How to say “snake” around the world
398 languages · 398 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 | 蛇 | shé | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | snake | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | serpiente | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | साँप | sā̃p | Indo-European |
| Arabic | ثُعْبَان | ṯuʕbān | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | সাপ | śap | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | ular | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | cobra | Indo-European | |
| French | serpent | Indo-European | |
| Russian | змея́ | zmejá | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 蛇 | hebi | Japonic |
| Marathi | साप | sāp | Indo-European |
| Swahili | nyoka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | yılan | Turkic | |
| Telugu | పాము | pāmu | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 蛇 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 뱀 | baem | Koreanic |
| German | Schlange | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | rắn | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | பாம்பு | pāmpu | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 蛇 | se⁴ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | سان٘پ | sā̃p | Indo-European |
| Italian | serpente | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | تعبان | tiʕbān | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | સાપ | sāp | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | مَار | mār | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 蛇 | chôa | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 蛇 | sà | Sino-Tibetan |
| Nigerian Pidgin | snek | Indo-European | |
| Jinyu Chinese | 蛇 | se¹ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Levantine Arabic | حيِّة | ḥáyye | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hausa | macī̀jī | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಹಾವು | hāvu | Dravidian |
| Polish | wąż | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | ejò | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 蛇 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Malayalam | പാമ്പ് | pāmpŭ | Dravidian |
| Odia | ସାପ | sāpa | Indo-European |
| Burmese | မြွေ | mrwe | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | حنش | ḥanš | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | agwọ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | змія́ | zmijá | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | ilon | Turkic | |
| Romanian | șarpe | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | slang | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 蛇 | sa⁴ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Amharic | እባብ | ʾəbab | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | งู | nguu | Tai-Kadai |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | змѝја | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ពស់ | pŭəh | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | abeeso | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | ýylan | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | bitin | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | साँप | sā̃p | Indo-European |
| Assamese | সাপ | xap | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | සර්පයා | sarpayā | Indo-European |
| Greek | φίδι | fídi | Indo-European |
| Madurese | olar | Austronesian | |
| Kurdish | mar | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | ثعبان | tuʕbān | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | мор | mor | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠢꠣꠙ | haf | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | жылан | jılan | Turkic |
| Hungarian | kígyó | Uralic | |
| Zulu | inyoka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | njoka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | مار | mār | Indo-European |
| Czech | had | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | يىلان | yilan | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | slang | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 蛇 | siè | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | koulèv | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | orm | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | ilan | Turkic | |
| Iloko | uleg | Austronesian | |
| Bulgarian | змия́ | zmijá | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | man-og | Austronesian | |
| Belarusian | змяя́ | zmjajá | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ተመን | tämän | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | serpe | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | مار | mar | Indo-European |
| Tumbuka | njoka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kashmiri | سَرُپھ | saruph | Indo-European |
| Kikuyu | nyoka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Luba-Lulua | nyoka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Northern Thai | ᨦᩪ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Danish | slange | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | had | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | noha | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Minangkabau | ula | Austronesian | |
| Finnish | käärme | Uralic | |
| Lao | ງູ | ngū | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | slange | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | елан | yılan | Turkic |
| Buginese | ula | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | serp | Indo-European | |
| Sicilian | serpenti | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | жылан | jılan | Turkic |
| Tswana | noga | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Riffian | fiɣar | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Armenian | օձ | ōj | Indo-European |
| Balinese | lelipi | Austronesian | |
| S'gaw Karen | ဂုၢ် | ghu̱ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Lithuanian | gyvatė | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | serpéent | Indo-European | |
| Kamba | nzoka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Georgian | გველი | gveli | Kartvelian |
| Acehnese | uleuë | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | gjarpër | Indo-European | |
| Shan | ငူး | ngúu | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | могой | mogoj | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Chadian Arabic | دابي | dābi | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bikol | halas | Austronesian | |
| Galician | serpe | Indo-European | |
| Pampanga | ubingan | Austronesian | |
| Slovenian | kača | Indo-European | |
| Iban | ular | Austronesian | |
| Bouyei | ngeaz | Tai-Kadai | |
| Esperanto | serpento | Artificial Language | |
| Kʼicheʼ | kumatz | Mayan | |
| Macedonian | зми́ја | zmíja | Indo-European |
| Sichuan Yi | ꏂ | shy | Sino-Tibetan |
| Piedmontese | serpent | Indo-European | |
| Sasak | kolepbla | Austronesian | |
| Zhuang | ngwz | Tai-Kadai | |
| Rohingya | háf | Indo-European | |
| Sidamo | hamaso | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Afar | abeesa | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kabardian | блэ | blɛ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Igala | éjò | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Gun | Odãn | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latvian | čūska | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | amaru | Quechuan | |
| Manipuri | ꯂꯤꯜ | lil | Sino-Tibetan |
| Chechen | лаьхьа | läḥʳa | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Estonian | madu | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | йылан | yılan | Turkic |
| Tibetan | སྦྲུལ | sbrul | Sino-Tibetan |
| Muong | thẳnh | Austroasiatic | |
| Maguindanao | nipay | Austronesian | |
| Pangasinan | uleg | Austronesian | |
| Romagnol | bìssa | Indo-European | |
| Tausug | hās | Austronesian | |
| Central Okinawan | 波布 | habu | Japonic |
| Pa'o Karen | ရူး | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mon | ဇြုံ | Austroasiatic | |
| Western Frisian | slange | Indo-European | |
| Iu Mien | naang | Hmong-Mien | |
| Nupe-Nupe-Tako | ewa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kalmyk | моһа | moğa | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Maranao | nipai | Austronesian | |
| Avar | борохь | borox̂ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | mor | Indo-European | |
| Tai Dam | ꪉꪴ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Basque | suge | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | ҫӗлен | śĕlen | Turkic |
| Welsh | neidr | Indo-European | |
| Yucatec Maya | kaan | Mayan | |
| Lü | ᦇᦴ | nguu | Tai-Kadai |
| Nobiin | bìslángí | Nubian | |
| Tai Nüa | ᥒᥧᥰ | ngü | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | илан | ilan | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Morisyen | serpan | Indo-European | |
| Walloon | sierpint | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | блэ | blɛ | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Maltese | serp | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Occitan | sèrp | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | sap | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | serpente | Indo-European | |
| Mizo | rûl | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Mari | кишке | kiške | Uralic |
| Asturian | culiebra | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | моҕой | moɣoy | Turkic |
| Kumyk | йылан | yılan | Turkic |
| Samoan | gata | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | sneki | Indo-European | |
| Ibanag | zirian | Austronesian | |
| Fijian | gata | Austronesian | |
| Dhivehi | ހަރުފަ | harufa | Indo-European |
| Chakma | 𑄥𑄛𑄴 | sāp | Indo-European |
| Ingush | текхарг | teqarg | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Papiamento | kolebra | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | snákur | Indo-European | |
| Karachay-Balkar | жылан | jılan | Turkic |
| Friulian | sarpint | Indo-European | |
| Tuvinian | чылан | çılan | Turkic |
| Udmurt | кый | kyj | Uralic |
| Jarai | ala | Austronesian | |
| Ao Naga | per | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Plautdietsch | Schlang | Indo-European | |
| Laz | წიწილა | ǯiǯila | Kartvelian |
| Dzongkha | སྦུལ | sbul | Sino-Tibetan |
| Zeelandic | slange | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | могой | mogoj | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Amis | 'oner | Austronesian | |
| Māori | neke | Austronesian | |
| West Coast Bajau | soo | Austronesian | |
| Dongxiang | mogvei | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Abkhaz | амаҭ | amat | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | ngata | Austronesian | |
| Hiri Motu | gaigai | Pidgin | |
| Navajo | tłʼiish | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Komi | кый | kyj | Uralic |
| Corsican | sarpente | Indo-European | |
| Bantoanon | sawa | Austronesian | |
| Solu-Khumbu Sherpa | རུལ | rul | Sino-Tibetan |
| Gagauz | yılan | Turkic | |
| Irish | nathair | Indo-European | |
| Ladino | kulevra | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | sharpi | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | żnija | Indo-European | |
| Breton | naer | Indo-European | |
| Mwani | nyoka | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Erzya | гуй | guj | Uralic |
| Tboli | ulal | Austronesian | |
| Zapotec | beendaʼ | Otomanguean | |
| Atayal | mqu | Austronesian | |
| Võro | husś | Uralic | |
| Burji | hamasi | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Faroese | slanga | Indo-European | |
| Tahitian | ōfī | Austronesian | |
| Zou | gul | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Scottish Gaelic | nathair | Indo-European | |
| Southern Altai | јылан | ǰïlan | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | सर्प | sarpa | Indo-European |
| Tagabawa | áppuy | Austronesian | |
| Khakas | чылан | çılan | Turkic |
| Ternate | ngohia | North Halmahera | |
| Dungan | шә | šə | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | serp | Indo-European | |
| Tlaxcala-Puebla-Central Nahuatl | coatl | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Motu | gaigai | Austronesian | |
| Bunun | ivut | Austronesian | |
| Chepang | रु | ru | Sino-Tibetan |
| Karelian | kiärmis | Uralic | |
| Plains Cree | ᑭᓀᐱᐠ | kinepik | Algic |
| Bau-Jagoi Bidayuh | dipoh | Austronesian | |
| Hawaiian | naheka | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | gearpmaš | Uralic | |
| Kajtak | цӏецӏе | c̣ec̣e | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Taroko | quyu | Austronesian | |
| Palauan | bersoech | Austronesian | |
| Evenki | кулин | kulin | Tungusic |
| Comorian | nyoha | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Leh Ladakhi | སྦྲུལ | sbrul | Sino-Tibetan |
| Drung | beu | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Western Apache | tłʼiish | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Upper Sorbian | wuž | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᎢᎾᏛ | inadv | Iroquoian |
| Louisiana Creole | sèrpen | Indo-European | |
| Niuean | gata | Austronesian | |
| Choctaw | sinti | Muskogean | |
| Mi'kmaw | mtesgm | Algic | |
| Chitral Kalasha | gok | Indo-European | |
| Hopi | taaho | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Lower Sorbian | wuž | Indo-European | |
| Even | дьабда | ʒaʙda | Tungusic |
| Jejueo | 베염 | beyeom | Koreanic |
| Megleno-Romanian | șarpi | Indo-European | |
| Saisiyat | Siba:i' | Austronesian | |
| Pitjantjatjara | liru | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Yami | voley | Austronesian | |
| Adang | mudlu | Timor-Alor-Pantar | |
| Mrassu Shor-Tutal | чылан | çılan | Turkic |
| Warlpiri | warna | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Arawak | ori | Arawakan | |
| Tsou | fkoi | Austronesian | |
| Moksha | куй | kuj | Uralic |
| Lakota | zuzeca | Siouan | |
| Nihali | कोगॉ | kōǵo | Isolates |
| Mòcheno | burm | Indo-European | |
| Manx | aarnieu | Indo-European | |
| Interlingua | serpente | Artificial Language | |
| Nanai | муйки | mujki | Tungusic |
| Veps | gad | Uralic | |
| Pipil | kuat | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Northern Mansi | ялпыӈӯй | âlpyňūj | Uralic |
| Cornish | sarf | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sami | gïermesje | Uralic | |
| Kildin Saami | кӯввьт | kūvv’t | Uralic |
| Skolt Sami | kuˈvdd | Uralic | |
| Narrinyeri | krayi | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Amur Nivkh | кылаӈа | kəlaŋa | Nivkh |
| Ingrian | mato | Uralic | |
| Chickasaw | sinti' | Muskogean | |
| Kavalan | sikkay | Austronesian | |
| Wymysorys | yter | Indo-European | |
| Votic | mato | Uralic | |
| Pite Saami | gierbma | Uralic | |
| Manchu | ᠮᡝᡳᡥᡝ | meihe | Tungusic |
| Western Abenaki | skog | Algic | |
| Ainu | ウェンペサニ | wempesani | Ainu |
| Saaroa | vuhli'i | Austronesian | |
| Chamicuro | sokopleye | Arawakan | |
| Adnyamathanha | wabma | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Aghwan | 𐔱𐕈𐕇 | båx̣ | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Ahom | 𑜂𑜥 | ṅū | Tai-Kadai |
| Aramaic | חויא | ḥewyā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Eastern Arrernte | apmwe | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Kriol | jinek | Indo-European | |
| Western Balochi | مار | már | Indo-European |
| Butuanon | haas | Austronesian | |
| Eastern Cham | ꨀꨤꨩ | ala' | Austronesian |
| Khumi Chin | bärui | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Tedim Chin | guul | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Literary Chinese | 蛇 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Min Bei Chinese | 蛇 | ṳê | Sino-Tibetan |
| Coptic | ϩⲟϥ | hof | Afro-Asiatic |
| Dargwa | чӏичӏала | č̣ič̣ala | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Dieri | wanku | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Ifè | edzò | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Saterland Frisian | Slange | Indo-European | |
| Geez | ተመን | tämän | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gondi | తరస్ | taras | Dravidian |
| Gothic | 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌼𐍃 | waurms | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | ὄφις | óphis | Indo-European |
| Kalaallisut | pulateriaarsuk | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Mbyá Guaraní | mboi | Tupian | |
| Hebrew | נָחָשׁ | nakhásh | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hmong Daw | nab | Hmong-Mien |