How to say “honey” around the world
270 languages · 270 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 | 蜂蜜 | fēngmì | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | honey | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | miel | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | शहद | śahad | Indo-European |
| Arabic | عَسَل | ʕasal | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | মধু | modhu | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | madu | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | mel | Indo-European | |
| French | miel | Indo-European | |
| Russian | мёд | mjod | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 蜂蜜 | hachimitsu | Japonic |
| Marathi | मध | madh | Indo-European |
| Swahili | asali | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | bal | Turkic | |
| Telugu | తేనె | tēne | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 蜂蜜 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 꿀 | kkul | Koreanic |
| German | Honig | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | mật ong | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | தேன் | tēṉ | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 蜜糖 | mat⁶ tong⁴ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | شَہْد | śahd | Indo-European |
| Italian | miele | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | عسل | ʕásal | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | મધુ | madhu | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | عَسَل | asal | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 蜂蜜 | phang-bi̍t | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 蜂糖 | phûng-thòng | Sino-Tibetan |
| Jinyu Chinese | 蜂蜜 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Hausa | zama | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಜೇನು | jēnu | Dravidian |
| Polish | miód | Indo-European | |
| Xiang Chinese | 蜜糖 | mi⁶ dan² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | തേൻ | tēṉ | Dravidian |
| Odia | ମହୁ | mahu | Indo-European |
| Burmese | ပျားရည် | pya:rany | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | عْسل | ʕsəl | Afro-Asiatic |
| Ukrainian | мед | med | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | asal | Turkic | |
| Romanian | miere | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | honing | Indo-European | |
| Amharic | ማር | mar | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | น้ำผึ้ง | nám-pʉ̂ng | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | nzoi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | ме̑д | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ទឹកឃ្មុំ | tɨk khmum | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | malab | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | bal | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | dugos | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | मह | maha | Indo-European |
| Assamese | মৌ | mou | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | පැණි | pæṇi | Indo-European |
| Greek | μέλι | méli | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | hingiv | Indo-European | |
| Tajik | асал | asal | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | бал | bal | Turkic |
| Hungarian | méz | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | ubuki | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | uchi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | ɛwo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | عسل | 'asál | Indo-European |
| Czech | med | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | ھەسەل | hesel | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | heuning | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 蜂蜜 | pŭng-mĭk | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | siwo myèl | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | honung | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | bal | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | мед | med | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | dugos | Austronesian | |
| Tachelhit | tammnt | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Belarusian | мёд | mjod | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | መዓር | mäʿar | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | mmiele | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | ھەنگوین | hengwîn | Indo-European |
| Tumbuka | uchi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kashmiri | ماچھ | māch | Indo-European |
| Kikuyu | ũũkĩ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Danish | honning | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | med | Indo-European | |
| Umbundu | owiki | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Wolaytta | eessaa | Ta-Ne-Omotic | |
| Kabyle | tament | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Finnish | hunaja | Uralic | |
| Lao | ມະທຸ | ma thu | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | honning | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | бал | bal | Turkic |
| Catalan | mel | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | eirete | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | meli | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | бал | bal | Turkic |
| Riffian | tamment | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Armenian | մեղր | meġr | Indo-European |
| Ganda | bóí | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Lithuanian | medus | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | mel | Indo-European | |
| Kamba | ũkĩ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Georgian | თაფლი | tapli | Kartvelian |
| Albanian | mjaltë | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | anyĩtsi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Mongolian | бал | bal | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Chadian Arabic | عسل | ʔasal | Afro-Asiatic |
| Galician | mel | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | med | Indo-European | |
| Esperanto | mielo | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | мед | med | Indo-European |
| Venetian | miel | Indo-European | |
| Rohingya | moudu | Indo-European | |
| Sidamo | malawo | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Afar | malab | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kabardian | фо | fo | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Limburgan | honing | Indo-European | |
| Latvian | medus | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | misk'i | Quechuan | |
| West Flemish | zêem | Indo-European | |
| Chechen | моз | moz | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Estonian | mesi | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | бал | bal | Turkic |
| Tibetan | སྦྲང་རྩི | sbrang rtsi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Maguindanao | teneb | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | mél | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | tunub | Austronesian | |
| Newari | कस्ति | kasti | Sino-Tibetan |
| Kachin | lagat jahku | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mon | ဍာ်သဲာ | ḍāk sāy | Austroasiatic |
| Western Frisian | huning | Indo-European | |
| Kalmyk | бал | bal | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | teneb | Austronesian | |
| Avar | гьоцӏо | hocʼo | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | asal | Indo-European | |
| Basque | ezti | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | пыл | pyl | Turkic |
| Welsh | mêl | Indo-European | |
| Lezghian | виртӏ | virṭ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | мед | med | Indo-European |
| Walloon | låme | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | шъоу | šʷowu | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Classical Syriac | ܕܒܫܐ | deḇšā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Maltese | għasel | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | bal | Turkic | |
| Occitan | mèl | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | amê | Indo-European | |
| Mari | мӱй | müj | Uralic |
| Tetum | bani-been | Austronesian | |
| Silesian | miód | Indo-European | |
| Asturian | miel | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | мүөт | müöt | Turkic |
| Samoan | meli | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | oni | Indo-European | |
| Mingrelian | თოფური | topuri | Kartvelian |
| Dhivehi | މާމުއި | māmui | Indo-European |
| Ingush | моз | moz | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Icelandic | hunang | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | ndjizi ya nyoshi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Friulian | mîl | Indo-European | |
| Udmurt | му | mu | Uralic |
| Jarai | ia hơni | Austronesian | |
| Plautdietsch | Honnich | Indo-European | |
| Dzongkha | སྦྱང | sbyang | Sino-Tibetan |
| Buriat | бал | bal | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Abkhaz | ацха | acxa | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Navajo | tsísʼná bitłʼizh | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Komi | ма | ma | Uralic |
| Corsican | mele | Indo-European | |
| Pennsylvania German | Hunnich | Indo-European | |
| Irish | mil | Indo-European | |
| Ladino | myel | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | njari | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | miód | Indo-European | |
| Breton | mel | Indo-European | |
| Erzya | медь | meď | Uralic |
| Dagur | kyor | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Võro | mesi | Uralic | |
| Warji-Gala | suƙwanai | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Faroese | hunangur | Indo-European | |
| Komi-Permyak | ма | ma | Uralic |
| Scottish Gaelic | mil | Indo-European | |
| Southern Altai | бал | bal | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | मधु | madhu | Indo-European |
| Argobba | ደምስ | dämǝsǝ | Afro-Asiatic |
| Dungan | фынми | fɨnmi | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | mel | Indo-European | |
| Karelian | mezi | Uralic | |
| Higaonon | duga | Austronesian | |
| Ladin | mil | Indo-European | |
| Miya | sùkwam | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Hawaiian | meli | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | miehta | Uralic | |
| Taroko | beyuq | Austronesian | |
| Rarotongan | meri | Austronesian | |
| Central Yupik | paatakaarngalnguq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | мё̄д | mjōd | Tungusic |
| Svan | თუ | tu | Kartvelian |
| Western Apache | gosnih | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Upper Sorbian | měd | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᏩᏚᎵᏏ | wadulisi | Iroquoian |
| Northern Frisian | honning | Indo-European | |
| Aragonese | miel | Indo-European | |
| Lower Sorbian | mjod | Indo-European | |
| Megleno-Romanian | m'ari | Indo-European | |
| Mrassu Shor-Tutal | пал | pal | Turkic |
| Cheyenne | háhnomápano'ėhasēō'o | Algic | |
| Moksha | медь | meď | Uralic |
| Manx | mill | Indo-European | |
| Interlingua | melle | Artificial Language | |
| Veps | mezi | Uralic | |
| Istro-Romanian | mľåre | Indo-European | |
| Northern Mansi | ма̄г | māg | Uralic |
| Cornish | mel | Indo-European | |
| Inari Sami | mietâ | Uralic | |
| Ingrian | mesi | Uralic | |
| Wymysorys | hung | Indo-European | |
| Votic | mesi | Uralic | |
| Prussian | meddo | Indo-European | |
| Manchu | ᡥᡳᠪᠰᡠ | hibsu | Tungusic |
| Chamicuro | mishki | Arawakan | |
| Dupaninan Agta | habu | Austronesian | |
| Akkadian | 𒋭 | dišpu | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gulf Arabic | عَسَل | ʕəsəl | Afro-Asiatic |
| Jewish Babylonian Aramaic (ca. 200-1200 CE) | דּוּבְשָׁא | dûḇšā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Classical-Middle Armenian | մեղր | mełr | Indo-European |
| Aymara | misk'i | Aymaran | |
| Western Balochi | شہد | šahad | Indo-European |
| Central Atlas Tamazight | ⵜⴰⵎⵎⵏⵜ | tammnt | Afro-Asiatic |
| Dalmatian | mil | Indo-European | |
| Dargwa | варъа | varʾa | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Hawkesbury | kûdyung | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Saterland Frisian | Huunich | Indo-European | |
| Pular | njuumri | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Yuwaalaraay-Gamilaraay | warrul | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Geez | መዓር | mäʿar | Afro-Asiatic |
| Old High German | honag | Indo-European | |
| Gothic | 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌸 | miliþ | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | μέλῐ | mélĭ | Indo-European |
| Achaean Greek | 𐀕𐀪 | me-ri | Indo-European |
| Mbyá Guaraní | ei | Tupian | |
| Hebrew | דְּבַשׁ | dvash | Afro-Asiatic |
| Inuktitut | ᒥᓲᑦᑕᒐᖅ | misoottacaq | Eskimo-Aleut |
| Old Irish | mil | Indo-European | |
| Jarawa (India) | ləːw | Jarawa-Onge | |
| Javanese | madu | Austronesian | |
| Kambaata | malabu | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Latin | mel | Indo-European | |
| Low German | Honnig | Indo-European | |
| Lautu | khyitiy | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Moselle Franconian | Hunneg | Indo-European | |
| Malagasy | fandrama | Austronesian | |
| Malay | madu | Austronesian | |
| Western Mari | мӱ | mü | Uralic |
| Mongo | mpako | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Mpade | mam | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Classical Nahuatl | neuctli | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Church Slavic | медъ | medŭ | Indo-European |
| Old English | huniġ | Indo-European | |
| Old Norse | hunang | Indo-European | |
| Oromo | damma | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Osage | hkilǫ́ɣemąį | Siouan | |
| Iron Ossetian | муд | mud | Indo-European |
| Pali | madhu | Indo-European | |
| Phoenician | 𐤍𐤐𐤕 | npt | Afro-Asiatic |
| Eastern Panjabi | ਮਾਖੀ | mākhī | Indo-European |
| Sardinian | mele | Indo-European | |
| Tagalog | pulut-pukyutan | Austronesian | |
| Tokharian B | mit | Indo-European | |
| Tupinambá | eíra | Tupian | |
| Ugaritic | 𐎐𐎁𐎚 | nbt | Afro-Asiatic |
| Ho-Chunk | heezik taanįžu | Siouan | |
| Xerénte | ke | Nuclear-Macro-Je | |
| Yiddish | האָניק | honik | Indo-European |
| Dimli | hıngımên | Indo-European |