5 Most Spoken Languages in the World

In this article we discuss the 5 most spoken languages in the world. If you want to read our detailed analysis of these languages, go directly to the 25 Most Spoken Languages in the World.

5. Standard Arabic

Number Of Speakers: 274 million

There are over 25 countries that claim Arabic as an official or co-official language including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The benefits of learning Arabic are many. You can familiarize yourself with Persian, Turkish, Urdu, and even Hebrew because these languages have exchanged a lot of vocabulary. Arabic translators are high in demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of Arabic interpreters and translators is expected to grow 19 percent between 2018 and 2028.

4. Spanish

Number Of Speakers: 543 million

Spanish is the official language in 20 countries and with over 543 million speakers worldwide, it boasts its position among the top 5 in our list of the 25 most spoken languages in the world. Spanish is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Knowing Spanish can allow you to appreciate masterpieces of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Pablo Neruda in their original forms, certainly more enjoyable than trying to make sense of the translations.

3. Hindi

Number Of Speakers: 600 million

More than half a billion people all across the globe speak Hindi. Hindi is the official language in India, one of the largest countries in the world. Moving to India is exciting to think about. It is a land of cultural richness and also home to the very entertaining Bollywood industry. Knowing how to speak Hindi will allow you to converse with over 600 million people all across the globe.

2. Mandarin Chinese

Number Of Speakers: 1120 million

The importance of learning Mandarin cannot be stated enough. Learning Chinese opens up a unique window into one of the world’s richest and most ancient civilizations, and gives you access to 1.12 billion people all across the world. China’s economy is booming. Over the last 35 years, China has transformed itself from a developing country to the largest global economy, overtaking the United States.

1. English

Number Of Speakers: 1348 million

If you know English, you have all that is needed to communicate with the world. 1.3 billion people use English in their daily conversations, and as the world’s most commonly spoken language, English is the official language of international business.

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