Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 82; Flight Crew Type 66
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
We departed. ATC first gave us a left turn to a waypoint which we understood as a different waypoint that is on the border. ATC corrected himself and said right turn to SURNAM which again we all heard as SULOM. As we maid our turn to the right and then proceeded LNAV to SULOM ATC asked where we were going. We phonetically replied SULOM. We were given new heading and clearance to SURNAM.
Air Carrier Captain reported a course deviation due mistaking similar sounding fix names SURNAM and SULOM.