Top 10 Spoken Languages In The World
What are the top 10 spoken languages in the world ? This is a question that everyone wants to know in order to learn such active language for better communication in future.
“Language is the road map of a culture.
It tells you where its people come from and where they are going”
– Rita Mae Brown.
1. English – 1,132 million speakers
How many people speak English? 1,132 million speakers.
Learn this language, if you love languages without genders. Because it use simple verb conjugations.
Did you know? “I”, “we”, “who”, “two” and “three” date back tens of thousands of years, making them the oldest words in the English language.
Moreover, English is still the most-spoken language around the world. In fact, not due to its native speakers alone, but because many others learn it as a second language. Further, it is present in six out of seven continents as an official language (with 64% of its native speakers being Americans).
2. Mandarin Chinese – 1,117 million speakers
How many people speak Mandarin Chinese? 1,117 million speakers
Learn this language if…you love tone languages with simple grammar and don’t mind dedicating more of your time to discover the complexities behind them.
Did you know? Using two eights in a row (88) is Chinese internet slang for “bye bye”.
The second most spoken language in the world is Mandarin Chinese. In addition, it has the largest number of native speakers of any language and is spoken by 70% of all Chinese speakers. Hence, that makes it the largest of all Chinese dialects by far. In fact, many fear learning Mandarin due to its 50,000 different characters – which, in comparison to the 26-letter alphabet, are quite intimidating – but 2,500 characters would be enough for everyday Mandarin to be understood. We think it’s worth the dedication!
3. Hindi – 615 million speakers
How many people speak Hindi? 615 million speakers
Learn this language if…you don’t mind learning a language with genders, since it is of easy pronunciation and read as it is written.
Did you know? The Hindi language does not use the word “the”, or what we call a definite article.
Many might associate the Hindi language with colorful Bollywood movies or the chaotic traffic in Delhi. But Hindi has so much more to give. Such as 615 million potential friends and access to an incredible variety of cultures! Giving this Indo-Aryan language a chance will allow you to discover not only incredible music, entertaining films and heart-warming people, moreover, it will also allow you to see just how closely it still operates with English. In fact, Hindi gave English words like guru, avatar, mantra, pajamas, cheetah, bungalow and shampoo.
4. Spanish – 534 million speakers
How many people speak Spanish? 534 million speakers
Learn this language if…you want to learn a language that is spoken as it is written but still love a good grammar challenge.
Did you know? Spanish is also the official language of a country in Central Africa, Equatorial Guinea.
We talk a lot about Spanish around here, and how could we not? This melodic, cheerful Romance language conquers new hearts wherever it goes. It has also seen an incredible development in its number of speakers due to its growing cultural influence. Many believe Spanish is intimidating due to the rolled “r”, the genders and the complex verb conjugations. However, we think those are all details when you consider the bigger picture: access to 21 Spanish-speaking countries, understanding your favourite party songs and mastering one of the most requested languages nowadays!
5. French – 280 million speakers
How many people speak French? 280 million speakers, which makes it in the list of top 10 spoken languages in the world.
Learn this language if…you enjoy a good pronunciation challenge, as well as complex grammar…while getting your foot in the door of a huge variety of countries!
Did you know? 75% of French citizens did not speak French as a mother tongue when the French Revolution took place. Instead, they spoke regional languages.
French continues to be a cultural giant, but the reason might not be as…well…parisienne as you might think! Africa is actually set to be the future of the French language, as 45% of all French speakers were based in Africa in 2018. However, the Francophone population is also expected to reach 572 million speakers by the year 2030 due to the growing population in the African continent. In addition to this, having said that, France continues to be a huge attraction and a key country for world politics. Therefore, the cultural variety and rich history it gives us access to is a wonderful reason to start learning this Romance language today!
6. Standard Arabic – 274 million speakers
How many people speak Arabic ? 274 million speakers.
Learn this language if… you want to stand out.
When you learn Arabic you’ll be able to appreciate the region’s unique way of life, cuisine, literature, music and art. Likewise, you’ll open the door to their rich culture that is not often exposed to the Western world. Additionally, you’ll appreciate their cultural practices and products and understand the values that matter much to them, such as hospitality, dignity and honor.
7. Bengali – 265 million speakers
How many people speak Bengali ? 265 million speakers.
Learn this language if… you wants to improve your memory and helps the brain stay younger longer.
Bengali is just fun to learn. It is a different language that not many people learn. Specifically, it gives you access to a rich and diverse culture and has many speakers that you can practice with. Importantly, there is amazing literature, movies, cuisine, and music. This is the reason Bengali is in top 10 spoken languages in the world.
8. Russian – 258 million speakers
How many people speak Russian ? 258 million speakers.
Learn this language if…you want a strong foundation for the learning.
The demand for the services of Russian linguistic has accelerated at an unprecedented spurt in India. Further, there is no doubt that the Russian language scope as a career-pro language is breathtaking and astonishing. Therefore, many people who are willing to embrace it have a multitude of job opportunities that await them in the corporate world.
9. Portuguese – 234 million speakers
How many people speak Portuguese? 234 million speakers.
Learn this language if… you want to learn their vibrant cultures – music, parades, carnivals, historical sites, dance, art, etc.
Given that energy and passion is one of the key elements needed in getting to know a language, learning Portuguese will open a window to extra verve and va va voom. In addition, knowing Portuguese can help you to connect commercially with this South American powerhouse, where culture and relationship building is key to success in business. Besides, making an effort to speak their language says a lot about your values, strengthens professional ties and makes it easier to work in any field.
10. Indonesian – 199 million speakers
How many people speak Indonesian? 199 million speakers.
Learn this language if…you want to learn one of the easiest language in the world.
The Indonesian language is an interesting mix of several languages, which built up its extensive lexicon, which in itself is fascinating. In addition to this, aside from Britain, Indonesia was also a Dutch colony. Hence, during the period under the Dutch, the Latin alphabet was used for written texts. Finally, Dutch spellings were implemented.
The top 10 spoken languages in the world are according to the data of Ethnologue – Languages Of The World.
