Serbian and Slovak: 60 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Serbian | Slovak |
|---|---|---|---|
| isr /ˈi/sk /ˈiː/ | and | #5 | #224 |
| tisr /tîː/sk /ˈtʲi/ | you | #10 | #29 |
| jasr /jâː/sk /ja/ | I | #17 | #17 |
| tvojsr /tʋôːj/sk /tvɔj/ | your, yours | #140 | #114 |
| životsr /ʒǐʋot/sk /ʒivɔt/ | life | #173 | #132 |
| dvasr /dʋâː/sk /dva/ | two | #177 | #205 |
| trisr /trîː/sk /tri/ | three | #194 | #206 |
| ženasr /ʒěna/sk /ʒena/ | woman | #205 | #209 |
| svojsr /ˈsvoj/sk /ˈsvɔj/ | one's own | #208 | #207 |
| jednasr /ˈjednɐ/sk /jedna/ | one | #254 | #223 |
| stosr /stôː/sk /stɔ/ | hundred | #311 | #876 |
| dvesr /dʋêː/sk /dvɛ/ | two | #321 | #228 |
| stranesr /ˈstranɛ/sk /ˈstraɲe/ | side | #428 | #381 |
| ženusr /ˈʒɛnʊ/sk /ˈʒenu/ | woman | #446 | #361 |
| očisr /ˈotʃɪ/sk /ɔt͡ʃi/ | eye | #457 | #332 |
| bratsr /brât/sk /brat/ | brother | #477 | #321 |
| osobasr /ôsoba/sk /ɔsɔba/ | person | #487 | #552 |
| vodesr /ˈvodɛ/sk /ˈvodʲe/ | water | #554 | #985 |
| telosr /ˈtɛlo/sk /ˈcɛɫɔ/ | body | #566 | #335 |
| krvsr /kr̩̂ːʋ/sk /kr̩v/ | blood | #578 | #392 |
| sestrasr /sěstra/sk /sestra/ | sister | #587 | #366 |
| doktorsr /dôktor/sk /dɔktɔr/ | doctor, physician | #617 | #231 |
| bratasr /ˈbratɐ/sk /ˈbrata/ | brother | #658 | #490 |
| vodusr /ˈvodʊ/sk /vɔdu/ | water | #740 | #545 |
| umsr /ûːm/sk /um/ | mind | #786 | #450 |
| okolosr /ôkolo/sk /ɔkɔlɔ/ | around | #832 | #258 |
| pivosr /pîːʋo/sk /pivɔ/ | beer | #836 | #580 |
| vodasr /ʋǒda/sk /vɔda/ | water | #846 | #602 |
| čajsr /t͡ʃâj/sk /t͡ʃaj/ | tea | #1,026 | #701 |
| hotelsr /xǒtel/sk /ɦɔtel/ | hotel | #1,047 | #955 |
| nossr /nôːs/sk /nɔs/ | nose | #1,085 | #797 |
| svetlosr /sʋêtlo/sk /ˈsvɛtɫɔ/ | light | #1,111 | #524 |
| programsr /ˈproɡrɐm/sk /prɔɡram/ | program | #1,140 | #733 |
| zlatosr /zlâːto/sk /zlatɔ/ | gold | #1,148 | #284 |
| školasr /ʃkôːla/sk /ʃkɔla/ | school | #1,174 | #759 |
| zvuksr /zʋûːk/sk /zvuk/ | sound | #1,204 | #755 |
| ulicesr /ˈulit͡sɛ/sk /ˈu.ɫi.t͡se/ | street | #1,208 | #922 |
| obasr /ôba/sk /ɔba/ | both | #1,286 | #1,805 |
| osobesr /ˈosobɛ/sk /ˈosobe/ | person | #1,302 | #1,716 |
| stranasr /strǎːna/sk /strana/ | side | #1,306 | #1,056 |
| osobusr /ˈosobʊ/sk /ˈosobu/ | person | #1,321 | #989 |
| madamsr /madâm/sk /madam/ | madam | #1,395 | #385 |
| dušesr /ˈduʃɛ/sk /duʃe/ | soul | #1,438 | #890 |
| darsr /dâːr/sk /dar/ | gift | #1,460 | #719 |
| dušasr /dǔːʃa/sk /duʃa/ | soul | #1,496 | #1,036 |
| novomsr /ˈnovom/sk /nɔvɔm/ | new | #1,505 | #1,155 |
| celomsr /ˈtsɛlom/sk /t͡selɔm/ | whole | #1,520 | #623 |
| nebosr /ˈnêbo/sk /ɲebɔ/ | sky | #1,537 | #1,238 |
| šousr /ʃôu/sk /ˈʃɔw/ | show | #1,539 | #754 |
| slobodusr /ˈslobodʊ/sk /slɔbɔdu/ | freedom | #1,576 | #1,004 |
| bombasr /bôːmba/sk /bɔmba/ | bomb | #1,581 | #870 |
| prstsr /pr̩̂st/sk /pr̩st/ | finger | #1,627 | #1,209 |
| večersr /ʋêt͡ʃeːr/sk /vet͡ʃer/ | evening | #1,628 | #184 |
| ulicasr /ûlit͡sa/sk /uʎit͡sa/ | street | #1,647 | #1,568 |
| mostsr /môːst/sk /mɔst/ | bridge | #1,668 | #1,203 |
| princsr /prînt͡s/sk /print͡s/ | prince | #1,748 | #968 |
| mačkasr /mât͡ʃka/sk /mat͡ʃka/ | cat | #1,846 | #1,139 |
| cenasr /t͡sěːna/sk /t͡sena/ | price | #1,870 | #978 |
| činsr /t͡ʃîːn/sk /t͡ʃin/ | action, act, deed | #1,903 | #1,462 |
| nebasr /ˈnɛbɐ/sk /ˈɲeba/ | sky | #1,967 | #981 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide.
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.