala | orella | Indo-European | |
| Bislama | ia | Indo-European | |
| Northern Frisian | uar | Indo-European | |
| Niuean | teliga | Austronesian | |
| Aragonese | oyiu | Indo-European | |
| Udi | имух | imuꭓ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Abau | nweyk | Sepik | |
| Lower Sorbian | wucho | Indo-European | |
| Even | корит | korit | Tungusic |
| Jejueo | 귀 | gwi | Koreanic |
| Megleno-Romanian | ureacľă | Indo-European | |
| Rapanui | taringa | Austronesian | |
| Amanab | angug | Border | |
| Pitjantjatjara | pina | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Yami | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Bats | ლარკ | larḳ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Tokelau | taliga | Austronesian | |
| Ludian | korv | Uralic | |
| Hatang Kayi | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Cheyenne | mâhtovoo'ôtse | Algic | |
| Alangan | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Moksha | пиле | pile | Uralic |
| Lakota | núŋǧe | Siouan | |
| Manx | cleaysh | Indo-European | |
| Woleaian | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Interlingua | aure | Artificial Language | |
| Nanai | сиан | sian | Tungusic |
| Oroqen | ʃɛ꞉n | Tungusic | |
| Vaeakau-Taumako | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Istro-Romanian | uręklja | Indo-European | |
| Taos Northern Tiwa | tʼółəona | Kiowa-Tanoan | |
| Apalaí | pana | Cariban | |
| Cornish | skovarn | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sami | bieljie | Uralic | |
| Kildin Saami | пе̄лльй | piell’j | Uralic |
| Pukapuka | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Skolt Sami | peʹllj | Uralic | |
| Pela | nă.kʰjɛʔ⁵⁵ | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Narrinyeri | plombi | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Ratagnon | talinga | Austronesian | |
| Inari Sami | peelji | Uralic | |
| Aleut | tutusix | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Budukh | ибир | ibir | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Amur Nivkh | нос | nos | Nivkh |
| Ulch | се̄ | Tungusic | |
| Ingrian | korva | Uralic | |
| Straits Salish | ₭ELEN¸ | Salishan | |
| Alabama | istimilhaalo | Muskogean | |
| Negidal | sēn | Tungusic | |
| Wymysorys | ür | Indo-European | |
| Votic | kõrvõ | Uralic | |
| Prussian | āuss | Indo-European |