Do You Know About These 10 Most Spoken Languages In The World?

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Most Spoken Languages in the World

Learning a new language is a lot of fun. Language is any formal structure that uses expressions, signals, vibrations, and objects or conceives them as a way of expressing feeling. There are over six thousand language systems currently in use across the globe. Every language is unique and intriguing in its own way. With the world’s rising population and multiple communities, the ways of expression also have increased. This blog will take you through the 10 Most Spoken Language in the World and their history.

Importance of Learning a New Language

Learning a language is a fantastic advantage in the current globalised environment. It not only benefits if you are going to another country but it is also a huge benefit for overseas job opportunities. Acquiring a second language helps us, at all ages. A foreign language is an entirely new complex system of rules and systems. Learning a foreign language helps in exercising our brains. We build core learning skills like cognitive reasoning in an attempt to connect while learning a new language. Well-established reasoning skills are a valuable personal and professional asset. Learning a foreign language is also helpful if you want to become a language translator.

10 Most Spoken Languages in the World

We have curated a list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world. They are:

  • Mandarin Chinese
  • English
  • Hindustani
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Malay
  • Russian
  • Bengali
  • Potugese
  • French

We will now find out about the 10 most spoken languages in the world in further detail. 

Mandarin Chinese (1.1 billion speakers)

Mandarin Chinese is the first language on our list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world. Spoken by the maximal population of the world, Mandarin Chinese is among the varieties of Chinese languages that travel back to the 12th century. Mandarin Chinese is the official language of Taiwan and Mainland China. Being the world’s most populated country with the largest geographical area, china has multiple dialects and languages. The term  ‘Madarian’ was used by the Portuguese while the Chinese refer to their language as “pǔ tōng huà”  which means ‘common language’. Expressing Mandarin in written form is complex and is done using Chinese characters or syllables which are an ancient phonetic scheme where each symbol represents a unique word.

English (983 million speakers)

The word “English” derives from the “Angles,” a Germanic population that lived in the first millennium A.D. in Britain. In the end, they took their name from Anglen, an area in northern Europe, and they gave their identity, of course, to the region today known as England. English is the second language on our list of 10 most spoken languages in the world. Its pronunciation and arrangement of phrases are identical to modern languages such as Dutch and German. However, and throughout curious history, it has been strongly influenced by other languages. A tonne of English vocabulary is of Latin origin, adopted in the 11th century A.D. by the French-speaking Normans who invaded Britain. There are many English language tests required to qualify if you want to study abroad, like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, etc

Must Read: IELTS VS PTE – Learn about All the Differences

Hindustani (544 million speakers)

The language Hindustani is the next language on our list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world. The term ‘Hindi’ originates from ‘Hindustani’ which is spoken by the majority of the people in northern and central India. It is largely the common link in the peninsula. In Pakistan, Urdu is mainly spoken. Though there are grammar and expression variations between Hindi and Urdu, speakers of either language can easily interact with each other.

Spanish (527 million speakers)

The dialect that is now known as Spanish emerged in Spain’s Castile region. For this explanation, in the language itself, it’s often referred to as ‘Castilian’-Castellano. Spanish adventurers and pastoral nomads have spread their language all over the globe since then. With clusters of immigrants in Southeast Asia and even Africa, it’s spoken all over South and Central America and the Caribbean. It is one of the best foreign languages to learn. 

Also Read: Study in Spain

Arabic (422 million speakers)

The next language on our list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world is Arabic. Arabic is also the language of Islam. Although most Muslims are not fluent speakers of Arabic, the language is of particular significance to the second-largest religion in the world. Islam believes that God (via the angel Gabriel) simply spoke in Arabic while he dictated the Quran to Prophet Mohammed. That was 1400 years ago and current Arabic dialects have changed a lot from the ‘Classical Arabic’ of the Quran. 

Malay (281 million speakers)

In Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, Malay is a lingua franca. In areas of Thailand and the Philippines, you can hear it being spoken. Malay is spoken in a highly linguistically complex region. In Indonesia alone, over 700 languages can be found. Bahasa Melayu has emerged as a lingua franca of the region and is the language of government and trade. It is one of the most spoken languages on our list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world. 

Russian (267 million speakers)

Next on our list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world is Russian. Did you know that there are four nations in the world where the official language is Russian? Being widespread in the Soviet Union Nations, Russian is also widely spoken in the Post-Soviet States (PSU) and has gained official status in many sub-national territories. Ukrainian and Belarusian ancestors are among Russia’s nearest relatives. All three are inherited from the language spoken by Kievan Rus in the medieval state. Other Slavic languages, such as Polish, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian and Serbo-Croat are distantly related. It is advised to know the Russian language if you want to study in Russia.

Must Read: Russia Student Visa

Bengali (261 million speakers)

Like Hindustani, Bengali is an Indo-Aryan language. This is a branch of the Indo-European family.  Bengali and Hindustani, in other words, are cryptic descendants of English. In the West, the Bengali script is largely obscure, but it is currently the fifth most frequently used writing style in the world. Many people write in Bengali script worldwide than in Cyrillic. It comes in the list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world.

Portuguese (229 million speakers)

Dating back to the 3rd century, the Portuguese language has originated from Latin and is one of the ‘Romance Languages’ which is closely connected with modern Spanish. The root word of the term Portuguese comes from ‘Portugal’ where ‘Porto’ means ‘port’. Portuguese developed fully by the 13th century but was known as ‘Galician-Portuguese’. The two terms are still branches of the same lingo, like ‘American’ and ‘British’ for English. Portuguese also comes in our list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world.

French (229 million speakers)

The final language on our list of the 10 most spoken languages in the world in French. French is another Romance language. It is the lingua franca of 28 countries, with the largest proportion of participants in France, Belgium, Canada, and Switzerland (in that order). In areas of West and Central Africa, on many Caribbean islands, and also on the continent of South America, it is often frequently spoken (in the French overseas department of French Guiana). 

Also Read: Study in France: Your Gateway To European Universities

FAQs

What country has 100 different languages?

Papua New Guinea is the world’s most linguistically varied country, with over 840 languages spoken, more than twice as many as the entire continent of Europe. Across the country’s islands, nearly 94 languages are spoken for every million people.

What are the top three languages?

It should come as no surprise that English is the most widely spoken language, with over 1.1 billion total speakers—roughly 15% of the global population. The top five are Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, and French. However, this is merely one thread in the larger tapestry of languages.

How many countries speak Hindi?

Hindi is spoken in 8 countries other than India. The Hindi language (native name:,) derives from the Indo-European language family.

You can learn any of the languages mentioned above to build a career in foreign languages. Languages are the primary source of communication and connection with different people across the globe. We hope through this blog we were able to tell you about the Top 10 Spoken Languages of the world. For more admission-related queries and doubts,  consult our experts at Leverage Edu. Sign up for a free session with us today! 

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