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There are said to be around 6,500 spoken languages around the world.

While 2,000 of these languages are spoken by fewer than 1,000 speakers, others are much more common with words and phrases being passed down through generations and shared across countries and continents. 

A map has been designed to highlight the spread of these common languages by plotting words, and their translations, from population to population.

Type a word in the interactive map below 

Called Word Map, the interactive guide (pictured) was created by Easyway Language Centre in Brazil. To use the map, type any word in any language into the search box and press Map It. As the words are mapped globally, the map reads each translation out loud. Coloured lines also connect countries with a common language

Called Word Map, the interactive guide was created by Easyway Language Centre in Brazil. If the tool above doesn't work in your browser, use the original version. 

To use the map, type any word in any language into the search box and press Map It. As the words are plotted globally, the map reads each translation out loud.

Coloured lines also connect all the countries with a common language and where the word has the same translation.

Clicking on a word reveals more about that particular country's language, and how many countries share the translation, with details taken from Wikipedia.

In many instances, it shows how Latin formed the basis for modern-day languages, particularly in Europe.

Typing the English word 'cat' reveals how many French speakers there are across the central band of countries in Africa, including Mali and Chad.

In both Spanish and Portuguese, the translation is 'gato', and the coloured lines highlight how Spanish dominates South America, with the exception of Brazil. And how Portuguese is isolated in southern Africa in Mozambique.

In terms of the number of speakers and dominance, Spanish is the most prominent language in Spain. 

Portuguese is universal in Portugal, but there are dialects in the south and central regions, including the dialect of Lisbon.

The etymology of the word cat is said to come from a Late Egyptian word čaute, and was introduced in around the first century BC.

Across Europe, 'cat', or 'catt', comes from the Latin 'cattus' and Byzantine Greek 'κάττα'. From here, it was introduced to many European languages.

There is a noticeable difference in how the majority of Nordic countries write their translated version of 'cat', where the 'c' is replaced by a 'k', and how the word varies more across this region.

Typing the English word 'cat' reveals how many French speakers there are across the central band of countries in Africa, including Mali and Chad. In both Spanish and Portuguese, the translation is 'gato', and this highlights how Spanish dominates South America, with the exception of Brazil. It also shows how Portuguese is isolated in southern Africa in Mozambique

The translations of the word 'love' are more varied. In French, Spanish and Italian, for example, it is shown as 'aimer', 'amar' and 'amare'. It differs in Catalan, however, where it becomes 'estimar. 'In Dutch, love translates as 'liefde', and German's say 'lieben.' But further north it becomes 'elsker' and 'alskar'. Meanwhile, in Russia as well as Belarus, Turkmeninstan and Ukraine, the word translates as 'любовь'

For example, from the UK to the east, into Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria and Turkey the word evolves from 'cat' to 'kat' to 'katze' to 'Котка' to 'kedi' respectively. 

The map also shows the range of scripts in the Middle East and into Asia from Urdu to Hindi in India, Nepal's Nepali and Thai.

'Taxi' is 'taxi' in many languages (Spanish highlighted.) It is shortened from 'taximeter', a tool used to measure distances and fares, and 'cabriolet' that refers to a horse-drawn carriage. Taximeter comes from Latin for 'taxa', meaning 'tax'

The Word Map plots the official languages in each country, and doesn't necessarily reflect the dominance of other languages in that region.

For instance, Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers around the world, but is only the official language of China and Taiwan, as well as one of four official languages of Singapore.

Australia is listed as having no official language, although English is considered the as the national language of the country. 

Translations of the word 'love' are more varied.

From the Old English 'lufu', the word has a Germanic origin, and from an Indo-European root it is shared with Sanskrit 'lubhyati' for 'desires', Latin's 'libet', which translates into 'it is pleasing', as well as libido.

While the Latin verb for 'to love' is 'amare'.

These differences are seen in the way the word changes as the map moves around the world.

In French, Spanish and Italian, for example, it is shown as 'aimer', 'amar' and 'amare'. It differs in Catalan, however, where it becomes 'estimar.'

In Dutch, love translates as 'liefde', and German's say 'lieben.' But further north it becomes 'elsker' and 'alskar'.

Meanwhile, in Russia as well as Belarus, Turkmeninstan and Ukraine, the word translates as 'любовь'

Of all the languages of Russia, Russian is the only official language.

But, there are 35 different languages which are considered official languages in various regions of Russia, along with Russian.

According to the map, Arabic is the official language of 21 countries, including Syria, Yemen and Oman.

It belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family, and in this language and script the word science is translated into علم.

The English word 'science' originated in Middle English and has links with Old French and Latin 'scientia', from scire which means 'know'.

The noun 'ciencia' in Spanish translates to science, as well as erudition and knowledge.

The English word 'science' originated in Middle English and has links with Old French and Latin 'scientia', from scire which means 'know'. The noun cicencia in Spanish translates to science, as well as erudition and knowledge. In German, the word translates to 'wissenschaft', where 'wissen' means knowledge and 'schaft' is a suffix used to denote that the word is feminine. In Finnish, science is 'tiede'

The map also reveals that despite its vast size, the official language of the US, as well as Hawaii, is English, or American English. It isn't until Mexico (shown) that the word for 'science', used as an example, changes into Spanish and 'ciencia'

In German, the word translates to 'wissenschaft', where 'wissen' means knowledge and 'schaft' is a suffix used to denote that the word is feminine.

In Finnish, science is 'tiede'.

On the map, Australia is listed as having no official language (pictured), although English is considered the as the national language of the country 

The two 'national' languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish. 

The official minority languages are three Sami languages, Romani, Finnish Sign Language and the Karelian language.

Elsewhere, the word 'internet' is a portmanteau of the English words 'inter', for reciprocal or mutual, and 'net' for network.

The technology was described in a paper in 1974, but the term is widely accepted as being coined in 1986 by the US Defense Department.

Considered a proper noun by many, the word is often capitalised, but the term has become so widespread - and is often used interchangeably with the word web - that many people use it as a noun instead.

As a result, the word hasn't been translated globally, and as the map shows, is written as 'internet' in the various scripts.

There are differences between the internet, and the web, namely that the internet is the network that connects computers and devices, while the web is used to move content around this network.

However, the two terms are widely used to mean the same thing nowadays.

Similarly, the English word 'taxi' is 'taxi' in many countries. 

This is because it shortened from 'taximeter' and 'cabriolet'. The taximeter was invented in 1891 to measure distances and fares, while cabriolet refers to a horse-drawn carriage. Taximeter itself comes from Latin for 'taxa', meaning 'tax'. 

The word 'internet' is a portmanteau of English words 'inter', for reciprocal or mutual, and 'net' for network. Considered a proper noun by many, the word is often capitalised, but the term has become so widespread - and is often used interchangeably with the word web - that many people use it as a noun instead. As a result, the word hasn't been translated globally, and as shown, is written as 'internet' in various scripts