How to say “salt” around the world
352 languages · 352 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 | 盐 | yán | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | salt | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | sal | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | नमक | namak | Indo-European |
| Arabic | مِلْح | milḥ | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | নুন | nun | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | garam | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | sal | Indo-European | |
| French | sel | Indo-European | |
| Russian | соль | solʹ | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 塩 | shio | Japonic |
| Marathi | मीठ | mīṭh | Indo-European |
| Swahili | chumvi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | tuz | Turkic | |
| Telugu | ఉప్పు | uppu | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 盐 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 소금 | sogeum | Koreanic |
| German | Salz | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | muối | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | உப்பு | uppu | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 鹽 | jim⁴ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | نَمَک | namak | Indo-European |
| Italian | sale | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | ملح | malḥ | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | મીઠું | mīṭhũ | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | نَمَک | namak | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 鹽 | iâm | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 鹽 | yàm | Sino-Tibetan |
| Jinyu Chinese | 咸盐 | xie¹ ie¹ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hausa | gishiri | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಉಪ್ಪು | uppu | Dravidian |
| Polish | sól | Indo-European | |
| Xiang Chinese | 盐 | ienn² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | ഉപ്പ് | uppŭ | Dravidian |
| Odia | ଲୁଣ | luṇa | Indo-European |
| Maithili | नून | nūn | Indo-European |
| Burmese | ဆား | hca: | Sino-Tibetan |
| Ukrainian | сіль | silʹ | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | tuz | Turkic | |
| Sindhi | لوُڻُ | luurnu | Indo-European |
| Romanian | sare | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | zout | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 盐 | ien⁴ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Amharic | ጨው | č̣äw | Afro-Asiatic |
| Magahi | 𑂢𑂴𑂢 | nūn | Indo-European |
| Thai | เกลือ | glʉʉa | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | móngwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | со̑ | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | អំបិល | ʼɑmbəl | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | milix | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | duz | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | asin | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | नून | nūna | Indo-European |
| Assamese | লোণ | lün | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | ලුණු | luṇu | Indo-European |
| Greek | αλάτι | aláti | Indo-European |
| Northeastern Thai | หยิบ | hyib | Tai-Kadai |
| Kurdish | xwê | Indo-European | |
| Haryanvi | नूण | nūṇ | Indo-European |
| Tajik | намак | namak | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | тұз | tuz | Turkic |
| Hungarian | só | Uralic | |
| Zulu | itswayi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | mchere | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | nkyene | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | مالګه | mālga | Indo-European |
| Czech | sůl | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | تۇز | tuz | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | sout | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 鹽 | sièng | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | sèl | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | salt | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | duz | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | сол | sol | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | asin | Austronesian | |
| Belarusian | соль | solʹ | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ጨው | č̣äw | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | sale | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | خوێ | xwê | Indo-European |
| Kikuyu | cumbĩ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Northern Thai | ᨠᩖᩮᩥᩬᩋ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Danish | salt | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | soľ | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | letswai | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Minangkabau | garam | Austronesian | |
| Finnish | suola | Uralic | |
| Lao | ເກືອ | kư̄a | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | salt | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | тоз | toz | Turkic |
| Catalan | sal | Indo-European | |
| Sicilian | sali | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | туз | tuz | Turkic |
| Armenian | աղ | aġ | Indo-European |
| Balinese | uyah | Austronesian | |
| Lithuanian | druska | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | sol | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | sal | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | მარილი | marili | Kartvelian |
| Acehnese | sira | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | kripë | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | dze | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Kurdish | خوا | xwa | Indo-European |
| Shan | ၵိူဝ် | kǒe | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | давс | davs | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Chadian Arabic | ملح | mileh | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bikol | asin | Austronesian | |
| Galician | sal | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | sol | Indo-European | |
| Bouyei | guel | Tai-Kadai | |
| Esperanto | salo | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | сол | sol | Indo-European |
| Sichuan Yi | ꋂ | ce | Sino-Tibetan |
| Piedmontese | sal | Indo-European | |
| Venetian | sàle | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | gyu | Tai-Kadai | |
| Rohingya | nun | Indo-European | |
| Afar | qasbó | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Laki | خووا | xuwa | Indo-European |
| Latvian | sāls | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | kachi | Quechuan | |
| Chechen | туьха | tüxa | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Estonian | sool | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | тоҙ | toð | Turkic |
| Tibetan | ཚྭ | tshwa | Sino-Tibetan |
| Muong | bỏi | Austroasiatic | |
| Maguindanao | timus | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | sêl | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | asin | Austronesian | |
| Newari | चि | ci | Sino-Tibetan |
| Kachin | jum | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Kabuverdianu | sal | Indo-European | |
| Mon | ၜဵု | bɜ | Austroasiatic |
| Western Frisian | sâlt | Indo-European | |
| Iu Mien | nzauv | Hmong-Mien | |
| Kalmyk | давсн | davsn | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | asin | Austronesian | |
| Avar | цӏан | cʼan | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | nemek | Indo-European | |
| Tai Dam | ꪹꪀ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Basque | gatz | Isolates | |
| Hani | caqdevq | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Chuvash | тӑвар | tăvar | Turkic |
| Welsh | halen | Indo-European | |
| Lü | ᦵᦂᦲ | k̇oe | Tai-Kadai |
| Nobiin | اوميد | Kenzi | Nubian |
| Tai Nüa | ᥐᥫ | koe | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | кьел | q̇el | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | соль | solʹ | Indo-European |
| Morisyen | disel | Indo-European | |
| Réunion Creole French | sèl | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | sé | Indo-European | |
| Kara-Kalpak | duz | Turkic | |
| Adyghe | щыгъу | śəğʷu | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Maltese | melħ | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | tuz | Turkic | |
| Occitan | sal | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | lon | Indo-European | |
| Kaqchikel | atzʼam | Mayan | |
| Ligurian | sâ | Indo-European | |
| Mari | шинчал | šinčal | Uralic |
| Tetum | masin | Austronesian | |
| Asturian | sal | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | туус | tuus | Turkic |
| Kumyk | туз | tuz | Turkic |
| Bassa | tɔ̃́ | Kru | |
| Samoan | masima | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | sowtu | Indo-European | |
| Tzotzil | atsʼam | Mayan | |
| Mingrelian | ჯიმუ | ǯimu | Kartvelian |
| Fijian | masima | Austronesian | |
| Dhivehi | ލޮނު | lonu | Indo-European |
| Ingush | тух | tux | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Papiamento | salu | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | salt | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | shingo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Karachay-Balkar | туз | tuz | Turkic |
| Friulian | sâl | Indo-European | |
| Tuvinian | дус | dus | Turkic |
| Saho | mulxu | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Udmurt | сылал | sylal | Uralic |
| Jarai | hra | Austronesian | |
| Plautdietsch | Solt | Indo-European | |
| Laz | mcumu | Kartvelian | |
| Dzongkha | ཚྭ | tshwa | Sino-Tibetan |
| Zeelandic | zout | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | дабһан | dabhan | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | tote | Austronesian | |
| West Coast Bajau | timus | Austronesian | |
| Dongxiang | dansun | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Abkhaz | аџьыка | adžəkʼa | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | māsima | Austronesian | |
| Navajo | áshįįh | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Bahnar | 'boh | Austroasiatic | |
| Komi | сов | sov | Uralic |
| Lak | цӏу | cʼu | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Bantoanon | asin | Austronesian | |
| Gagauz | tuz | Turkic | |
| Irish | salann | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | sari | Indo-European | |
| Yakan | asin | Austronesian | |
| Kashubian | sòl | Indo-European | |
| Breton | holen | Indo-European | |
| Erzya | сал | sal | Uralic |
| Dagur | kataa | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Tboli | kahì | Austronesian | |
| Nogai | туз | tuz | Turkic |
| Faroese | salt | Indo-European | |
| Tahitian | miti | Austronesian | |
| Komi-Permyak | сов | sov | Uralic |
| Marshallese | jo̧o̧ļ | Austronesian | |
| Zou | chi | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Scottish Gaelic | salann | Indo-European | |
| Mansaka | asin | Austronesian | |
| Southern Altai | тус | tus | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | लवण | lavaṇa | Indo-European |
| Abaza | джькӏа | dźkʼa | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Huichol | ꞌúna | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Khakas | тус | tus | Turkic |
| Ternate | gasi | North Halmahera | |
| Dungan | ян | ian | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | sal | Indo-European | |
| Mayo | oona | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Chepang | छेः | chhe' | Sino-Tibetan |
| Karelian | suola | Uralic | |
| Higaonon | asin | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | paʻakai | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | sálti | Uralic | |
| Kajtak | цце | cce | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rarotongan | miti | Austronesian | |
| Palauan | sar | Austronesian | |
| Central Yupik | taryuq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Evenki | турукэ | turukə | Tungusic |
| Svan | ჯიმ | ǯim | Kartvelian |
| Drung | svla | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Upper Sorbian | sól | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᎠᎹ | ama | Iroquoian |
| Bislama | sol | Indo-European | |
| Northern Frisian | saalt | Indo-European | |
| Udi | ел | el | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Hopi | öönga | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Lower Sorbian | sol | Indo-European | |
| Even | так | tak | Tungusic |
| Chukchi | чоԓ | čoḷ | Chukotko-Kamchatkan |
| Dolgan | туус | tuus | Turkic |
| Mrassu Shor-Tutal | тус | tus | Turkic |
| Mòcheno | sòlz | Indo-European | |
| Manx | sollan | Indo-European | |
| Khwarshi-Inkhoqwari | цийоᵸ | ciyõ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Nanai | даосон | daoson | Tungusic |
| Veps | sol | Uralic | |
| Hunzib | ца̇ᵸ | cå̃ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Istriot | sal | Indo-European | |
| Tlingit | éil' | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Cornish | holan | Indo-European | |
| Skolt Sami | säʹltt | Uralic | |
| Pela | tʰa³⁵ | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Budukh | кьел | qʼel | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Amur Nivkh | тафть | tafț | Nivkh |
| Ulch | давсу | Tungusic | |
| Nganasan | сыр | syr | Uralic |
| Ingrian | soola | Uralic | |
| Wymysorys | zaołc | Indo-European | |
| Votic | soolõ | Uralic | |
| Northern Yukaghir | суоль | suoļ | Yukaghir |
| Manchu | ᡩᠠᠪᠰᡠᠨ | dabsun | Tungusic |
| Ainu | ルル | ruru | Ainu |
| Pawnee | kaʼit | Caddoan | |
| Cahuilla | íngill | Uto-Aztecan | |
| N||ng | dyebe | Tuu | |
| Chamicuro | mamola | Arawakan | |
| Aghwan | 𐔴𐔾 | el | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Ahom | 𑜀𑜢𑜤𑜈𑜫 | küw | Tai-Kadai |
| Akkadian | 𒁵 | ṭābtu | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aklanon | asin | Austronesian | |
| Gulf Arabic | ملح | milḥ | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aramaic | מלחא | milħā’ | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aymara | jayu | Aymaran | |
| Western Balochi | واد | wád | Indo-European |
| Bobangi | mokwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Bole | manda | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Central Atlas Tamazight | ⵜⵉⵙⵏⵜ | tisnt | Afro-Asiatic |
| Chagatai | توز | twz | Turkic |
| Eastern Cham | ꨦꨣꨩ | ssara’ | Austronesian |
| Tedim Chin | ci | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Min Bei Chinese | 鹽 | îng | Sino-Tibetan |
| Dargwa | зе | ze | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Fataluku | asiru | Timor-Alor-Pantar | |
| Arpitan | sal | Indo-European | |
| Old Frisian | salt | Indo-European | |
| Gothic | 𐍃𐌰𐌻𐍄 | salt | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | ἅλς | háls | Indo-European |
| Kalaallisut | taratsut | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Mbyá Guaraní | juky | Tupian | |
| Hebrew | מֶלַח | mélakh | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hmong Daw | ntsev | Hmong-Mien | |
| Hunsrik | Sals | Indo-European | |
| Inuktitut | taratsut | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Iranun | timus | Austronesian | |
| Old Irish | salann | Indo-European | |
| Javanese | uyah | Austronesian | |
| Kawi | wuyah | Austronesian | |
| Kazym-Berezover-Suryskarer Khanty | сӑӆӆә | Uralic | |
| Kituba (Democratic Republic of Congo) | mungwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Komo (Democratic Republic of Congo) | bɨl | Atlantic-Congo | |
| South-Central Koongo | mungwa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latin | sāl | Indo-European | |
| Eastern Lawa | กิฮ | kih | Austroasiatic |
| Western Lawa | กิฮ | kih | Austroasiatic |
| Low German | Solt | Indo-European | |
| Moselle Franconian | Salz | Indo-European | |
| Makasae-Makalero | gasi | Timor-Alor-Pantar | |
| Malagasy | sira | Austronesian | |
| Malay | garam | Austronesian | |
| Brunei | sira | Austronesian | |
| Western Mari | санзал | sanzal | Uralic |
| Middle English | salt | Indo-European | |
| Middle Mongol | ᠳᠠᠪᠤᠰᠤᠨ | dabusun | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Lake Miwok | kójjo | Miwok-Costanoan | |
| Classical Nahuatl | iztatl | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Church Slavic | соль | solĭ | Indo-European |