The 15 most spoken languages in the world
Author: Clark Tos
2022-10-04 16:31:01
Want to learn a second language? Find out now which are the 15 most spoken languages in the world. Enough to allow you to choose the language that suits you best for your business.
Language matters. In the whole world, there would be 7,099 languages . A high figure, which may surprise more than one. Whether some languages are widely used in many countries , we think in particular of English, French, Chinese or even Spanish, there are other dialects which are only known today by a small handful of the population . Between the natives who master a mother tongue to perfection and those who follow training and courses to learn a second, we realize that the population is very straddling the field of languages.
According to official data from l'ON (United Nations), there is nearly 200 states worldwide , 195 to be precise. A figure well below the number of existing languages. To find oneself there and manage to do ranking of the 15 most spoken languages in the world , it is first necessary to know the definition of a language.
The definition of a language
According to the definition of dictionary Little Robert , a language is “a system of expression and communication by phonetic (speech) and possibly graphic (writing) means, common to a social group (linguistic community).” We then speak of idiom, dialect, speaking or even patois.
For several years there has been a debate on the difference between a language and a dialect . In an attempt to provide an answer to this debate, the site Geoconfluences of the ENS of Lyon specify that in fact everything depends “the degree of official recognition of their status, decreed by the State or another form of dominant power (a Church for example)” . Still according to ethnologists, a language is defined by the capacity for mutual understanding between its speakers. In linguistics, we discern certain categories of languages : Romanesque, Germanic or even Slavic (Indo-European).
But then, which one to choose?
To help you make your choice, we have listed the 15 most spoken languages around the world. Every year, and for 15 years now, the site The Ethnologue , achieves the ranking of the 200 most spoken languages in the world . The opportunity to see the changes every year. And for 2022, The Ethnologue unveiled its new edition. Let's discover the list without further ado.
Ranking of the 15 most spoken languages in the world - © iStock
Ranking of the 15 most spoken languages in the world
First place: English
Total number of speakers worldwide: 1.132 billion
Countries where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: 54 countries (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Zambia, Jamaica, Gambia, etc.)
English is arguably the most spoken language in the world, and has been for centuries. A language that spread with British colonization.
Second place: Mandarin Chinese
Total number of speakers worldwide: 1,117 million
Country where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore
Mandarin Chinese is also called “Putonghua”.
Third place: Hindi
Total number of speakers worldwide: 615 million
Countries where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: India, Nepal, Mauritius, Guyana
In India, there are several official languages including English and Hindi.
4th place: the Spaniard
Total number of speakers worldwide: 534 million
Countries where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: 20 countries (Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, etc.)
Spanish is the official language of Spain and Latin American countries, with the exception of Brazil, Suriname, Guyana and French Guyana. A language that spread with Spanish colonization.
5th place: the Frenchman
Total number of speakers worldwide: 280 million
Countries where it is the official and mother tongue of the inhabitants: 31 countries (France, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Cameroon, Madagascar, Monaco, Niger, Senegal, Togo, etc.)
French is the language of reference in France, in certain states in Europe and in certain states in Africa. A language that spread with French colonization.
6e : l'Arabe
Total number of speakers worldwide: 274 million
Countries where it is the official and mother tongue of the inhabitants: 23 countries (Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Tunisia, etc.)
Arabic is the most widely used language in the Middle East in some Asian states.
7e : le Bengali
Total number of speakers worldwide: 265 million
Country where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: Bangladesh
Bengali is the second language in the ranking of the most popular languages in India. It is now the official language of Bangladesh.
8e: the Russians
Total number of speakers worldwide: 258 million
Country where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan
Russian is widely used in Russia and surrounding countries.
9e : le Portugais
Total number of speakers worldwide: 234 million
Countries where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, etc.
Portuguese is a language that spread with Portuguese colonization.
10th: the Indonesian
Total number of speakers worldwide: 199 million
Country where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: Indonesia
In Indonesia, there are regional languages in addition to Indonesian. We think in particular of Malay, Javanese or even Balinese.
11th: Urdu
Total number of speakers worldwide: 170 million
Country where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: Pakistan
If Urdu is the official language of Pakistan, the population also speaks English.
12th: the German
Total number of speakers worldwide: 132 million
Country where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein
German is an Indo-European language belonging to the branch of Germanic languages.
13th: Japanese
Total number of speakers worldwide: 128 million
Country where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: Japan
The basis of Japanese writing was inspired by Chinese. Standard Japanese is also called “hyoojungo”.
14e : and Swahili
Total number of speakers worldwide: 98 million
Countries where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: 14 countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Yemen, etc.)
Swahili is the working language of the African Union and the official language of the East African Community.
15e : le Marathi
Total number of speakers worldwide: 95 million
Country where it is the official and native language of the inhabitants: India
Marathi is not an official language. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.
Learn a foreign language - © iStock
You are now knowledgeable about the most spoken languages and dialects around the world. We hope the article has made you want to learn a second language or another language if you are already a language expert. In France, for employees and other workers who would like to take lessons, it exists personal training account , called CPF. The CPF is a public funding scheme for formation continue which replaced the individual right to training. Usable throughout its working life , even during periods of unemployment, the CPF makes it possible to follow qualifying and certifying training. The perfect opportunity to dive back into foreign language textbooks.