The world is full of diverse and fascinating languages. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, it’s no surprise that some are more commonly used than others. In this article, we’ll explore the top ten most spoken languages in the world, their origins, and where they’re spoken.
1. Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin Chinese is by far the most widely spoken language on the planet with over 1.2 billion speakers worldwide. It is the official language of China and Taiwan and is also spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, and various other countries.
2. Spanish
With around 550 million speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of 21 countries, including Mexico, Spain, and most of Central and South America.
3. English
As the official language of over 50 countries, English is the third most spoken language in the world, with around 540 million speakers. It is also the dominant language of international business, science, technology, and the internet.
4. Hindi
With around 500 million speakers, Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of India and Fiji, and is also spoken in Nepal, Pakistan and several other countries.
5. Arabic
Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world with around 420 million speakers worldwide. It is the official language of 26 countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
6. Bengali
With around 300 million speakers, Bengali is the sixth most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
7. Portuguese
With around 220 million speakers worldwide, Portuguese is the seventh most spoken language globally. It is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola and several other countries.
8. Russian
With around 160 million speakers worldwide, Russian is the eighth most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
9. Japanese
With around 130 million speakers worldwide, Japanese is the ninth most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of Japan, and is also spoken in several other countries, including Brazil and the United States.
10. Punjabi
With around 100 million speakers worldwide, Punjabi is the tenth most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of Punjab in India and Pakistan, and is also spoken in several other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom.
