Indonesian and Turkish are unrelated languages spoken at opposite ends of Asia, yet their vocabularies overlap more than you would expect. Both drew on Arabic for religious and abstract terms, and both later absorbed modern international vocabulary from European languages, so a surprising number of everyday words ended up looking almost the same in each.
This page lines those pairs up side by side so you can see the patterns for yourself. If you already know one of the two languages, it is a fast way into the other: instead of memorizing from zero, you learn to recognize a handful of small, regular spelling shifts.
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| # | English | Indonesian | Turkish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | father | bapa | baba |
| 2 | police | polisi | polis |
| 3 | permission | izin | izin |
| 4 | world | dunia | dünya |
| 5 | telephone | telepon | telefon |
| 6 | doctor | dokter | doktor |
| 7 | control | kontrol | kontrol |
| 8 | film | film | film |
| 9 | dollar | dolar | dolar |
| 10 | right | hak | hak |
| 11 | mind | akal | akıl |
| 12 | party | partai | parti |
| 13 | book | kitab | kitap |
| 14 | air | hawa | hava |
| 15 | dance | dansa | dans |
| 16 | captain | kapten | kaptan |
| 17 | music | musik | müzik |
| 18 | normal | normal | normal |
| 19 | system | sistem | sistem |
| 20 | card | kartu | kart |
| 21 | sex | seks | seks |
| 22 | test | tes | test |
| 23 | group | grup | grup |
| 24 | detective | detektif | dedektif |
| 25 | camera | kamera | kamera |
| 26 | hotel | hotel | otel |
| 27 | soldier | askar | asker |
| 28 | program | program | program |
| 29 | name | nama | nam |
| 30 | beer | bir | bira |
| 31 | bank | bank | banka |
| 32 | problem | problem | problem |
| 33 | university | universitas | üniversite |
| 34 | devil | setan | şeytan |
| 35 | bar | bar | bar |
| 36 | energy | energi | enerji |
| 37 | tool | alat | alet |
| 38 | professor | profesor | profesör |
| 39 | pregnant | hamil | hamile |
| 40 | fair | adil | adil |
| 41 | meter | meter | metre |
| 42 | law | hukum | hukuk |
| 43 | signal | sinyal | sinyal |
| 44 | service | servis | servis |
| 45 | video | video | video |
| 46 | market | pasar | pazar |
| 47 | camp | kamp | kamp |
| 48 | code | kode | kod |
| 49 | technical | teknis | teknik |
| 50 | taxi | taksi | taksi |
| 51 | vampire | vampir | vampir |
| 52 | credit | kredit | kredi |
| 53 | mile | mil | mil |
| 54 | package | paket | paket |
| 55 | radio | radio | radyo |
| 56 | dna | DNA | dna |
| 57 | social | sosial | sosyal |
| 58 | professional | profesional | profesyonel |
| 59 | model | model | model |
| 60 | federal | federal | federal |
| 61 | theory | teori | teori |
| 62 | alarm | alarm | alarm |
| 63 | project | projek | proje |
| 64 | technology | teknologi | teknoloji |
| 65 | virus | virus | virüs |
| 66 | restaurant | restoran | restoran |
| 67 | class | kelas | klas |
| 68 | kilo | kilo | kilo |
| 69 | character | karakter | karakter |
| 70 | football | futbol | futbol |
| 71 | romantic | romantis | romantik |
| 72 | career | karier | kariyer |
| 73 | cancer | kanker | kanser |
| 74 | robot | robot | robot |
| 75 | pilot | pilot | pilot |
| 76 | terrorist | teroris | terörist |
| 77 | magic | sihir | sihir |
| 78 | pizza | pizza | pizza |
| 79 | jury | juri | jüri |
| 80 | kilometer | kilometer | kilometre |
| 81 | guarantee | garansi | garanti |
| 82 | gasoline | bensin | benzin |
| 83 | worthy | layak | layık |
| 84 | helicopter | helikopter | helikopter |
| 85 | tape | kaset | kaset |
| 86 | whiskey | wiski | viski |
| 87 | civil | sipil | sivil |
| 88 | judge | hakim | hakim |
| 89 | ball | ball | balo |
| 90 | mask | masker | maske |
| 91 | classic | klasik | klasik |
| 92 | golf | golf | golf |
| 93 | favorite | favorit | favori |
| 94 | fairy | peri | peri |
| 95 | modern | modern | modern |
| 96 | apartment | apartemen | apartman |
| 97 | assistant | asisten | asistan |
| 98 | politics | politik | politika |
| 99 | department | departemen | departman |
| 100 | ton | ton | ton |
| 101 | active | aktif | aktif |
| 102 | stress | stres | stres |
| 103 | mathematics | matematika | matematik |
| 104 | block | blok | blok |
| 105 | internet | internet | internet |
| 106 | champagne | sampanye | şampanya |
| 107 | metal | metal | metal |
| 108 | concert | konser | konser |
| 109 | costume | kostum | kostüm |
| 110 | oxygen | oksigen | oksijen |
| 111 | popular | populer | popüler |
| 112 | symbol | simbol | sembol |
| 113 | organ | organ | organ |
| 114 | cocaine | kokain | kokain |
| 115 | zombie | zombie | zombi |
| 116 | piano | piano | piyano |
| 117 | data | data | data |
| 118 | media | media | medya |
| 119 | extra | ekstra | ekstra |
| 120 | standard | standar | standart |
| 121 | trauma | trauma | travma |
| 122 | studio | studio | stüdyo |
| 123 | clinic | klinik | klinik |
| 124 | unit | unit | ünite |
| 125 | original | original | orijinal |
| 126 | super | super | süper |
| 127 | cream | krim | krem |
| 128 | contract | kontrak | kontrat |
| 129 | automatic | otomatis | otomatik |
| 130 | actor | aktor | aktör |
| 131 | tank | tank | tank |
| 132 | corridor | koridor | koridor |
| 133 | sauce | saos | sos |
| 134 | jeans | jeans | jean |
| 135 | album | album | albüm |
| 136 | manager | manajer | menajer |
| 137 | political | politis | politik |
| 138 | director | direktur | direktör |
| 139 | galaxy | galaksi | galaksi |
| 140 | congress | kongres | kongre |
| 141 | conference | konferensi | konferans |
| 142 | therapy | terapi | terapi |
| 143 | rocket | roket | roket |
| 144 | campaign | kampanye | kampanya |
| 145 | club | klub | klüp |
| 146 | balloon | balon | balon |
| 147 | committee | komite | komite |
| 148 | guitar | gitar | gitar |
| 149 | negative | negatif | negatif |
| 150 | crystal | kristal | kristal |
| 151 | passport | passport | pasaport |
| 152 | positive | positif | pozitif |
| 153 | genetic | genetis | genetik |
| 154 | tactic | taktik | taktik |
| 155 | contact | kontak | kontak |
| 156 | allergy | alergi | alerji |
| 157 | autopsy | otopsi | otopsi |
| 158 | official | resmi | resmi |
| 159 | psychological | psikologis | psikolojik |
| 160 | record | rekor | rekor |
| 161 | protocol | protokol | protokol |
| 162 | electronic | elektronik | elektronik |
| 163 | psychopath | psikopat | psikopat |
| 164 | sector | sektor | sektör |
| 165 | tennis | tenis | tenis |
| 166 | poker | poker | poker |
| 167 | pole | kutub | kutup |
| 168 | league | liga | lig |
| 169 | tumor | tumor | tümör |
| 170 | jet | jet | jet |
| 171 | critical | kritis | kritik |
| 172 | profile | profil | profil |
| 173 | admiral | admiral | amiral |
| 174 | chemistry | kimia | kimya |
| 175 | atmosphere | atmosfer | atmosfer |
| 176 | amber | amber | amber |
| 177 | academy | akademi | akademi |
| 178 | catholic | katholik | katolik |
| 179 | heroin | heroin | eroin |
| 180 | performance | performa | performans |
| 181 | industry | industri | endüstri |
| 182 | economy | ekonomi | ekonomi |
| 183 | procedure | prosedur | prosedür |
| 184 | atom | atom | atom |
| 185 | activity | aktivitas | aktivite |
| 186 | senator | senator | senatör |
| 187 | cola | cola | kola |
| 188 | drama | drama | drama |
| 189 | cd | cd | cd |
| 190 | discipline | disiplin | disiplin |
| 191 | mafia | mafia | mafya |
| 192 | sausage | sosis | sosis |
| 193 | strategy | strategi | strateji |
| 194 | coffin | tabut | tabut |
| 195 | vodka | vodka | votka |
| 196 | grandmother | nini | nine |
| 197 | terror | teror | terör |
| 198 | partner | partner | partner |
| 199 | cargo | kargo | kargo |
| 200 | cafe | kafe | kafe |
| 201 | mini | mini | mini |
| 202 | tragedy | tragedi | trajedi |
| 203 | campus | kampus | kampüs |
| 204 | theme | tema | tema |
| 205 | ninja | ninja | ninja |
| 206 | meaning | makna | mana |
| 207 | perfume | parfum | parfüm |
| 208 | electric | elektrik | elektrikli |
| 209 | pop | pop | pop |
| 210 | stable | stabil | stabil |
| 211 | hamburger | hamburger | hamburger |
| 212 | caravan | karavan | karavan |
| 213 | metro | metro | metro |
| 214 | band | band | bando |
| 215 | gene | gen | gen |
| 216 | laser | laser | lazer |
| 217 | soda | soda | soda |
| 218 | serum | serum | serum |
| 219 | oral | oral | oral |
| 220 | microphone | mikrofon | mikrofon |
| 221 | menu | menu | menü |
| 222 | organic | organik | organik |
| 223 | diet | diet | diyet |
| 224 | web | web | web |
| 225 | norm | norma | norm |
| 226 | soap | sabun | sabun |
| 227 | motel | motel | motel |
| 228 | criminal | kriminal | kriminal |
| 229 | gangster | gangster | gangster |
| 230 | parasite | parasit | parazit |
| 231 | score | skor | skor |
| 232 | tourist | turis | turist |
| 233 | dramatic | dramatis | dramatik |
| 234 | accent | aksen | aksan |
| 235 | financial | finansial | finansal |
| 236 | avatar | avatar | avatar |
| 237 | ambulance | ambulans | ambulans |
| 238 | digital | digital | dijital |
| 239 | hockey | hockey | hokey |
| 240 | flash | flash | flaş |
| 241 | lemon | lemon | limon |
| 242 | disk | disk | disk |
| 243 | comedy | komedi | komedi |
| 244 | therapist | terapis | terapist |
| 245 | gram | gram | gram |
| 246 | ultra | ultra | ultra |
| 247 | sultan | sultan | sultan |
| 248 | radar | radar | radar |
| 249 | file | file | file |
| 250 | scandal | skandal | skandal |
| 251 | burger | burger | burger |
| 252 | hobby | hobi | hobi |
| 253 | principle | prinsip | prensip |
| 254 | karma | karma | karma |
| 255 | penguin | penguin | penguen |
| 256 | local | lokal | lokal |
| 257 | fantastic | fantastis | fantastik |
| 258 | effect | efek | efekt |
| 259 | heir | waris | varis |
| 260 | quarantine | karantina | karantina |
| 261 | yoga | yoga | yoga |
| 262 | opera | opera | opera |
| 263 | |||
| 264 | euro | euro | euro |
| 265 | astronaut | astronot | astronot |
| 266 | global | global | global |
| 267 | sperm | sperma | sperm |
| 268 | toast | toast | tost |
| 269 | illegal | ilegal | illegal |
| 270 | psychology | psikologi | psikoloji |
| 271 | ideal | ideal | ideal |
| 272 | colony | koloni | koloni |
| 273 | absolute | mutlak | mutlak |
| 274 | editor | editor | editör |
| 275 | syndrome | sindrom | sendrom |
| 276 | meteor | meteor | meteor |
| 277 | liter | liter | litre |
| 278 | aggressive | agresif | agresif |
| 279 | carbon | karbon | karbon |
| 280 | orchestra | orkestra | orkestra |
| 281 | hot | hot | hot |
| 282 | chips | chips | cips |
| 283 | pipe | pipa | pipo |
| 284 | sensor | sensor | sensör |
| 285 | pump | pompa | pompa |
| 286 | cabin | kabin | kabin |
| 287 | democracy | demokrasi | demokrasi |
| 288 | generator | generator | jeneratör |
| 289 | rusty | rusty | rusty |
| 290 | mutant | mutan | mutant |
| 291 | ring | ring | ring |
| 292 | divine | ilahi | ilahi |
| 293 | picnic | piknik | piknik |
| 294 | ritual | ritual | ritüel |
| 295 | photographer | fotografer | fotoğrafçı |
| 296 | clan | klan | klan |
| 297 | actress | aktris | aktris |
| 298 | vagina | vagina | vajina |
| 299 | morphine | morfin | morfin |
| 300 | formula | formula | formül |
Both languages took in large numbers of loanwords from Arabic over centuries, and both later adopted modern international vocabulary from European languages. Because the source words were often the same, the results in each language ended up looking alike.
No. Some pairs, such as izin/izin and film/film, are identical, but many differ by a letter or two, like dunia/dünya and kitab/kitap. The point of this list is to expose those small, predictable differences.
Review the words with spaced repetition and type the Indonesian word when you see the English prompt. Pay attention to the recurring spelling shifts as you go, because spotting a pattern once helps you recognize other look-alikes much faster.
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