How to say “head” around the world

431 languages · 431 in their own spelling

cabeza · kepala · cabeçabaş · bosh · hoofdرَأْس · راس · راس头 · head · têteसिर · سِر · سَرমাথা · 머리 · motó头 · หัว · ᩉ᩠ᩅᩫOther shapes

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	头	tóu	Sino-Tibetan
English	head		Indo-European
Spanish	cabeza		Indo-European
Hindi	सिर	sir	Indo-European
Arabic	رَأْس	raʔs	Afro-Asiatic
Bengali	মাথা	matha	Indo-European
Indonesian	kepala		Austronesian
Portuguese	cabeça		Indo-European
French	tête		Indo-European
Russian	голова́	golová	Indo-European
Japanese	頭	atama	Japonic
Marathi	डोके	ḍoke	Indo-European
Swahili	kichwa		Atlantic-Congo
Turkish	baş		Turkic
Telugu	తల	tala	Dravidian
Wu Chinese	头		Sino-Tibetan
Korean	머리	meori	Koreanic
German	Kopf		Indo-European
Vietnamese	đầu		Austroasiatic
Tamil	தலை	talai	Dravidian
Cantonese	頭	tau⁴	Sino-Tibetan
Urdu	سِر	sir	Indo-European
Italian	testa		Indo-European
Egyptian Arabic	راس	rās	Afro-Asiatic
Western Farsi	سَر	sar	Indo-European
Min Nan Chinese	頭	thâu	Sino-Tibetan
Hakka Chinese	頭那	thèu-nà	Sino-Tibetan
Levantine Arabic	راس	rās	Afro-Asiatic
Hausa	kai		Afro-Asiatic
Kannada	ತಲೆ	tale	Dravidian
Polish	głowa		Indo-European
Yoruba	orí		Atlantic-Congo
Xiang Chinese	脑壳	lau³ ko⁶	Sino-Tibetan
Malayalam	തല	tala	Dravidian
Odia	ଶିର	śira	Indo-European
Burmese	ခေါင်း	hkaung:	Sino-Tibetan
Sudanese Arabic	راس	rās	Afro-Asiatic
Moroccan Arabic	راس	rās	Afro-Asiatic
Ukrainian	голова́	holová	Indo-European
Uzbek	bosh		Turkic
Sindhi	سر	siru	Indo-European
Romanian	cap		Indo-European
Dutch	hoofd		Indo-European
Gan Chinese	头	teu²	Sino-Tibetan
Amharic	ራስ	ras	Afro-Asiatic
Thai	หัว	hǔua	Tai-Kadai
Lingala	motó		Atlantic-Congo
Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian	гла́ва		Indo-European
Khmer	ក្បាល	kbaal	Austroasiatic
Somali	madax		Afro-Asiatic
Turkmen	kelle baş		Turkic
Cebuano	ulo		Austronesian
Nepali	टाउको	ṭāuko	Indo-European
Assamese	মূৰ	mur	Indo-European
Sinhala	ඔළුව	oḷuwa	Indo-European
Greek	κεφάλι	kefáli	Indo-European
Kurdish	ser		Indo-European
Hijazi Arabic	راس	rās	Afro-Asiatic
Tajik	сар	sar	Indo-European
Sylheti	ꠝꠣꠕꠣ	matá	Indo-European
Kazakh	бас	bas	Turkic
Hungarian	fej		Uralic
Kinyarwanda	umutwe		Atlantic-Congo
Zulu	ikhanda		Atlantic-Congo
Nyanja	mutú		Atlantic-Congo
Akan	ti		Atlantic-Congo
Czech	hlava		Indo-European
Uighur	باش	bash	Turkic
Afrikaans	kop		Indo-European
Min Dong Chinese	頭	tàu	Sino-Tibetan
Haitian	tèt		Indo-European
Kanuri	kǝlâ		Saharan
Swedish	huvud		Indo-European
Azerbaijani	baş		Turkic
Iloko	ulo		Austronesian
Bulgarian	глава́	glavá	Indo-European
Hiligaynon	ulo		Austronesian
Xhosa	intloko		Atlantic-Congo
Tachelhit	agayyu		Afro-Asiatic
Belarusian	галава́	halavá	Indo-European
Mossi	zúgù		Atlantic-Congo
Tigrinya	ርእሲ	rəʾsi	Afro-Asiatic
Neapolitan	capa		Indo-European
Central Kurdish	سەر	ser	Indo-European
Santali	ᱵᱚᱦᱚᱜ	bôhôk’	Austroasiatic
Tumbuka	mutu		Atlantic-Congo
Kikuyu	kĩongo		Atlantic-Congo
Northern Thai	ᩉ᩠ᩅᩫ	hua	Tai-Kadai
Danish	hoved		Indo-European
Slovak	hlava		Indo-European
Southern Sotho	hlooho		Atlantic-Congo
Wolaytta	huuphiya		Ta-Ne-Omotic
Minangkabau	kapalo		Austronesian
Finnish	pää		Uralic
Lao	ຫົວ	hūa	Tai-Kadai
Norwegian	hode		Indo-European
Tatar	баш	baş	Turkic
Buginese	mene		Austronesian
Catalan	cap		Indo-European
Guarani	akã		Tupian
Sicilian	testa		Indo-European
Kirghiz	баш	baş	Turkic
Swiss German	Chopf		Indo-European
Riffian	ixf		Afro-Asiatic
Armenian	գլուխ	glux	Indo-European
Bambara	kun		Mande
Ganda	omutwe		Atlantic-Congo
Balinese	endas		Austronesian
Lithuanian	galvà		Indo-European
Tok Pisin	het		Indo-European
Lombard	testa		Indo-European
Georgian	თავი	tavi	Kartvelian
Goan Konkani	मात्ते	mātte	Indo-European
Acehnese	ulèe		Austronesian
Albanian	kokë		Indo-European
Ewe	ta		Atlantic-Congo
Luo	wich		Nilotic
Shan	ႁူဝ်	hǒ	Tai-Kadai
Mongolian	толгой	tolgoj	Mongolic-Khitan
Chadian Arabic	راس	rās	Afro-Asiatic
Bikol	payo		Austronesian
Galician	cabeza		Indo-European
Pampanga	ulu		Austronesian
Slovenian	glava		Indo-European
Nyankole	omutwe		Atlantic-Congo
Bouyei	jauc		Tai-Kadai
Esperanto	kapo		Artificial Language
Kʼicheʼ	jolom		Mayan
Macedonian	глава	glava	Indo-European
Sichuan Yi	ꀂꏾ	i qi	Sino-Tibetan
Venetian	testa		Indo-European
Zhuang	gyaeuj		Tai-Kadai
Rohingya	matá		Indo-European
Sidamo	umo		Afro-Asiatic
Afar	amo		Afro-Asiatic
Limburgan	kop		Indo-European
Makasar	ulu		Austronesian
Latvian	galva		Indo-European
Quechua	uma		Quechuan
Scots	heid		Indo-European
Chechen	корта	korta	Nakh-Daghestanian
Mandinka	kuŋo		Mande
Estonian	pea		Uralic
Bashkir	баш	baş	Turkic
Tibetan	མགོ	mgo	Sino-Tibetan
Beja	gírma		Afro-Asiatic
Maguindanao	ulu		Austronesian
Pangasinan	olo		Austronesian
Tausug	ū		Austronesian
Bakhtiari	سر	sar	Indo-European
Central Okinawan	頭	chiburu	Japonic
Kabuverdianu	kabesa		Indo-European
Western Frisian	holle		Indo-European
Frafra	zuugo		Atlantic-Congo
Iu Mien	m'nqorngv		Hmong-Mien
South Sudanese Creole Arabic	ras		Afro-Asiatic
Kalmyk	толһа	tolğa	Mongolic-Khitan
Maranao	kapala		Austronesian
Pontic	τσουφάλι	tsoufáli	Indo-European
Avar	бекӏер	bekʼer	Nakh-Daghestanian
Talysh	sə		Indo-European
Tai Dam	ꪬꪺ	hua	Tai-Kadai
Basque	buru		Isolates
Chuvash	пуҫ	puś	Turkic
Welsh	pen		Indo-European
Yucatec Maya	pool		Mayan
Lü	ᦷᦠ	ḣo	Tai-Kadai
Lezghian	кьил	q̇il	Nakh-Daghestanian
Rusyn	голова́	holová	Indo-European
Morisyen	latet		Indo-European
Réunion Creole French	tèt		Indo-European
Walloon	tiesse		Indo-European
Adyghe	шъхьэ	ŝḥɛ	Abkhaz-Adyge
Classical Syriac	ܪܝܫܐ	rēšā	Afro-Asiatic
Maltese	ras		Afro-Asiatic
Crimean Tatar	baş		Turkic
Occitan	cap		Indo-European
Vlax Romani	śero		Indo-European
Ligurian	tésta		Indo-European
Mari	вуй	vuj	Uralic
Tetum	ulun		Austronesian
Asturian	cabeza		Indo-European
Yakut	бас	bas	Turkic
Kumyk	баш	baş	Turkic
Samoan	ulu		Austronesian
Sranan Tongo	ede		Indo-European
Tzotzil	jolol		Mayan
Mingrelian	დუდი	dudi	Kartvelian
Ingush	корта	korta	Nakh-Daghestanian
Papiamento	kabes		Indo-European
Icelandic	höfuð		Indo-European
Karachay-Balkar	баш	baş	Turkic
Friulian	cjâf		Indo-European
Mapuche	logko		Araucanian
Muna	fotu		Austronesian
Tuvinian	баш	baş	Turkic
Tai Dón	ꪬꪺ	ho	Tai-Kadai
Saho	amo		Afro-Asiatic
Udmurt	йыр	jyr	Uralic
Jarai	akŏ		Austronesian
Ao Naga	tekolak		Sino-Tibetan
Plautdietsch	Kopp		Indo-European
Nama	danas		Khoe-Kwadi
Laz	თი	ti	Kartvelian
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic	ܪܹܝܫܵܐ	rēšā	Afro-Asiatic
Enga	ayomba		Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Zeelandic	'oôd		Indo-European
Buriat	толгай	tolgaj	Mongolic-Khitan
Māori	upoko		Austronesian
West Coast Bajau	tekook		Austronesian
Extremaduran	cabeça		Indo-European
Dongxiang	qierun		Mongolic-Khitan
Abkhaz	ахы	axə	Abkhaz-Adyge
Tonga (Tonga Islands)	ʻulu		Austronesian
Navajo	bitsiiʼ		Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit
Komi	юр	jur	Uralic
Corsican	capu		Indo-European
Solu-Khumbu Sherpa	མགོའ	mgo'	Sino-Tibetan
Gagauz	baş		Turkic
Pennsylvania German	Kopp		Indo-European
Irish	ceann		Indo-European
Western Highland Purepecha	éjpu		Tarascan
Aromanian	cap		Indo-European
Kashubian	głowa		Indo-European
Breton	penn		Indo-European
Mwani	kiswa		Atlantic-Congo
Erzya	пря	pŕa	Uralic
Nogai	бас	bas	Turkic
Turoyo	ܪܝܫܳܐ	rišo	Afro-Asiatic
Northern Emberá	boro		Chocoan
Faroese	høvd		Indo-European
Tahitian	uru		Austronesian
Komi-Permyak	юр	jur	Uralic
Marshallese	bar		Austronesian
Zou	lu		Sino-Tibetan
Scottish Gaelic	ceann		Indo-European
Mansaka	oro		Austronesian
Aguaruna	buuk		Chicham
Southern Altai	баш	baš	Turkic
Sanskrit	शिरस्	śíras	Indo-European
Yaeyama	頭		Japonic
Khakas	пас	pas	Turkic
Ternate	dopolo		North Halmahera
Dungan	ту	tu	Sino-Tibetan
Romansh	chau		Indo-European
Chepang	तालाङ्		Sino-Tibetan
Balantak	takala'		Austronesian
Higaonon	ulo		Austronesian
Hawaiian	poʻo		Austronesian
North Saami	oaivi		Uralic
Kajtak	бекӏ	beḳ	Nakh-Daghestanian
Pijin	hed		Indo-European
Evenki	дыл	dil	Tungusic
Svan	თხვიმ	txvim	Kartvelian
Drung	u		Sino-Tibetan
Upper Sorbian	hłowa		Indo-European
Cherokee	ᎠᏍᎪᎵ	asgoli	Iroquoian
Yagnobi	сар	sar	Indo-European
Northern Amami-Oshima	頭	tsiburu	Japonic
Northern Frisian	hood		Indo-European
Niuean	ulu		Austronesian
Aragonese	capeza		Indo-European
Nheengatu	akanga		Tupian
Udi	бул	bul	Nakh-Daghestanian
Abau	makwe		Sepik
Lower Sorbian	głowa		Indo-European
Even	дыл	dil	Tungusic
Jejueo	머리	meori	Koreanic
Kunigami	ちぶる	chiburu	Japonic
Megleno-Romanian	cap		Indo-European
Rapanui	pū'oko		Austronesian
Dolgan	бас	bas	Turkic
Pitjantjatjara	kata		Pama-Nyungan
Wutunhua	dolo		Sino-Tibetan
Koryak	лэвʼыт	lewət	Chukotko-Kamchatkan
Mrassu Shor-Tutal	паш	paş	Turkic
Cappadocian Greek	κιφάλ	kifál	Indo-European
Warlpiri	walu		Pama-Nyungan
Tsou	fnguu		Austronesian
Moksha	пря	prä	Uralic
Tsakonian	τζουφά	tzoufá	Indo-European
Manx	kione		Indo-European
Southern Amami-Oshima	頭	tsiburu	Japonic
Interlingua	capite		Artificial Language
Bororo	aora		Bororoan
Nanai	дили	ʒili	Tungusic
Istriot	capo		Indo-European
Khinalug	микӏир	miḳir	Nakh-Daghestanian
Archi	картӏи	kartʼi	Nakh-Daghestanian
Taos Northern Tiwa	pʼínemą		Kiowa-Tanoan
Guugu Yimidhirr	ngaabaay		Pama-Nyungan
Apalaí	upuhpo		Cariban
Cornish	penn		Indo-European
Southern Sami	åejjie		Uralic
Skolt Sami	vuei´vv		Uralic
Yonaguni	みんぶる	minburu	Japonic
Narrinyeri	kuli		Pama-Nyungan
Inari Sami	uáivi		Uralic
Budukh	кьыл	qʼıl	Nakh-Daghestanian
Amur Nivkh	тёӈр̌	țoŋř	Nivkh
Ket	kajga		Yeniseian
Muinane	nígaɨ		Boran
Ingrian	pää		Uralic
Straits Salish	S₭OṈI¸		Salishan
Alabama	isbakko		Muskogean
Taiga Sayan Turkic	баъш	bàş	Turkic
Chickasaw	ishkobo		Muskogean
Prussian	gallū		Indo-European
Manchu	ᡠᠵᡠ	uju	Tungusic
Alawa	guɽuguɽu		Mangarrayi-Maran
Ainu	サパ	sapa	Ainu
Pawnee	paksuʼ		Caddoan
N\|\|ng	nǀaa		Tuu
Chamicuro	kashki		Arawakan
Adnyamathanha	vapardla		Pama-Nyungan
Ahom	𑜍𑜥	rū	Tai-Kadai
Akawaio-Ingariko	puꞌpɨ		Cariban
Akkadian	𒊕	rēšu	Afro-Asiatic
Aklanon	ueo		Austronesian
Northern Altai	паш	paš	Turkic

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