Forskelle og ligheder kan illustreres ved følgende ord, der er hentet fra K.E Gadelii´s "Language and Language use in Mozambique 2000".

big to bite child to come cow to dance
dog to drink to eat elephant goat happy
head to kill moon path to see to sing
small snake to steal to talk tree woman

endvidere er oplysningerne hentet fra:

A Standard English Swahil Dictionary Oxford University Press 1976

A Standard Swahil English Dictionary Oxford University Press  1977

Parlons Ciyawo l´Harmattan 2005

English Zulu Dictionary Marianhill Mission Press 1990

Concise SiSwati Dictionary J.L. van Schaik Pretoria 1982

Tsonga English Dictionary Sasavona books Braamfontain 1991

Dictionário Changana Portuguese B Sitoe, INDE Maputo 1996