Discover the 10 most spoken languages in the world, ranked by the number of native and non-native speakers. Learn about their history, usage, and more!
The most spoken languages in the world
Have you ever wondered what the world’s most spoken languages are? Even though there are over 7,000 languages, more than half of the world’s population only speaks 23 of them. Understanding this is crucial for developing a global expansion strategy and rising in the corporate world.
Furthermore, knowing different languages opens us to new worlds and allows us to enhance our understanding of various cultures, whether for professional or personal growth. We’ve compiled this thorough list for you based on true data, spanning everything from languages that English speakers will find easy to learn to more difficult languages.
English (1,132 million speakers)
Germanic is an Indo-European language family. Frisian, Dutch, and German are all related. With over 1.130 million speakers, English is the most frequently spoken language in the world. It is widely used in a variety of sectors, including technology, tourism, and international trade.
One out of every three people who connect to the Internet can be understood by a bilingual person who speaks both Spanish and English. Furthermore, she or he has access to more than 60% of all online content. Shakespeare is renowned not only as one of history’s greatest playwrights but also for the 1,700 words he added to the English language during his lifetime. It’s also the aviation language, with all pilots mandated to converse in English.
Mandarin (1,117 million speakers)
Sino-Tibetan language family. Cantonese, Tibetan, and Burmese are all related languages. When native and non-native speakers are combined, Mandarin is the world’s second most spoken language. Yet, if only native speakers are included, it is the first. Mandarin is a collection of Chinese dialects rather than a separate language.
The fact that speakers of different dialects can communicate with one another is what binds them together under the same umbrella word. It’s worth noting that, while 20% of internet users understand Mandarin fewer than 1% of online content is authored in this language. With almost 50,000 characters, it is one of the hardest languages to master. Don’t worry, there are no verb tenses, conjugations, or gender-specific nouns.
Hindi (615 million speakers)
The Indo-Ayran branch of the Indo-European language family. Languages related to Bengali include Punjabi, Marathi, Kashmiri, and Nepali. With roughly 615 million native speakers Hindi is the world’s third most spoken language. It is used in Nepal, Fiji, Mauritius, and Guyana among other places. It is the official language of India. Sanskrit influenced Hindi, which was named after the Persian term hind, which means “Country of the Indus River.”
Spanish (534 million speakers)
Romance is a subfamily of Indo-European languages. Romanian, Portuguese, Italian, and French are all associated languages. In terms of native speakers, Spanish is the world’s second most widely spoken language. Spanish is also the most widely spoken Romance language and the third most frequently used online. Its vast colonial expansion took it not just to America, but also to Africa and Asia. The United States boasts the world’s second-largest population of Spanish speakers due to migration.
French (280 million speakers)
Romance is a language family. Romanian, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish are all associated languages. French colonialism aided the global spread of the French language. It is presently the official language of 29 countries spread across multiple continents. If English is the business language, then French is the lovely cultural language. Its importance is demonstrated by the fact that it is the third language with the biggest percentage of non-native speakers.
Arabic (274 million speakers)
Semitic languages are a subfamily of Afro-Asian languages. Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic are all related languages. Arabic is the official language of 26 countries. Because of its geographic distribution, it is a collection of dialects. It is the liturgical language of Islam.
It is not only a language that preserves the Arab world’s rich cultural history, but it is also an important tool for business in that region of the world. Aside: There are at least 11 Arabic words for love, each describing a different stage of passion. Isn’t that motivation enough to get started? It has also changed how English is now used. For example, the word “coffee” comes from the Arabic word “qahwa.”
Bengali (265 million speakers)
The Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Hindu, Punjabi, Marathi, Kashmiri, and Nepali are all related. Bengali is the national language of Bangladesh. It is also spoken in several parts of Burma and India. It may surprise you to learn that one of the world’s most commonly spoken languages is spoken in such a small area.
But given how highly populated that area is it makes sense. The Bengali alphabet is quite amazing. Every consonant has a vowel sound, which is unusual for Westerners. Even better, different markers change the default vowel sound of a word, which modifies its meaning.
Russian (258 million speakers)
East Slavic is a language family of Indo-European origin. Ukrainian and Belarussian are associated. When we consider Russian history and areas, the presence of Russian among the world’s most widely spoken languages becomes less surprising. It is the official language of four countries and is extensively spoken throughout the former Soviet Union. It boasts the greatest number of native speakers in all of Europe.
While Russian grammar is notoriously complex, there are only about 200,000 words in Russian (about one million in English), therefore most of them have several meanings. Because of Russia’s prominence in space technology, international astronauts must learn a certain amount of Russian (as if being an astronaut wasn’t difficult enough!).
Portuguese (234 million speakers)
Romance is a sub-branch of Indo-European languages. Romanian, Spanish, French, and Italian are all associated languages. Portuguese is another language that evolved during the period of European colonialism. It is currently the national language of nine countries distributed over Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. Brazil has the most Portuguese speakers and the largest population of any of the nine countries. It is also the most widely spoken language in the southern hemisphere.
Indonesian (198 million speakers)
Austronesian is a language family. Madurese, Javanese, Sundranese, and Malay are all related. Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populated country. Interestingly, it is not the first language of the majority of its speakers. Instead, it is a second language essential for communication in a country with over 200 languages spoken. It is, together with Malay, one of the most polite languages in the world’s Eastern region.
How about French?
French is a Romance language that is spoken by approximately 300 million people around the world, with approximately 76 million of them speaking it as their first language. It is the official language of France, as well as other countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Haiti, and many African countries.
French is known for its complex grammar and extensive vocabulary, which has heavily influenced other languages, particularly English. It is also known for its literary and cultural contributions, with French writers such as Victor Hugo, Albert Camus, and Gustave Flaubert, and philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, among others.
Which of the following worldwide languages are you fluent in? And which one do you want to learn? Are you still translating in your head? Do you want to learn to speak French properly? Check out Stefano’s classes if you want to think directly in French and become fluent quickly!