In this article, I will discuss The top 10 most spoken languages in the world in 2022.
What is a language?
A language is a system of communication used by people to provide meaning for their ideas and actions. There are approximately 6,500 different languages currently in use in the whole world among more than seven billion people.
Each language has its own distinct features including vocabulary, grammar, and style of expression. Some languages are dead while some others are extinct.
Research shows that the number of English speakers is growing three times faster than the world’s population in 2022. Below we will show you a complete list of the top 10 most spoken languages in the world in 2022.
Top 10 most spoken languages in the world 2022
Naturally, every country has its own language and there is no single language that dominates all countries. However, some languages are more widely spoken than others.
Here’s a list of the top 10 most spoken languages in the world:
- English
- Spanish
- Arabic
- Chinese (Mandarin)
- Hindi/Urdu/Hindustani
- Bengali
- Russian
- Portuguese
- Japanese
- German.
English
English: 350 million native speakers and 1.8 billion total speakers (official or primary language)
English is the only language to be spoken as a first language by more than half of the world’s population. English, like Arabic, has spread all over the world and has official (or de facto official) status in over 70 countries as either their sole official language or as one of several official languages.
Spanish
Spanish: 329 million native speakers and 559 million total speakers (official or primary language)
Spanish, also known as Castilian, is a Romance language and the second most spoken language in the world before Mandarin Chinese and after English. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
Spanish is spoken mainly in Spain, Mexico and to a lesser extent, in other Latin American countries such as Argentina, Costa Rica and Uruguay (where it is called “Portuñol” – see below). It was also taken to the Philippines during the colonial period and nowadays Filipino contains 10% Spanish loanwords.
Arabic
Arabic: 188 million native speakers and 280 million total speakers (official or primary language)
Arabic ranks third as the most spoken first language in the world with about 188 million native speakers, behind Mandarin Chinese and English respectively. It is also spoken by another 350 to 400 million Muslims throughout North Africa, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India.
It is widely spoken in Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and UAE too. Arabic has been spreading throughout the world since the 7th century to Africa and Asia through the spread of Islam. Most Arabs understand at least three different dialects: their own native dialect (e.g., Egyptian), one other regional variety (e.g., Gulf Arabic), and Standard Arabic (the official language throughout the Arab world).
Chinese
Chinese: 1,233 million native speakers and 972 million total speakers (official or primary language)
Mandarin is the most widely spoken first language in the world with about 960 million native speakers, ahead of Spanish, English and Arabic. It is the only language that has more than one billion speakers, and it is spoken by official or native speakers in China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam.
Hindi/Urdu/Hindustani
Hindi/Urdu/Hindustani: 340 million native speakers and 510 million total speakers (official or primary language)
Hindustani is the name given to the Hindi-Urdu language, which in fact has three slightly different forms: Standard Urdu is used in Pakistan, while Hindi in India and Farsi or Dakhini among the Muslim populations of South Asia. The total number of speakers is estimated at 510 million, with 340 million native speakers.
Bengali
Bengali: 242 million native speakers and 250 million total speakers (official or primary language)
Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and one of the 23 official languages in India. Bengali, along with Hindi and Urdu, was also an official provincial language of Pakistan until 1956. It has more than 250 million speakers in Bangladesh and India (West Bengal and Tripura).
Russian
Russian: 139 million native speakers and 260 million total speakers (official or primary language)
Russian is one of the six official languages in the United Nations, alongside English, French, Chinese, Spanish and Arabic. It has about 260 million speakers in Russia and another 15 million in other countries.
Portuguese
Portuguese: 191 million native speakers and 260 million total speakers (official or primary language)
Portuguese is the eighth most spoken first language in the world with about 260 million speakers, around 190 million of whom live in Brazil (the other 60 million are spread over dozens of other countries, mainly in Africa).
Japanese
Japanese: 125 million native speakers and 120 million total speakers (official or primary language)
Japanese is the ninth most widely spoken first language in the world, with about 120 million speakers, 75 percent of whom are located in Japan. There are another 150 million secondary speakers throughout the world.
German
German: 95 million native speakers and 90 million total speakers (official or primary language)
German is the tenth most spoken first language in the world, with about 90 million speakers. The majority of them live in Germany (about 60 million). It is also an official language in Austria (with 6.7m speakers), Switzerland (4.5 m) and Liechtenstein (0.5 m). It has another 28 million secondary speakers spread out over 30 countries in Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Why are these languages so common?
This is due to the fact that these languages tend to come naturally for a certain region. For example, English comes naturally in America and India. Spanish and Portuguese originate from Latin America and Asian countries like India, China and Japan originate from their own respective regions.
However, there is no single language that dominates all countries and each country has its own official and most widely spoken language.
How do people learn to speak them?
People learn to speak different languages in different ways. Some people learn through immersion, others through textbooks and grammar rules, and others through listening to conversations. However, the most effective way to learn a language is by using all of these methods together.
It’s important to get as much exposure to the language as possible in order to learn it effectively. This means listening to music, watching movies and TV shows, reading books, and speaking with native speakers. It also helps to use grammar exercises and vocabulary flashcards to practice and learn new words.
Ultimately, the best way to learn a language is by using a variety of methods and practising as often as possible.
Is learning a new language easy?
It all depends on the person. Some people find it easy to learn new languages, while others find it more difficult. The best way to learn a new language is by using a variety of methods and practising as often as possible.
Practice makes perfect! The more you practise, the easier it will be to learn and speak the new language fluently.
Learning a new language is hard but if you want to go abroad and you don’t know the language then?
Learning a new language is hard and will take time and patience. You can’t expect to speak fluently in a couple of weeks. Learning a new language takes time and effort and practising as much as possible. It’s important to surround yourself with people who speak the language you want to learn as often as possible, as this will expose you to the language as much as possible.
Conclusion
No one language dominates the world and every nation’s official language is important to them. Although some languages are more widely used than others, we should respect the culture of every nation and what language is naturally for each region. And some languages are easy to learn than others.
