Free browser game · about two minutes
Turkish Word Match — learn the words, beat the clock
Twelve questions. Three hearts. Forty-eight everyday Turkish words, each with a pronunciation hint. Play it in the time it takes your çay to brew.
Keyboard: 1–4 to answer. Best score and daily streak stay in this browser · No sign-up · Free to play.
How to play
Three rules, one minute
Read the prompt
A Turkish word, an English word or an emoji. The hint line tells you how to say it out loud.
Pick one of four
Correct answers earn 100 points plus up to 80 speed points — and a combo multiplier up to ×5.
Protect your hearts
Three wrong answers or three timeouts end the round. Answer fast, but read first: the distractors are deliberately close.
Scoring
What your score means
| Score | Title | What it says about you |
|---|---|---|
| 2,400+ | Türkçe Ustası | You could order breakfast for eight people. |
| 1,700–2,399 | Çay Champion | Fast, accurate, mildly competitive. |
| 1,100–1,699 | Bazaar Regular | You have haggled at least once. |
| 500–1,099 | Curious Tourist | You know the important words: çay, ekmek, tuvalet. |
| 0–499 | Fresh Off the Plane | Welcome. Start with the food round. |
Scores are local to your browser — share the score card to make it a family competition.
The word list
48 Turkish words used in the game
Every word in Turkish Word Match, with the meaning and a phonetic hint. Read them once out loud before you play.
| Turkish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| kahve | coffee | kah-VEH |
| çay | tea | chai |
| su | water | soo |
| ekmek | bread | ek-MEK |
| peynir | cheese | pey-NEER |
| zeytin | olive | zey-TEEN |
| simit | sesame bread ring | see-MEET |
| künefe | künefe | koo-NEH-feh |
| baklava | baklava | BAHK-lah-vah |
| lokum | Turkish delight | loh-KOOM |
| dondurma | ice cream | don-DOOR-mah |
| köfte | meatballs | KUF-teh |
| anne | mother | ahn-NEH |
| baba | father | bah-BAH |
| kardeş | sibling | kar-DESH |
| dede | grandfather | deh-DEH |
| deniz | sea | deh-NEEZ |
| dağ | mountain | dah |
| şehir | city | sheh-HEER |
| sokak | street | soh-KAHK |
| pazar | market | pah-ZAR |
| bardak | glass | bar-DAHK |
| defter | notebook | def-TER |
| çanta | bag | CHAHN-tah |
| nazar boncuğu | evil eye bead | nah-ZAR bon-joo |
| kedi | cat | keh-DEE |
| balık | fish | bah-LUK |
| kırmızı | red | kur-mur-ZUR |
| mavi | blue | mah-VEE |
| üç | three | ooch |
The game also uses: ayran, meyve suyu, çorba, pilav, helva, merhaba, teşekkürler, günaydın, hoşça kal, afiyet olsun, iyi akşamlar, aile, kuş, köpek, anahtar, yeşil, sarı, bir, iki, dört.
Why a word game beats a word list
Recognition is not recall. A list on the fridge feels productive; you read it, nod, and forget it by Thursday. A game forces retrieval under mild time pressure — the same mechanism that makes a phrase stick after you have used it at a bakery.
Two minutes a day is enough. The daily streak counter is there for exactly that reason: short, repeatable, slightly addictive.
Tips that actually raise your score
- Say the word out loud as you answer. Muscle memory for pronunciation is worth more than the points.
- Read the phonetic hint before looking at the options — the hint often gives the answer away.
- Do not guess on the food round. Turkish food words are where the close distractors live (pilav / peynir / pazar).
- Play the daily round at the same time each day. Streaks beat cramming.
More games to play
Turkish Word Match — FAQ
How do you play Turkish Word Match?
You get 12 questions in a row. Each one shows a Turkish word, an English word or an emoji, and four possible answers. Every correct answer adds points plus a speed bonus; three wrong answers (or timeouts) end the round.
Is this a good way to learn Turkish?
It is a good way to start and to keep vocabulary warm. The game focuses on the 48 words you meet first in real life — tea, bread, cheese, family, colours and numbers — and shows a phonetic hint (kah-VEH, see-MEET) so you can say them out loud.
What does the combo multiplier do?
Two correct answers in a row start building a combo, and every two correct answers raise the multiplier up to ×5. A fast, accurate streak is worth several slow correct answers — which is exactly how recall works.
Can children play it?
Yes. The game has no chat, no ads and no account. Younger children may need help reading the English options; the emoji round works for pre-readers.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded it keeps working even if the connection drops, and your best score is stored in your browser.