Turkish vs Finnish: Which Is Easier, and How Similar Are They?

Key takeaways

• Turkish and Finnish are in the same Foreign Service Institute difficulty group (Category III).
• Their everyday vocabulary is mostly different: fewer than 1 in 10 everyday words look alike, so knowing one gives you little to lean on in the other.
• Study time will not decide it, so start with the one you will actually use.

How hard is each one?

For an English speaker the two sit in the same difficulty group, so neither is officially easier: the Foreign Service Institute puts both at 1,012 class hours. These are the figures behind the how long does it take to learn a language calculator, from the US Foreign Service Institute's published language training times.

The hours are for a native English speaker in full-time classes aiming at professional working proficiency. Useful everyday conversation comes sooner, and the calculator breaks the time down by level.

How much do the words overlap?

Their everyday vocabulary is mostly different: fewer than 1 in 10 everyday words look alike, so knowing one gives you little to lean on in the other.

A few everyday words that look alike in Turkish and Finnish:

And a few everyday words that look completely different:

Writing system and grammar

• Both use the Latin alphabet, so neither asks you to learn a new script, though each has its own spelling rules and special letters.
• Both have noun cases: Turkish has 6 and Finnish has about 15.

Which should you learn first?

Study time will not decide this one, because the two ask for about the same. If you want to reach a particular place, a person or a job, start with the one you will actually use: steady motivation counts for more than the difference in hours.

Frequently asked questions

Is Turkish easier than Finnish?

For an English speaker the two sit in the same difficulty group, so neither is officially easier: the Foreign Service Institute puts both at 1,012 class hours. Hours are for a native English speaker reaching professional working proficiency in full-time classes; casual learning gets you to useful conversation well before that.

How similar are Turkish and Finnish?

Their everyday vocabulary is mostly different: fewer than 1 in 10 everyday words look alike, so knowing one gives you little to lean on in the other.

Should I learn Turkish or Finnish first?

Study time will not decide this one, because the two ask for about the same. If you want to reach a particular place, a person or a job, start with the one you will actually use: steady motivation counts for more than the difference in hours.

Keep going

• How long does it take to learn Turkish?
• Free Turkish vocabulary lists
• Turkish vocabulary test
• Turkish quiz
• How long does it take to learn Finnish?
• Free Finnish vocabulary lists
• Finnish vocabulary test
• Why One Turkish Word Can Carry an English Sentence

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