Just like learning an instrument, many people have learning a second or third language on their wish list. With people that have made these wishes a reality, entrance into a special group comes along with the accomplishment. These groups are informal, but have titles that come with membership. What are people called that speak many languages?
Titles for languages known:
- Monolingual – speaks one language
- Multilingual – speaks more than one language
- Bilingual – speaks 2 languages
- Trilingual – speaks 3 languages
- Quadrilingual – speaks 4 languages
- Pentalingual – speaks 5 languages
- Polyglot – speaks many languages
These terms are applied to a variety of situations and reading and writing are included depending on the circumstances. Because these are informal titles and no actual ‘club’ exists, some people are more loose with their definitions. Let’s look at how most people use them as well as their synonyms and exceptions.
Contents
- 1 What Is A Monolingual Person?
- 2 What is A Multilingual Person?
- 2.1 What Is A Polylingual Person?
- 3 What Is Multilingualism And Plurilingualism?
- 4 What Does It Mean To Be A Polyglot?
- 4.1 What Is The Meaning Of Hyperpolyglot?
- 4.2 How Do You Become A Polyglot?
- 5 What Do You Call A Person Who Speaks 2 Languages?
- 5.1 Are Bilingual People Rare?
- 6 What Do You Call A Person Who Speaks 3 Languages?
- 6.1 Is It Possible To Speak 3 Languages For The Average Person?
- 6.2 Are Trilingual People Rare?
- 6.3 Is Trilingual A Polyglot?
- 7 What Do You Call A Person Who Speaks 4 Languages?
- 7.1 Is Knowing 4 Languages Impressive?
- 7.2 Language Learning Aptitude
- 8 What Is It Called To Speak 5 Languages?
- 9 What is Hexalingual?
- 10 The Final Word Those Speaking 2, 3, 4, or 5 Languages…
What Is A Monolingual Person?
For those that rely only on the language they learned and used from birth, is there a title? What is a monolingual person?
A Monolingual person is someone that only speaks one language. This is the language they acquired from birth to adulthood. They only speak their mother tongue or native language and have not tried to learn or been exposed to another language enough to be able to use it.
The truth is that over 40% of the world fits into this category as measured by surveys and studies. Many are in cultures that choose one major language to teach their children. These people live their whole lives in these communities and never feel the need to learn another way of communicating.
In reality this number is much higher as the numbers showing high amounts of bilinguals and above are relying on self reporting surveys. A good portion of those that claim to be able to use a second language would not be able to pass basic aptitude tests in these languages.
They may be able to use them in limited circumstances, but this should be kept in mind when looking at these percentages.
The exceptions to monolingualism come when these communities are in areas that have multiple language influences. There are some communities that speak two languages and teach them to their children in equal amounts. This can lead to someone having two native languages.
Though, this is the exception and not the rule in most situations, even those where multiple languages are common in a community. One language will usually be used for the majority of communication.
In a study published in the journal Oral History Review, it is noted that race, place, and social practices play a major role in the ‘hometown’. People simply don’t tend to move far from this comfortable structure they like to have in their lives. Because of this, many don’t see the need in learning other languages.
What is A Multilingual Person?
If monolingual is knowing and speaking only one language, is there a term for knowing more than one? What is a multilingual person?
A multilingual person is anyone that knows or speaks any number of languages over and above their primary language. This could be someone that knows 2 languages, 3 languages, or more. This term is loose in its definition of the number, and usually applies to conversational skills.
The numbers are surprising to some when they hear that multilinguals make up 60% of the world’s population. In the majority of these multilingual people you will find knowledge of 2 languages. Yet, smaller percentages of them will know 3 or more.
To be fair though, much of this ability is self reported and comes from surveys. This means that expert proficiency is very unlikely in a sizeable number of those claiming to command multiple languages. The reality is, most people live a monolingual lifestyle.
What Is A Polylingual Person?
There are sometimes several words we will use that mean the same thing, and this applies to titles we give to people. Is there another word commonly used for multilingual?
Saying someone is a polylingual person is the same thing as saying they are multilingual. The two words are synonyms. Some may link a heightened skill level to the title polylingual, and imply the ability to freely switch between the languages, but there are actually other terms for this.
As we will see in the next section, there is a distinction sometimes in terminology that can designate aptitude or ability in a language. Polylingual does not normally have in its definition this delineation.
What Is Multilingualism And Plurilingualism?
Here we will get into a nuanced term that many outside of linguist circles or language loving ployglot communities may not know exists. Is there an implication of skill level in the difference between multilingualism and plurilingualism?
Multilingualism denotes someone who has at least a basic command of two or more languages. Plurilingualism points to the skill not only of using multiple languages, but the ability to ‘code switch’ or change from one language to another in a conversation fluidly.
People that are said to be Plurilingual are not distinguished by their ability in one particular language or having the same level in many. They are noted for their aptitude in changing their language at will and without hesitation.
Plurilinguals are those with a unique skillset that may not be accessible to everyone. Just like some are more athletically built than others, some are better able to command multiple languages.
What Does It Mean To Be A Polyglot?
Now we need to talk about a general term that means not only someone who is multilingual, but someone who knows ‘many’ languages. Is the term ployglot one that means knowing many languages?
Multilingual means to know more than one language, but to be a polyglot many languages are needed. The conventional use of the world polyglot refers to someone that knows 4 or more languages. It signifies a person that knows ‘a lot’ of languages rather than simply multiple.
This term, like many words used for those knowing multiple languages, is used fluidly and sometimes changes a bit depending on who is using it and how. Some may up the number of languages to 5 or even 6 before the term polyglot applies.
At its core, the term speaks to the fact that a person knows more languages than is normally learned.
What Is The Meaning Of Hyperpolyglot?
As the prefix ‘hyper-‘ in the name suggests, hyperpolyglot would mean someone that speaks more languages than a polyglot. Yet, what number would that be? Though this would be very rare, what is the meaning of hyperpolyglot in terms of how many languages they speak?
The consensus among most linguists and polyglots is that to be considered a hyperpolyglot one must have at least a usable command of no fewer than 6 languages. This means that multilingual covers 2 to 3 languages, polyglot designates 4 or 5, and hyperpolyglot points to 6 or more.
As many note, this designation can reside in the grey areas since there is no real standard for a level of proficiency in each of these 6 languages. It is a term that relates to quantity without considering quality for the most part. Some would argue that knowing 3 languages well is infinitely better than knowing 6 poorly.
If you would like to see more into this rare world of these extreme language learners, there is a website here that proports to be a community of them.
How Do You Become A Polyglot?
Now that I have addressed the distinction surrounding what it means to be a polyglot, the next logical question is, “How does one become a polyglot?”
Becoming a polyglot takes many years, extreme dedication, a rigorous schedule, a love of language learning, and a list of languages that spark interest. Most polyglots learn several languages at once portioning out their daily routine. They also spend time each week ‘upkeeping’ others.
Becoming a polyglot has more to do with the act of learning languages than an interest in any one particular language.
It is also important to note, that learning multiple languages in this way goes far beyond being able to perform ‘parlor tricks’ to impress others. If your motivation to become a polyglot is not rooted firmly in the love of learning languages itself, the goal will ultimately be out of reach.
Many polyglots spend much of their day rotating between languages acquiring vocabulary through passive means. This entails hours of reading and listening practice. Once these terms are in the passive memory, using them in writing and conversation can move them to the active memory.
If you would like to see more great articles like this one, check out some of our other ones here…
- Bilingualism: Can You Think In Two Languages? (Revealed)
- Can You Speak A Language But Can’t Read It?
- What Does It Mean To Be A Language Lover? (Revealed)
What Do You Call A Person Who Speaks 2 Languages?
With all of these general terms out of the way, let’s get down to specifics. There are of course many levels of multilingualism, and each of them have names or titles. So, what do you call someone that speaks 2 languages?
A person that speaks 2 languages is called bilingual. The prefix ‘bi-‘ comes from the Latin word ‘bis‘ meaning doubly or twice. Lingual comes from the Latin for the tongue. The purely Latin based term bilingual if used in its original form (bilinguis) means ‘two tonged’.
As with many words in the English language, the roots or their etymology help us to ‘root out’ their meaning (pun intended). Once the original Latin term is known, it makes perfect sense.
Are Bilingual People Rare?
When we think of those that know second languages on a level that makes them useful in the United States, it definitely seems rare outside of first generation immigrants. Yet, is this the case all over the world? Are bilingual people rare?
Self reported bilingual people are not rare and make up over 40% of the world’s population. This changes drastically depending on the part of the world. Some parts of the world have bilingual percentage in the teens where other areas see multilingualism at 60% or more of their populations.
According to the US Census Bureau, only 20% of Americans can converse in even one other language. This is in stark contrast with 56% of Europeans that claim to be be multilingual.
Though these numbers could actually be higher as the much smaller percentages covering those speaking more than two languages are generally not included in bilingualism. This is strange since they too can speak two languages, but the other terms are used as if they are mutually exclusive.
What Do You Call A Person Who Speaks 3 Languages?
As with someone speaking two languages being known as bilingual, is there a term specifically for someone speaking 3 languages?
A person that speaks 3 languages is normally called trilingual. The prefix tri- comes from the Latin trēs meaning three and as in bilingual the root word lingual comes from the Latin lingua for tongue, speech, or language. In essence the word trilingual means one who speaks with ‘three tongues’.
Speaking 3 languages to a conversational level is no small feat. It is not a matter of intelligence, but rather an endeavor based on tenacity. So, next let’s look at how possible it would be for the average person to acquire 3 languages.
Is It Possible To Speak 3 Languages For The Average Person?
If it takes an above average amount of effort to learn to speak even one foreign language, how much more would it take to learn two others besides your native tongue? Is speaking 3 languages even possible for the average person?
It is possible for the average person to speak 3 languages with the right discipline, plan, and daily study schedule. Without daily practice learning this many languages is fairly unattainable. So, for the average person to achieve trilingual status, time and tenacity are needed.
Because of the colossal effort that mastering 3 languages turns out to be, it would stand to reason that not many people take up the challenge. Let’s look at how often you may run into someone with this unusual accomplishment.
Are Trilingual People Rare?
It stands to reason that mastering three languages will be an accomplishment that not everyone has the dedication or willingness to see through to the end. So, is it rare to find a trilingual person?
Trilingual people are actually quite rare and even more so when all three languages are usable at a high level. Only 13% of the world’s population claim to be trilingual and even that number is based on self reporting. The actual number fluent in 3 languages could be much lower.
This number of self reported trilingual people turns out to be rather large in raw numbers, but rather small in proportion to the total number of people in the world.
Though the world population is always changing, at the end of 2021 the number was 7,912,555,940 people. This would mean that 1,028,632,272 claim to be trilingual. I am not stating that many of these people are not on some level able to communicate in three languages, but a large portion of them will most definitely not be fluent in all of them.
It could be the case though that they can communicate just fine. Perfect fluency is a goal not necessary in most daily conversations to be understood and to understand.
Is Trilingual A Polyglot?
Per the definition above it would seem that a trilingual person could not claim to be a polyglot nor be called one by someone else. Yet, many use these terms loosely and for some, trilingual people qualify. In general would a trilingual person be referred to as a polyglot?
Trilingual people are not normally considered a polyglot by the vast majority of the linguist and language learning communities. The designation of polyglot is reserved for someone that has a working knowledge of some type in 4 or more languages. Three languages are generally not enough.
Again, a ‘working knowledge’ could also throw a wrench in the works. Some polyglots are proficient in many languages that they cannot speak on a conversational level. Many languages polyglots attempt are on the passive levels of reading and understanding when spoken. Some take many of them to a level of writing proficiency.
This lends credence to those that maintain definitions of these words that are more fluid. Terms have risen from this problem like ‘conversational fluency’ and ‘conversant’ in a language to make the designations more precise.
What Do You Call A Person Who Speaks 4 Languages?
Now we are getting into the realm of the truly rare. When speaking of learning languages, knowing four languages means that normally three of them were learned as additional foreign languages with all the effort and struggle that entails. What do you call a person that took this on as their goal? What do you call someone that speaks 4 languages?
A person that speaks 4 languages is called quadrilingual. The prefix quad- comes from the Latin word for ‘four’ or ‘fourth’ and lingual derives from the Latin word for ‘tongue or language’. Calling someone quadrilingual in the original Latin would be like calling them ‘four tonged’.
This is also the level that some would apply the term polyglot. Though others may up the number required for this title, it is logical to see how speaking four languages would make this term applicable.
Most people have heard the terms bilingual and trilingual. On the other hand, you would be hard pressed to find someone that has heard the term quadrilingual in nearly any conversation. Most that speak of someone knowing 4 languages would usually switch to a term like polyglot if they were looking for precise language.
Is Knowing 4 Languages Impressive?
Here I think it is important to make a general observation about motivations people have for learning other languages. Some begin the process of learning a language with the goal of impressing others at least at the top of their list. So, would this be a good idea for learning 4 languages or any foreign language? Is knowing 4 languages impressive.
Learning 4 languages is very impressive. This observation is usually shared by all and is based on understanding the work required to achieve this type of accomplishment. Yet, learning this many languages says more about tenacity than intelligence and should not be done simply for accolades.
For most people, learning 1 foreign language is a monumental task. Learning two or more can become oppressive and simply cause them to stop altogether. Learning multiple foreign languages should be a goal set only after careful and honest deliberation.
In mine and my husbands experience, if someone is learning a language to impress people at parties or other gatherings, the goal will fall short. Motivation such as this doesn’t tend to last long enough to complete the goal and in reality, people are only impressed with foreign language ability for about 10 seconds.
Parlor tricks are just that… tricks.
Language Learning Aptitude
According to the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute (FSI) there is a level of aptitude required to learn languages efficiently. In no way is this a diagnosis for if someone can learn a second language or not. This language learning ability level simply determines how fast one can learn one and with how much effort.
If looking at learning 4 or more languages, it is important to understand if you are someone with above average language learning aptitude.
FSI even gives its foreign service officers aptitude tests to determine their language learning abilities. They are not rating if someone can learn a language, only if it will be something that a person can do in a reasonable amount of time for the jobs they need done.
What all of this says is that for some, learning four languages could be above their motivational and aptitude level. They will more than likely quit before seeing the goal through due to obstacles like the time and effort required.
What Is It Called To Speak 5 Languages?
When looking at the polyglots that speak, read, write, or understand 5 languages, is there a specific name for them? What is someone called that speaks 5 languages?
When someone speaks 5 languages they are referred to as pentalingual. Less than 1% of the population of the world is able to speak or understand 5 different languages. This is an extremely rare feat and is usually only attempted by those that have the confidence that they can achieve it.
This may mean that they are fluent in all 5 languages, but not necessarily. They may be conversational on some level in all of them, but many times pentalinguals are more reading or listening proficient than conversational.
This is not to say they couldn’t have basic conversations in all of them. They more than likely could. The issue is that no matter the aptitude someone has in language learning, acquiring this many languages takes time. They may simply not be interested in complete fluency due to time constraints and personal goals.
This time is not only measured for learning these languages, but also for their upkeep. Yes, we do loose language ability over time if the language is not used.
So, when hearing of someone that has command of 5 languages, it is important that we not hold them to standards of complete fluency, when this may not be a goal they hold for themselves.
What is Hexalingual?
Now we are entering into the realm of the hyperpolyglot. As stated above, a hyperpolyglot is someone that speaks 6 or more languages. But, is there a term specifically for this type of person? What is a Hexalingual?
A hexalingual is someone that speaks 6 languages. The prefix hexa- comes from the ancient Greek language and designates 6 when applied to a root word. Lingual comes from the Latin word lingua (tongue, language). When used together the literal meaning is six-tongued.
It probably goes without saying that this achievement is extremely rare. Ture hexalinguals make up such a small percentage of the population that only fractions of a number suffice.
The Final Word Those Speaking 2, 3, 4, or 5 Languages…
Learning languages has physical and mental benefits that studies have shown conclusively. Acquiring any number of languages above a second language doesn’t add to these benefits. Yet, there are other reasons that people learn multiple languages.
For those needing them for family ties, work related situations, or travel needs, the effort be worth it in the end.
The words we use for these people are filled with the recognition of the effort and time they have put into achieving their very public goals. Though there are not set guidelines for some of these words, the general convention usually follows the same usage.
Here are some other articles from DoublespeakDojo.com you will like…
- What Is My Native Language? (Answered)
- How Many Languages Should I Learn? (Revealed)
- What Was The Passion Of The Christ Language?
A polyglot is a person who is fluent in many languages, but what do we call a person who is fluent in only two or three languages?
Is bi-glot a proper term for this?
I don’t think the words bilingual / trilingual fit the bill, because I am looking for a -glot word.
asked Sep 4, 2012 at 18:08
GautamGautam
2151 gold badge2 silver badges8 bronze badges
12
Bi-glot is wrong, because you’re used the Latin prefix on the Greek suffix.
It should be diglot (also occasionally spelled di-glott in the 19th century), which the OED reports is a noun and an adjective meaning:
Using or containing two languages, bilingual; expressed or written in two languages; also as sb. A diglot book or version (cf. polyglot).
There is also a corresponding triglot for three.
Most diglots and triglots are Bibles, not people.
answered Sep 4, 2012 at 20:57
tchrist♦tchrist
132k48 gold badges366 silver badges566 bronze badges
3
Wikipedia opines that polyglot is in fact a valid word in these circumstances, and for a speaker of many languages there is the word hyperpolyglot. It also says that for two languages or three languages, bilingual and trilingual do “fit the bill”. Multilingual fits too, although I think I would prefer to reserve that for more than three languages since there is a word trilingual.
However, -lingual is an adjectival form and you would have to describe someone as being bilingual or a bilingual person. Bilinguist doesn’t really work, and nor does diglot (you would need the Greek di- prefix to use with -glot).
One might coin the words oligoglot or paucilinguist for someone who can speak a few languages, but I don’t think either will catch on.
So if you don’t want to use bilingual then you are left with polyglot and multilingual.
tchrist♦
132k48 gold badges366 silver badges566 bronze badges
answered Sep 4, 2012 at 18:45
Andrew Leach♦Andrew Leach
98.4k12 gold badges188 silver badges306 bronze badges
5
«Trilingual»: adj. (of a person) speaking three languages fluently (Oxford Dictionary of English).
Merriam-Webster provides a similar definition for «trilingual»:
adj. familiar with or able to use three languages
Zairja
6,8037 gold badges38 silver badges80 bronze badges
answered Sep 4, 2012 at 18:21
3
Poly means many so technically you could use it for >1.
If you only speak 1 language than you are a monoglot.
Matt E. Эллен
28.9k15 gold badges104 silver badges168 bronze badges
answered Sep 27, 2015 at 22:55
1
By
Last updated:
January 13, 2022
Do you want to learn how to speak five languages?
As of this writing, I’m an expert in Berber, upper-advanced in Arabic, advanced in English and intermediate in French and German.
If you’re an aspiring polyglot, I’ll show you the five key strategies I used to learn my target languages, which you can apply to your own multilingual goals.
Ready to join the polyglot club?
Contents
- 1. Taking One-on-one Online Language Lessons
- 2. Making Language Partners on HelloTalk
- 3. Watching Authentic Content
- 4. Keeping a Language(s) Journal
- 5. Integrating Foreign Languages into My Day-to-day Life
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
How I Learned to Speak 5 Languages (and You Can, Too)
1. Taking One-on-one Online Language Lessons
Learning a language by yourself is an admirable (and totally possible!) goal. Solo education can also work for learning multiple languages, but if you have the time and some spare funds, one-on-one lessons make the process so much faster and more effective.
A language tutor will help you tackle the most important facets of your target language(s) and identify your personal linguistic weaknesses. But as expert language educators, they’ll also be able to help you accelerate the language learning process in general, with tricks you can apply to more than one language—whether it’s improving your memory for vocabulary words, finding cognates between languages, etc.
They’ll also keep you accountable in your studies, always pushing you forward.
To make learning fun, I always make sure I connect with teachers who share the same interests. I find this a crucial strategy to have a successful learning experience, especially as it minimizes “um…” moments and keeps the conversation going.
Just recently, I met a Spanish teacher from Catalonia and talked to her about her experience studying translation in Barcelona (which is something I’m interested in) and she helped me learn more about the courses available in Spain. Throughout our conversations, she’s taught me some basic Spanish vocabulary related to academics and translation.
Besides Spanish—which I don’t speak fluently—I’ve also scheduled online language lessons for learning German and English.
There are a number of great online platforms where you can find tutors in any language. In particular you might want to check out Wyzant, which allows you to find experienced, vetted tutors both locally or online. That gives you tons of flexibility for learning a range of languages, no matter where you are or what your busy schedule looks like.
2. Making Language Partners on HelloTalk
Language partners are two people who each want to learn the other’s native language. For example, during a language exchange session between an English and Spanish speaker, the conversation could be in English for 30 minutes and then Spanish for 30 minutes, so both people get to practice their target language.
After testing many language exchange platforms, the mobile app HelloTalk stood out to me in particular.
For me, what sets HelloTalk apart is the chat features (e.g. instant translation, voice-to-text recording, grammar correction, video and audio calls). Its language learning forum and huge user base (over 7 million members from all over the globe) also make it appealing.
With the basic free plan, you can only communicate with learners of your native language and speakers of one target language. But if you get a pro subscription, which costs about $2 per month depending on length, you’ll be able to switch between multiple target languages.
You may decide to chat in one language for a set period of time (say, a month) and then switch to another for the same period.
To ensure I don’t get ignored when I “pitch” prospective language partners, I usually include a hook in my first message. Here’s one of the messages I recently sent to a language partner from the U.K.:
“Hi Jessica! They say an Englishman laughs three times at a joke. The first time when everybody gets it, the second a week later when he thinks he gets it and the third time a month later when somebody explains it to him. Is this true?”
I only copied this joke from Reddit, but it was enough to leave a positive impression and win a new language partner.
3. Watching Authentic Content
Developing a native-level accent and comprehension skills is hard enough with one target language. How can you possibly achieve this for five separate languages?
The best way I’ve found to increase my comprehension and confidence as a speaker is to immerse myself in a language, in context. And the quickest (and most fun) way I’ve found to do that is authentic video content like foreign movies and TV shows.
There are a lot of options for finding this kind of content. You can find a good selection of foreign language movies and TV shows on Netflix, for example.
There’s an even wider variety of videos if you search on Youtube, but it can be tricky to find high-quality videos there that suit your level of language proficiency.
FluentU is an app that teaches you a language using engaging hand-picked videos from the web—including interviews, movie trailers, and music videos.
All videos on FluentU are organized by language skill level, and are optimized with interactive captions. So you can click any word you don’t recognize and get an in-context definition and sentence examples.
Each video lesson also comes with flashcards and a personalized quiz to ensure that you retain new vocabulary and grammar.
FluentU offers lessons in English, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Not a bad selection for an aspiring polyglot.
4. Keeping a Language(s) Journal
Since I set off on my language learning journey, I’ve always kept a multilingual language diary to expand my vocabulary and improve my writing.
My method consists of jotting down random words I’ve learned throughout the day and then mixing them up to create a story, opinion or to capture an idea.
Usually, I start off with English, then I translate the text into French and German.
At the beginning, I was only capable of writing one to three sentences a day in each language, which sometimes has taken me up to an hour. But now, because I worked at this consistently, writing has turned out to be one of the easiest and most enjoyable daily language learning activities I do.
In fact, I now am able to write one to two pages of German, English or French text in just a few minutes.
If you want to use this method, I highly recommend taking advantage of Google Translate (to translate idioms and words) or Ludwig (to learn how to put words and expressions into context).
Visual Thesaurus is another great tool for finding synonyms in English, German, Dutch, Italian, French or Spanish. It’s especially useful for language learners because it creates animated, interactive word maps to show you how different synonyms are related.
This is more memorable than a simple list of unfamiliar words that you get from a traditional thesaurus. You can even get the results displayed in multiple languages!
5. Integrating Foreign Languages into My Day-to-day Life
If you can make the move to regularly exposing yourself to a language’s vocabulary while going about daily tasks, chances are you’ll get them down pat more easily than with a textbook or grammar books.
I first started integrating foreign languages into my day-to-day life using my devices. I changed the display language on my phone, computer, Facebook account and games I sometimes play. I also switched the language I used in my hobbies. For example, I watched YouTube travel vlogs in German.
This can apply to you too. Whether you like watching football games, listening to podcasts, watching TV series or anything in between, you can always do those activities in one of your target languages.
This technique is useful even if you’re only learning one language—applying it to learning five languages is very simple. Just head to your calendar and assign a different language to different weeks or months. Because this learning technique is designed to give you an immersive language experience, it’s advisable to focus on one language for a set period of time.
For example, I recently changed my email and Twitter languages to French, after I’d used them in German for the last six months.
Even though my language learning experience has totally improved important aspects of my life, I should admit that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows—especially when I first started out.
Therefore, if you also want to embark on a language learning journey, stay consistent and patient until you reach your target level.
Stay fired up!
Yassir Sahnoun is a writer, polyglot and content strategist. You can learn more about Yassir at his website.
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
They love each other, right? Then why do they always feel like they’re not on the same page?
The most common issue in any relationship is the communication barrier. Everyone experiences love differently, and it’s easy to miss the mark when it comes to showing that you care.
In his early years as a marriage counselor, Dr. Gary Chapman noticed that over and over, couples voiced similar complaints regarding their marriage.
One spouse would say something like, «I feel like he doesn’t love me.»
And the other would protest, «I don’t know what else to do. I’m doing everything I should be doing.»
Recognizing this pattern and remembering the rocky start in his own marriage, Dr. Chapman pored three years of session notes.
He asked himself, «When someone’s saying, ‘I feel like my spouse doesn’t love me,’ what did they want?»
Surprisingly, their answers fell into five different categories, revealing a unique approach for how to effectively love another person.
The premise is simple: Different people, with different personalities, give and receive love in different ways. Dr. Chapman called these ways of expressing and receiving love «The 5 Love Languages®.» He even wrote a best-selling book about it.
This revolutionary concept has improved millions of relationships across the globe.
These Love Languages don’t only apply to couples, the concept holds true for friends, siblings, parents and their children, and relationships of every kind. Each individual has at least one primary love language that they prefer above the others and that is where it really starts to get interesting.
Want to intentionally strengthen and improve your relationships? You can start right now, by taking The 5 Love Languages® quiz to find out how you prefer to give and receive love.
What are the world’s most spoken languages?
Well, more than 7,100 languages are spoken in the world today. Each and every one of them make the world a diverse and beautiful place.
Sadly, some of these languages are less widely spoken than others. Take Busuu, for example – we’re named after a language spoken by only eight people.
Others are spoken by huge populations across different countries, and are often popular choices among language learners.
Read on for the twelve most spoken languages in the world, in terms of native speakers, and everything you need to know about them.
1. English (1,132 million speakers)
Language family: Germanic, a sub-family of Indo-European
Related to: German, Dutch, Frisian
Fun fact: The English word “goodbye” was originally a contraction of “God be with ye”.
With over 1,130 million native speakers, English is the most spoken language in the world.
It’s also the official language of the sky – all pilots have to speak and identify themselves in English.
Not only is Shakespeare widely considered as one of the greatest dramatists of all time, but over his lifespan he added an incredible amount of about 1,700 words to the English language by changing nouns into verbs, verbs into nouns, connecting some words with each other and adding prefixes or suffixes to others.
2. Mandarin Chinese (1,117 million speakers)
Language family: Sino-Tibetan
Related to: Cantonese, Tibetan, Burmese
Fun fact: Research suggests that you’ll only need around 2,500 characters to be able to read almost 98 percent of everyday written Chinese.
In terms of native speakers alone, Mandarin Chinese is by far the second most spoken language in the world.
It’s an official language of mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. So it’s not surprising that there are approximately 1.09 million native speakers worldwide.
Mandarin is a tonal language, which means that the meaning of a word changes based on the way we pronounce it.
With a set of about 50,000 characters, it is probably one of the most complex languages to learn.
But don’t worry: there are no verb conjugations, no tenses and no gender-specific nouns either.
Quite motivating, isn’t it?
Maybe that’s also why it’s one of the most popular languages to learn today…
3. Hindi (615 million speakers)
Language family: Indo-Ayran, a sub-family of Indo-European
Related to: Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, Kashmiri, Nepali
Fun fact: If you’re an English speaker, you probably already know some Hindi. Do words like ‘guru’, ‘jungle’, ‘karma’, ‘yoga’, ‘bungalow’, ‘cheetah’ and ‘avatar’ ring a bell? These words (and many more!) have been borrowed from Hindi.
There are about 615 million native Hindi speakers, which makes it the third most spoken language in the world. It’s the official language of India, and is also spoken in countries such as Nepal, Fiji, Mauritius and Guyana.
Hindi is highly influenced by Sanskrit and named after the Persian word hind, which means – quite literally – “Land of the Indus river”.
4. Spanish (534 million speakers)
Language family: Romance, a sub-family of Indo-European
Related to: French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Fun fact: The first modern novel and the second most translated book after the Bible was written in Spanish. Which novel? It’s Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, of course!
Twenty-two countries over four continents have Spanish as the or one of the official languages, and it’s already the second most studied language in the world.
Can you believe that within three generations, 10 percent of the world’s population will be able to communicate in Spanish?
This is great news for native English speakers.
For Spanish appears to be the easiest foreign language for English speakers to learn! Experts say it takes only 22-24 weeks to reach what’s called general professional proficiency in the language.
5. French (280 million speakers)
Language family: Romance
Related to: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Fun fact: About 45 per cent of modern English words are of French origin.
In spite of what Hollywood movies might tell you, the language of love doesn’t solely exist on moonlit walks in Paris.
Spoken across different parts of the world – think everywhere from the rest of France and parts of Canada to a handful of African countries, including Senegal and Madagascar – the French language has spread its roots far and wide.
6. Arabic (274 million speakers)
Language family: Semitic, a sub-family of Afro-Asiatic
Related to: Hebrew, Amharic, Aramaic
Fun fact: Arabic has at least 11 words for love, each of them expressing a different stage in the process of falling in love. Now isn’t that a reason to start learning?
With 295 million native speakers, Arabic is the sixth most spoken language in the world, and the only one in our top twelve that is written from right to left.
It has also heavily influenced European languages like Spanish and Portuguese: some words sound exactly the same.
It’s left its mark on the English language, too. The word coffee, for example, comes from the Arabic word qahwa.
7. Bangla/Bengali (265 million speakers)
Language family: Indo-Aryan, a sub-family of Indo-European
Related to: Hindu, Punjabi, Marathi, Kashmiri, Nepali
Fun fact: While the Bengali script is relatively unknown in the West, but it’s actually the fifth most widely used writing system in the world!
Bengali, known to many English speakers around the world as Bangla, is mostly spoken in Bangladesh and India and is considered by some to be the second most beautiful language after French.
With around 205 million native speakers, it’s the seventh most spoken language in the world.
The Bengali alphabet is particularly interesting.
Every consonant has a vowel sound built in, which is quite unusual for Westerners.
It gets even better: different marks change the default vowel sound of a word and therefore also the meaning!
8. Russian (258 million speakers)
Language family: East Slavic, a sub-family of Indo-European
Related to: Ukrainian, Belarusian
Fun fact: Due to Russia’s presence in space technology, it is a requirement for foreign astronauts to know a certain amount of Russian (as if becoming an astronaut wasn’t already difficult enough!).
One of the most spread out languages (with around 155 million native speakers living across the world), the eighth most spoken language in the world is Russian.
While Russian grammar is renowned to be a little tricky, Russian only has about 200,000 words (English has roughly one million), which is why most of them have more than one meaning.
9. Portuguese (234 million speakers)
Language family: Romance, a sub-branch of Indo-European
Related to: Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian
Fun fact: Until recently, the letters “k”, “w“ and “y” were not part of the Portuguese alphabet. In 2009, a new agreement was signed to standardise spelling forms across different variations.
Portuguese is rooted in the region of Medieval Galicia (which was partly in the north of Portugal and partly in the northwest of Spain), but only five percent of the 215 million native Portuguese speakers actually live in Portugal.
You probably know that it’s the official language of Brazil, but is also has the sole official status in: Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Macau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
10. Indonesian (199 million speakers)
Language family: Austronesian
Related to: Malay, Javanese, Sundranese, Madurese etc.
Fun fact: Along with Malay, it’s up there in the list of most polite languages in the world’s Eastern region.
A standardised variation of Malay, an Austronesian language that’s the official language of Malaysia, Indonesian is a great example of a widely spoken language that encompasses a number of distinct dialects across Indonesia.
And despite Western preconceptions, with a simple structure and easy pronunciation in its favour, Indonesian is surprisingly easy to learn.
11. Urdu (170 million speakers)
Language family: Indo-Aryan
Related to: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Kashmiri, Nepali
Fun fact: Hindi and Urdu speakers can have a simple conversation just fine – provided they keep things relatively simple!
The lingua franca of Pakistan and very close to Hindi, Urdu has crept up on the most spoken languages list in the last year or so.
Dubbed by some as the language of love for its intriguing-sounding and beautiful words, the French language may have some competition on its hands…
12. German (132 million speakers)
Language family: West Germanic, a sub-family of Indo-European
Related to: English, Frisian, Dutch
Fun fact: German is known for its seemingly endless sentences.
Often referred to as the language of writers and thinkers, German has just over 100 million native – and just under 32 non-native – speakers worldwide, and is the most spoken language in the European Union.
It’s an official language of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
German is especially well known for its ability to create completely new and super specific words.
That’s probably why it’s so poetic. Schadenfreude, for example, literally means ‘damage happiness’, and is used to describe the happiness or entertainment derived from someone else’s misfortune, injury or pain.
Feeling inspired to learn a new language?
We’re Busuu, an app that makes mastering a language easier for everyone. Start learning with us today.
We think you might also like…
- 7 best languages to learn in 2023
- Top 10 oldest languages in the world
- The 7 coolest languages to learn in 2023
- Top 10 most beautiful languages in the world
- The 8 hardest languages to learn for English speakers
План урока английского языка
для учащихся на старшей ступени обучения по теме «Languages of the world»
Цель урока:
Развивать познавательную деятельность учащихся: внимание и память, мыслительную активность, творческое воображение и умение излагать свои мысли и применять знания, умения и навыки в пределах изученного материала
Тип урока: урок закрепления и применения знаний, умений и навыков.
Формы организации познавательной деятельности: индивидуальная, фронтальная, групповая.
Оснащение: интерактивная доска
Ход урока
— Hello, everybody! At the beginning of our lesson look at the board and read the proverbs.
As the man is, so is his language.
Who knows the language is at home everywhere.
Love understands all languages.
Those who know nothing of foreign languages, knows nothing of their own. (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
Language is the dress of thought.
Learn a new language and get a new soul. (Czech Proverb)(слайд1)
— What shall we talk about today according to the proverbs? Of course, we shall talk about the languages of the world. But what is language?
Ps: Language is our way of communication.
Language is the method through which we share our ideas and thoughts with others.
Language is what separates us from animals and makes us human.
— Now I want you to listen to the song and then name all the languages in the right order.
(Russian, Spanish, Italian, German, French, English, Russian).
(звучит песня «Ах, карнавал» в исполнении ансамбля под управлением Стаса Намина)
— There are a lot of languages in the world and each language has a lot of interesting facts. Your home task was to choose any language you like and say an interesting fact about it.
(слайд2)
So you are welcome with your facts.
Japanese
Japanese is the 9-th most spoken language in the world but is not one of the 6 official UN languages.
Chinese
The Chinese writing system is over 3,000 years old.
Arabic
Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world
Arabic is at least 1,500 years old
French
The word ”salut” means both “hello” and “goodbye”.
Italian
Italy didn’t actually have a national language until the 20th century and now Italian is the language of classical music.
Spanish
Spanish was the diplomatic language up to the 18th century and now it is the second most studied language in the world.
German
English and German share 60% of their vocabulary and the first printed book was written in German.
Greek
The word “alphabet” is actually formed of “alpha” and “beta”, the two first letters of the Greek alphabet.
Dutch
The Dutch Language actually exists for 75% out of borrowed words – a lot of those are French, English and Hebrew
Korean
North Korean is slowly becoming a separate language.
-Thank you for your interesting facts. But now let’s say “hello” in different languages.(слайд3)
1. BONJOUR – French
2. HOLA – Spanish
3. HALLO / GUTEN TAG – German
4. CIAO – Italian
5. OHAYO / KONNICHIWA / KONBAN WA- Japanese
6. AHN-YOUNG-HA-SE-YO – Korean
7. MARHABA – Arabic
8. NI HAU – Mandarin
9. Goede dag, Hallo — Dutch
10. Gia’sou — Greek
— Now let’s divide into two groups and each group will choose the leader. Your first task will be to read the text and be ready to say:
— what you have already known,
— new information from the text
— what you would like to know more about
Languages of the world
It’s estimated that up to 7,000 different languages are spoken around the world. 90% of these languages are used by less than 100,000 people. Over a million people converse in 150-200 languages and 46 languages have just a single speaker!
Languages are grouped into families that share a common ancestry. For example, English is related to German and Dutch, and they are all part of the Indo-European family of languages. These also include Romance languages, such as French, Spanish and Italian, which come from Latin.
2,200 of the world’s languages can be found in Asia, while Europe has a mere 260.
Nearly every language uses a similar grammatical structure, even though they may not be linked in vocabulary or origin. Communities which are usually isolated from each other because of mountainous geography may have developed multiple languages. Papua New Guinea for instance, boasts no less than 832 different languages!
The world’s most widely spoken languages by number of native speakers and as a second language, according to figures from UNESCO (The United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), are: Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French.
The ease or difficulty of learning another language can depend on your mother tongue. In general, the closer the second language is to the learner’s native tongue and culture in terms of vocabulary, sounds or sentence structure, the easier acquisition will be.
So, a Polish speaker will find it easier to learn another Slavic language like Czech than an Asian language such as Japanese, while linguistic similarities mean that a Japanese speaker would find it easier to learn Mandarin Chinese than Polish.
Dutch is said to be the easiest language for native English speakers to pick up, while research shows that for those native English speakers who already know another language, the five most difficult languages to get your head around are Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Around 75% of the world’s population don’t speak a word of English and a grasp of a different language improves your abilities to use your first language and explore other cultures more successfully.
According to research, on average, people who use languages in their jobs earn around 8% more! Many scientists also believe that knowledge of another language can boost your brainpower. A study of monolingual and bilingual speakers suggests speaking two languages can help slow down the brain’s decline with age. And to quote Nelson Mandela, «If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.»
There are about 7000 foreign languages in the world but English is the world’s top tongue.
It has become the “new Latin”, the lingua franca of the XXth century and its importance is growing up all the time. It’s really a global language. The English language is now the first language of about 400 mln people, the native language of 12 nations and the official or semi official language of thirty three more nations.
Almost one and a quarter billion people across the world use English as a second foreign language. These days it’s the international language of politics, business, science. transport, advertising, the media and computers. For example, about 75 per cent of websites are in English, 60% of the world’s radio stations broadcast in English and more than half of the world’s periodicals are printed in English. Even in Germany almost 90 per cent of research scientists use English as their working English every day.
There are some other languages that are gaining in popularity. First of all it’s Chinese with its billion native speakers. The number of people who speak Arabic, Spanish, Chinese or Portuguese in different countries is increasing too. Some languages like Urdu or Hindi are growing much faster than English. Even in the USA the fastest growing language is Spanish.
Not all languages are so successful, however. In fact about twenty languages disappear every year. Perhaps the Internet can help to save some languages from dying out with chat sites and messenger programs for communication in any language people know.
Nevertheless English will remain the world’s language for international communication. Its role in personal development will be very important.
-There are a lot of different languages in the world. Now let’s answer the questions about languages. Take any card you like, read the question and answer it.(слайд4)
1) What is the approximate number of languages spoken in the world?
(There are approximately 7000 languages spoken in the world),
2) Which is the oldest written language in the world?
(The oldest written language in the world is Egyptian)
3) What languages are considered to be the most difficult in the world?
(the North American Indian, Tabassaran, Chinese).
4) Which language has the largest vocabulary?
(English)
5) Which of the languages are recognized nowadays as international languages or languages of wider communication?
(English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Arabic).
6) Which of the languages are the official languages of the United Nations?
(English, French, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic).
7) Which of the languages is the official language of international aviation?
(English)
Which of the languages is the first language of pop music?
(English)
9) What languages are the most international world’s radio and TV programmer broadcast in? (English, Russian, French, German, Arabic, Chinese).
10) Which of the languages is often used as the language of business, government, education in the developed countries? (English)
11) What languages are the official languages of the European international organization?
(English and French)
— Let’s watch a video film about the languages of the world. Your task will be to name the official language of the country.
(video film “Guess the country quiz – Europe” учащиеся называют страну и государственный язык этой страны)
Portugal – Portuguese
Spain – Spanish
France – French
Italy – Italian
Switzerland – German/French/Italian
Austria – German
Czech Republic – Czech
Germany – German
Denmark – Danish
The Netherlands – Dutch
Belgium – French/Dutch
The United Kingdom – English/Welsh/Gaelic/Scots
Ireland – Gaelic/English
Iceland – Icelandic
Norway – Norwegian
Sweden – Swedish
Finland – Finnish
— Look at the screen and find five adjectives which describe the English language.
(popular, famous, universal, leading, world) (слайд5)
— Now I want you to imagine a situation that the world has adopted a universal language, English for example. People will speak only English. Will it be good or not? One group will make up five statements ” for” it and another group will be “against” of it. (слайд6)
— What can we say about our country? What are the main languages in Kazakhstan? Are there any holidays devoted to languages in our country? What are they?(слайд7)
September22 – the Day of Languages in Kazakhstan
September 26 – European Day of languages
February21 – the International Day of the Native Language
— Now I want each group to create your own emblem of Trinity of Languages. Then say the main idea. (учащиеся в группах рисуют эмблему триединства языков и затем защищают свою эмблему)
-What conclusion can we make? (Pupils’ answers)
-Thank you for the lesson. I think today’s lesson has proved the idea that people can’t live without foreign languages.
We are living in an increasingly globalized world, and as a result of this globalization, many different languages have been introduced into our lives. Of course, some have emerged as the most spoken languages in the world.
Different countries, cultures, and ethnicities all have their own languages which they use to communicate with others in their area or region. In fact, we live in a diverse world where more than seven thousand different languages exist!
Let’s take a look at the top 33 most spoken languages in the world, including facts about them that you may not know!
What Are The Most Spoken Languages in the World?
The table below shows 33 of the most spoken languages in the world, ranked by total number of speakers. The data comes from Ethnologue. These numbers include people who are native speakers of the language as well as people who have learned the language. Scroll down to learn more about each language.
| Language | Total Number of Speakers |
| English | 1,452,000,000 |
| Mandarin Chinese | 1,118,000,000 |
| Hindi | 602,200,000 |
| Spanish | 548,300,000 |
| French | 274,100,00 |
| Standard Arabic | 274,000,000 |
| Bengali | 272,700,000 |
| Russian | 258,200,000 |
| Portuguese | 257,700,000 |
| Urdu | 231,300,000 |
| Indonesian | 199,000,000 |
| German | 134,600,000 |
| Japanese | 125,400,000 |
| Nigerian Pidgin | 120,700,000 |
| Marathi | 99,100,000 |
| Telugu | 95,700,000 |
| Turkish | 88,100,000 |
| Tamil | 86,400,000 |
| Yue Chinese | 85,600,000 |
| Vietnamese | 85,300,000 |
| Tagalog | 82,300,000 |
| Wu Chinese | 81,800,000 |
| Korean | 81,700,000 |
| Iranian Persian (Farsi) | 77,400,000 |
| Hausa | 77,100,000 |
| Egyptian Spoken Arabic | 74,800,000 |
| Swahili | 71,400,00 |
| Javanese | 68,300,000 |
| Italian | 67,900,000 |
| Western Punjabi | 66,400,000 |
| Kannada | 64,000,000 |
| Gujarati | 62,000,000 |
| Thai | 60,700,000 |
English – 1.452 Billion Speakers
In total, there are approximately 1.452 billion people who speak English.
It’s the official language of 67 countries and is also an official language of many large international organizations. These include the United Nations, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, and the International Monetary Fund.
Additionally, 55% of the internet is in English, and it’s the most studied language in the world. The benefits of speaking English are endless!
RELATED: Best Apps to Learn English
Mandarin Chinese – 1.118 Billion Speakers
There are around 1.118 billion speakers of Mandarin Chinese, and it has been spoken in China for more than 3,000 years. Mandarin Chinese is also the official language of Singapore and Taiwan. There are many other languages in China (like Cantonese), but Mandarin is by far the most widely spoken.
Many people mistake Mandarin for the most spoken language in the world. In reality, it’s the language with the most native speakers and is the most spoken language in Asia. This means there are a lot of great advantages for people who speak Mandarin.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Chinese
Hindi – 602.2 Million Speakers
Hindi is one of the two official languages of India (the other is English). There are many different dialects of Hindi, but not all dialects can be understood by each other.
Interestingly, even though Hindi is an official language in India, not everyone in the country speaks it. There are over 22 languages in India!
People speak different variations of Hindi around the world. You can hear Hindi in Fiji (where it’s an official language) and also in some Caribbean countries, like Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Guyana.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Hindi
Spanish – 548.3 Million Speakers
Spanish, also known as Castilian in Spain, is the official language of 20 countries. It’s one of the official languages of the United Nations, as well as other international organizations, including the African Union and the European Union. Outside of that, Spanish has also influenced several other languages, like Tagalog.
If you’re in the United States, you may be surprised to find out that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the country. There are over 40 million Spanish speakers in the US!
Over the past couple years, Spanish has become more influential in pop culture, too. If you listen to an English-language radio or television station, chances are you’ll hear some Spanish-language songs.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Spanish
French – 274.1 Million Speakers
French is not only one of the most spoken languages in the world, it’s also an official language of the UN, EU, and other major international organizations. It’s the official language of 29 countries and territories around the world, including Haiti and Rwanda.
The French vocabulary has also had a tremendous impact on other languages around the world, including English. Around 40% of English words have a French origin.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn French
Standard Arabic – 274 Million Speakers
Arabic is the official language of 26 countries, but most countries and regions have their own dialects of Arabic. Standard Arabic is the main dialect spoken between Arabic speakers so they can understand each other.
That’s why there are zero native speakers of Standard Arabic! It’s the only language on this list that has zero native speakers but is still one of the most spoken languages in the world.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Arabic
Bengali – 272.7 Million Speakers
Bengali, also known as Bangla, is the official language of Bangladesh, and it’s the second most spoken language in India, behind Hindi.
Some people have never heard of the Bengali language, and they definitely don’t know it’s one of the most spoken languages in the world!
People who speak Bengali are very proud of their language though. In fact, people around the world know Bengali for its language movements, and many people have sacrificed their lives for the sake of this language. The country of Bangladesh actually got its name from the language!
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Bengali
Russian – 258.2 Million Speakers
Russian is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It was the official language of the Soviet Union, and people still use it in public life in all the former Soviet states, as well as Israel and Mongolia. Today, it’s the most spoken language in Europe.
Language experts consider Russian to be one of the richest and most complex languages in the world. Surprisingly, all words in the Russian language that begin with “A” come from other languages though!
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Russian
Portuguese – 257.7 Million Speakers
Portuguese is the official language of nine countries: Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe. Because of its colonial history, there are also many Portuguese speakers in parts of India.
In writing, a lot of Portuguese and Spanish words are usually mutually intelligible. Portuguese can also serve as a solid foundation if you want to learn other romance languages.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Portuguese
Urdu – 231.3 Million Speakers
Urdu is an Indo-Iranian language with 230 million speakers. It’s the official language of Pakistan and it’s also recognized as an official regional or secondary language in India, where speakers of both languages can understand one another.
Urdu has adopted several words directly from English, including airport, file, science, corrupt, bus, and library. English has also adopted words from Urdu and Hindi, like pajamas and khaki.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Urdu
Indonesian – 199 Million Speakers
Indonesia is the fourth most populated nation in the world, which is why Indonesian is one of the most spoken languages in the world. You may also hear people refer to Indonesia as bahasa baku, which is the standard dialect in Indonesia.
When you speak Indonesian, you will also be able to communicate with people in Malaysia and Brunei because it is very similar to the Malay language.
It is also by far one of the easiest Asian languages to learn when compared to other widely-spoken languages like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai.
RELATED: Best Apps to Learn Indonesian
German – 134.6 Million Speakers
German is an official language of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium (along with Dutch and French), Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg. People also speak it in parts of Italy and Poland.
German is a language of business, and speaking German can open up many opportunities to work in large companies anywhere in the world. Some of the biggest car manufacturers come from Germany, including Audi, Volkswagen, and Mercedes.
It is also the second most spoken language in scientific research. Germany is a significant contributor to international research and development efforts, and welcomes scientists from abroad to work in fellowships throughout Germany.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn German
Japanese – 125.4 Million Speakers
You can probably guess that Japanese is the most common language spoken in Japan, but did you know it’s not actually the official language? Japan does not recognize any language as its official language.
Japan is a very technologically-advanced nation, so if you’re interested in technology, especially robotics, learning Japanese will be very advantageous. Japanese inventors file around 420,000 technology patents every year!
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Japanese
Nigerian Pidgin – 120.7 Million Speakers
Nigerian Pidgin is a lingua franca, which means that it’s a bridge language. It’s a way for the more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria to communicate, but it’s not recognized as an official language in Nigeria.
It’s most closely related to English, but different ethnic groups will incorporate words from their native languages, which means it can vary from speaker to speaker. Nigerian Pidgin has become such a common language in Nigeria and across the West African Coast that BBC has started publishing news in pidgin.
Marathi – 99.1 Million Speakers
Marathi is the language of people in Maharashtra, India. It’s also a common language in the state of Goa, as well as several government and semi-government organizations throughout India.
Even though it’s one of the most spoken languages, Marathi’s geographical reach is relatively small compared to some of the other languages on this list. It’s one of the oldest languages on the planet though, which is cool in and of itself!
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Marathi
Telugu – 95.7 Million Speakers
Telugu is a language with approximately 96 million speakers in India. It’s an interesting language for a variety of reasons. It has its own script – this helps it be an independent language and there are very few similarities to other languages.
The words are also written in syllables rather than letters. In fact, there are 60 different symbols in the Telugu writing system. Telugu is also one of the oldest languages on the planet, like Marathi.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Telugu
Turkish – 88.1 Million Speakers
Even though Turkish may not be the most popular language to learn, it is an important language to learn. It’s related to languages like Azerbaijani, Turkmen, and Uzbek. Learning Turkish will open up many opportunities for trade and business in these regions.
The Turkish language itself has a rich history that stretches back nearly 1,500 years. One of the most interesting aspects of the Turkish language is that it has 29 different letters, and it only started using the Latin alphabet in 1928.
RELATED: Best Apps to Learn Turkish
Tamil – 86.4 Million Speakers
The Tamil language is one of the oldest languages on the planet (like the other Indian languages on this list), with roots that stretch back nearly 1,500 years! It’s one of the most spoken languages in India with 85 million speakers. It’s also an official language in Singapore and Sri Lanka.
As Tamil belongs to the Dravidian family, it has a lot of similarities with other languages like Kannada and Malayalam. It is also related to some of the other languages spoken in Sri Lanka.
Yue Chinese – 85.6 Million Speakers
Yue Chinese is a language with origins from ancient Chinese. It has 85 million speakers primarily in the Guangdong province of China, Taiwan and also in Malaysia.
Yue was originally brought to coastal areas of what is now called southern China by traders when it first developed around 1000 BC – 400BC. Yue descends from both Mandarin and Cantonese dialects, so there are strong similarities between these languages which developed independently for over the past 2,500 years!
Vietnamese – 85.3 Million Speakers
The Vietnamese language is a tonal language spoken by 85.3 million people. Vietnamese uses the Latin alphabet with a total of 29 letters, as well as a number of different accents.
Vietnamese evolved from ancient languages that were spoken in southern China and it has been influenced over time by Chinese, French, and English. It originated during the first millennium, but it was only written down in Romanized script in 1918.
However, it didn’t stop here- the Vietnamese continued to add to their script which led to new symbols being developed like six tones that are used in the language today.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Vietnamese
Tagalog – 82.3 Million Speakers
Tagalog is spoken as a first language by only a quarter of Filipinos but spoken as a second language by the majority of the rest of the population. It’s also referred to as Filipino and is a national language of the Philippines along with English.
Tagalog belongs to the Austronesian language family and is closely related to other languages like Malagasy, Javanese, and Malay
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Tagalog
Wu Chinese – 81.8 Million Speakers
Wu is a group of dialects that are part of the larger language family called Sino-Tibetan. The Wu dialects have been spoken for over 2,500 years and are related to languages like Cantonese and Mandarin, which developed independently.
Wu is classified as a literary language in the modern era, but it’s not used in schools primarily because there was no unified written form for the entire dialect for many centuries.
Unlike Mandarin, Wu speakers don’t use simplified Chinese characters. There are few similarities to Mandarin, and Wu’s vocabulary has many loan words from other languages like Japanese or Vietnamese.
Korean – 81.7 Million Speakers
The Korean language is related to the Altaic languages, which are spoken in countries like Turkey, Russia and Japan. The earliest written form of Korean appeared in 1446 CE during the Joseon Dynasty.
There are at least 82 million speakers of Korean all over the world – more than half of them live in Korea, while others live in China, the United States, Canada and elsewhere.
The Korean alphabet is called Hangul and it was invented between 1443-1444 CE by King Sejong. Hangul’s popularity is largely due to its simplicity; it has 24 letters and each letter corresponds to a sound (unlike English, where there are 26 letters that can have multiple sounds).
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Korean
Iranian Persian (Farsi) – 77.4 Million Speakers
The Persian language is a group of related languages that are spoken either in Iran or by Iranian people all over the world. The most widely spoken dialects of this language include Western and Eastern varieties, with other closely related languages like Kurdish, Pashto, Ossetic and Tati.
The earliest written form of Persian appeared during the Sassanid Era (226-651 CE). However, its usage declined during the Islamic era until it became popular again between 1925-1935 under Reza Shah’s dynasty. Reza Shah made Farsi a required school subject for all children in Iran.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Farsi
Hausa – 77.1 Million Speakers
The Hausa language is one of the few African languages that has a literary tradition. In fact, there are over 77 million speakers of this Niger-Congo language! It also has two different writing systems – the Latin-style boko script and the Arabic-influenced ajami script..
There is no universal standard for pronunciation, however, so you’ll find that each country has its own way of speaking and writing the language.
Egyptian Spoken Arabic– 74.8 Million Speakers
Even though Modern Standard Arabic is number 6 on this list with 274 million speakers, that number doesn’t include dialects, like the type of Arabic spoken in Egypt by 74.9 million people.
Also referred to as Egyptian or Masri, it’s the most widely-understood dialect because of Egypt’s cultural influence on cinema and music. Egyptian Arabic is also the most-studied variety of Arabic.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Arabic
Swahili – 71.4 Million Speakers
The Swahili language is a Bantu language spoken by 71.4 million people, primarily in Eastern Africa and the Comoros Islands. It’s also found in pockets elsewhere around the world. Swahili has different dialects, including Coastal, Kiunga, and Wete.
Swahili speakers have a vast variety of pronunciations, so it’s difficult to create one standard that everyone could use!
The coastal dialect has heavy influences from the Arabic language and is mainly spoken by Muslims living on the east coast of Africa. Kiunga incorporates English words into its grammar while Wete contains words from Portuguese and Arabic languages.
Javanese – 68.3 Million Speakers
Javanese is spoken mainly on the island of Java, an Indonesian island. There are 3 main dialects: Central Javanese, Eastern Javanese, and Western Javanese. Most Javanese speakers also speak Indonesian for official purposes and to speak with the non-Javanese speakers in their country.
There are a concentrated number of Javanese speakers in Malaysia and Singapore, and there are even immigrant communities that speak Javanese as far away as Sri Lanka and Suriname.
Italian – 67.9 Million Speakers
The Italian language is a Romance language spoken by 68 million people all over the world. It’s also the official language of Italy, Switzerland, and San Marino.
Italian developed from Latin and it has been heavily influenced by French. The Italian alphabet consists of 21 letters with 5 vowels and 16 consonants.
Italian has been a popular language to learn for centuries. It is a beautiful and romantic language that is full of history, food, art, and fashion!
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Italian
Western Punjabi – 66.4 Million Speakers
Punjabi is divided into 2 different dialects. Western Punjabi is spoken as a first language in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and Easter Punjabi is spoken mostly in the Punjab state in India. Western Punjabi is not considered an official language of Pakistan, so Punjabi speakers use Urdu or English for official purposes.
While Punjabi is largely based on Sanskrit, Western Punjabi has many loan words Persian, Arabic, and Urdu because of its proximity to these languages.
Kannada – 64 Million Speakers
Kannada is mostly spoken in the southwestern area of India. It’s an official language in the state of Karnataka.
Kannada is one of the oldest languages in the world and has influenced many modern languages that are spoken today. In fact, it was being spoken long before English and Hindi. It’s a unique language because there are 10 vowels and every word ends in a vowel.
Gujarati – 62 Million Speakers
This language is mainly spoken by the Gujarati people in the state of Gujarat in India. It’s an Indo-European language and is over 1000 years old.
Although it’s one of the most spoken languages in the world, only about 5% of Indians speak it. There are large Gujarati-speaking communities outside of India, especially in some African countries and England. Gujarati was the native language of Mahatma Gandhi!
Thai – 60.7 Million Speakers
Thai is one of the most studied languages in Southeast Asia. The earliest written form of Thai appeared in 1292 CE during the Ayutthaya era.
Thai can be a little difficult for English speakers to learn. This is because Thai has many sounds that don’t exist in our language – such as consonants pronounced with a throaty sound or vowels opened almost like a whistle. Some are similar sounding while others are more difficult to distinguish at first glance.
RELATED: The Best Apps to Learn Thai
Why Should You Learn the Most Spoken Languages in the World?
It’s important to learn another language because it can help you in many ways. For example, knowing about another culture is a huge advantage because it provides an opportunity to understand how others think and understand what they care about. Understanding their principles will allow you to see things from their perspective.
Learning another language can also help you to stay mentally focused. It’s stimulating for your brain and keeps your mind sharp! Learning another language also opens up new opportunities, like being able to move to a new country or work with international companies. You never know when opportunities will pop up so you should always be prepared for anything!
Conclusion
If you want to learn a new language, there are plenty of options. The most spoken languages in the world span all corners of the globe and include Thai (spoken by 60.7 million people), Spanish (spoken by 548 million people), and Mandarin Chinese (spoken by 1.12 billion speakers).
And if you’re not sure where to start, I can help! I’ve created these language guides to help you speak another language fluently, quickly, and easily. All it takes is deciding which language you want to learn!