German vs Turkish: 150 Words That Are Nearly Identical

German vs Turkish: 150 Words That Are Nearly Identical: the list

Tips

• Watch the final vowel: German kontrolle becomes Turkish kontrol with nothing at the end, while German bombe and mode become Turkish bomba and moda with an -a. When moving from German to Turkish, test both options.
• German often doubles a consonant where Turkish keeps one: programm becomes program, modell becomes model, metall becomes metal. Halving the doubled letter is a good first guess for the Turkish spelling.
• German ch- in Greek- and Latin-derived words can show up as a plain k- in Turkish: charakter is karakter. Say the word aloud first — if it sounds like a k, spell it with one in Turkish.
• Umlauts do not transfer predictably in either direction. German musik has a plain u but Turkish müzik has ü; German universität has u then ä, while Turkish üniversite has ü then e; German kapitän has ä but Turkish kaptan has none. Learn each word's vowels individually.
• Remember that German writes nouns with a capital letter and Turkish does not, as in Doktor and doktor. Get into the habit early so the German spelling looks right in writing, not just in your head.
• When you drill these in Vocab Voyage you type the German word for an English prompt, and accents are forgiven — handy, but still learn where ä, ö, and ü belong, since they matter once you write German yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Why do German and Turkish share so many similar-looking words?

The two languages aren't related, but both took in vocabulary from French, Latin, Greek, and English, especially for modern topics like technology, politics, and fashion. Pairs such as kamera and kamera or kanal and kanal arrived in each language through that shared borrowing rather than through contact between German and Turkish.

If I already know German, can I guess the Turkish spelling reliably?

Often yes for this class of borrowed words: patterns like dropping a final -e (kontrolle to kontrol) or simplifying a double consonant (programm to program) come up repeatedly. Treat it as an educated guess rather than a rule, since most everyday Turkish vocabulary has no German lookalike at all.

Are there pairs here that could still trip me up?

Yes. A close spelling match doesn't mean the two words are equally common or used in exactly the same situations, and small differences — an added umlaut, a missing vowel, a capital letter — are easy to overlook. Check the meaning and the exact spelling of each form instead of assuming a lookalike is a perfect match.

More German

Learn German · Words · Nouns · Verbs · Adjectives · Adverbs · Catalan vs German: nearly identical words · Czech vs German: nearly identical words · Danish vs German: nearly identical words · Dutch vs German: nearly identical words · French vs German: nearly identical words · How many German words do you need? · German words you already know · 200 most common feminine German nouns · 200 most common masculine German nouns · 200 most common neuter German nouns · German City & Places vocabulary · German Talking & Communication vocabulary · German Art & Culture vocabulary · German Describing Things vocabulary · German Emotions & Personality vocabulary · German Family & People vocabulary · German Food & Drink vocabulary · German Health & the Body vocabulary · German Home & Daily Life vocabulary · German Money & Finance vocabulary · German Nature & Animals vocabulary · German Numbers & Quantities vocabulary · German School & Learning vocabulary · German Shopping & Clothes vocabulary · German Politics, Law & Society vocabulary · German Sport & Leisure vocabulary · German Technology & Media vocabulary · German Time, Weather & Seasons vocabulary · German Travel & Transport vocabulary · German Work & Business vocabulary