Top 10 most spoken languages worldwide
Language is an essential part of culture as it enables people to communicate and understand each other. Throughout history, some languages have played a crucial role in global communication as they bring together the diverse societies of humanity.
These languages are spoken by billions and millions of people in the world and serve as a mediator between nations and cultures.
This piece goes deeper into the most widely spoken languages across the globe and the countries they echo the most, according to Ethnologue. Prepare to be surprised by the findings!
English, a language that has transcended its Anglo-Saxon roots to become a global language stands at the apex of language supremacy. With approximately 1.5 billion speakers worldwide, English is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is the primary language of countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. It is also largely spoken in many other countries, including India and South Africa.
Mandarin Chinese is the language with the largest base of native speakers with its 1.1 billion speakers. As the official language of the Republic of China and Taiwan, it also enjoys a significant number of speakers in Singapore and Malaysia.
Hindi, the major lingua franca of India, boasts around 610 million speakers. It is not only spoken in India but also in Nepal, Fiji, and Mauritius. This reflects the Indian diaspora's reach.
The Spanish language, with its 559 million speakers, has a widespread presence not only in Spain but also throughout Latin America, excluding Brazil. It is also one of the most studied languages in the United States and is spoken by a significant number of people in the Philippines.
Known for its diplomatic and colonial history, French has about 310 million speakers globally. It is the official language in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada's Quebec province. It is also spoken in various African countries like Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali which were once French colonies.
Modern Standard Arabic serves as a unifying language across the Arab world, from Morocco to Oman. While there are many dialects of Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic is used in media and education. It has 274 million speakers worldwide.
Other languages with a significant number of speakers include Bengali which boasts of 273 million speakers, Portuguese boasts of 264, Russian 255 and Urdu 232. These languages echo in the lives of millions and shape the cultural contours of nations like Bangladesh, Brazil, Russia, and Pakistan, respectively.
