The world is a big place, and there are a lot of different languages spoken all over. But which ones are the most spoken? In this blog post, we will explore the top 10 most spoken languages in the world. From Mandarin to English to Spanish and more, read on to learn about the languages that are most commonly spoken all over the globe.
10. Urdu
Total Urdu Speakers in the World – 231.3 Million / 23.13 Crores
Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also one of the six languages of the United Nations. Urdu is spoken by more than 231 million people in Pakistan and India. It is also spoken by large communities in other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.
Urdu is written in a modified form of the Arabic script. It has been strongly influenced by Persian, Arabic, and Hindi and English. Urdu literature includes works in a wide range of genres, including poetry, novels, short stories, drama, and non-fiction.
9. Portuguese
Total Portuguese Speakers in the World – 257.7 Million / 25.77 Crores
Portuguese is a Romance language originating in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe. With 257.7 million speakers, it is also one of the 10 most spoken languages in the world.
Portuguese has a long history dating back to the 12th century when it began to diverge from Galician-Portuguese. However, it was not until the 16th century that Portuguese became its own distinct language. The Portuguese Empire was responsible for spreading the language throughout the world as they colonized new territories.
Today, Portuguese is one of the fastest-growing languages in terms of speakers and usage. This is due in part to the economic rise of Brazil which has made Portuguese an important language for business and trade. In addition, many people are learning Portuguese as a second or third language in order to communicate with the large population of Brazilian immigrants living around the world.
8. Russian
Total Russian Speakers in the World – 258.2 Million / 25.82 Crores
Russian is the official language of the Russian Federation and is spoken by around 258.2 million people, making it the 8th most spoken language in the world. It is also an official language of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as being widely used throughout Eastern Europe, the Baltics and Central Asia.
Russian is a Slavic language belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. It is one of the four living members of the East Slavic languages, alongside Belarusian and Ukrainian. Written Russian dates back to the 10th century and was influenced greatly by Church Slavonic, a form of Old Bulgarian.
The Russian alphabet consists of 33 letters, some of which are rarely used in modern Russian. The Cyrillic alphabet, which is used for writing Russian (as well as other Slavic languages), was invented in the 9th century by two Greek monks living in Bulgaria.
7. Bengali
Total Bengali Speakers in the World – 272.7 Million / 27.27 Crores
There are around 272.7 million Bengali speakers in the world, making it the seventh most spoken language. Bengali is the national and official language of Bangladesh, and one of the 23 official languages in India. It is also spoken in parts of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. 
Bengali is a member of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is closely related to Hindi and Urdu, with whom it shares a common literary tradition. Bengali is written in the Bengali alphabet, which is derived from the Devanagari alphabet.
Bengali has a rich literary tradition spanning over a thousand years. The Charyapada, a collection of Buddhist mystical songs dating back to the 8th or 9th century CE, is considered to be the earliest example of Bengali literature. Other notable works include Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali (Song Offerings), which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, and Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Bidrohi (The Rebel), which is considered to be one of the most important works of political poetry in Bengal.
6. Standard Arabic
Total Arabic Speakers in the World- 274 Million / 27.4 Crores
With over 274 million speakers, Standard Arabic is the 27th most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of 26 countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine*, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
*Note: Palestinian Territories are not internationally recognized as a country.
Standard Arabic is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
5. French
Total French Speakers in the World – 274.1 Million / 27.41 Crores
With 274.1 million speakers, French is the 18th most spoken language in the world. It is an official language in 29 countries and is a major second language in several others. French is a Romance language that descends from Latin. It began to evolve in the 8th century, and by the 12th century, it was a fully developed language.
French has many different dialects, but the two main ones are Parisian French and Quebec French. Parisian French is the standard form of the language and is what is taught in schools. It is also used in the media. Quebec French is spoken in the Canadian province of Quebec and has some unique features compared to other varieties of French.
French is a fairly easy language for English speakers to learn, due to its similar grammar and vocabulary. Many English words are derived from French, such as art, beauty, culture, food, music, and travel.
4. Spanish
Total Spanish Speakers in the World – 548 Million / 54.8 Crores
The Spanish language is native to Spain and is the official language in 21 countries. It is estimated that there are 548 million people who speak Spanish as their first language, making it the second most spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese.
Spanish is a Romance language that originated in the Iberian Peninsula and today is spoken by almost 500 million people worldwide. It’s an official language in Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua y Costa Rica.
Although different dialects of Spanish are spoken in each country where it’s an official language—and even within individual regions of some of those countries—the vast majority of speakers can communicate with one another without difficulty.
3. Hindi
Total Hind Speakers in the World – 602 Million / 60 Crores
There are approximately 602 million Hindi speakers in the world, making it the fifth most spoken language. Hindi is one of the official languages of India and is also widely spoken in Pakistan, Fiji, and Mauritius. The majority of Hindi speakers are found in Northern India.
Hindi is a member of the Indo-Aryan language family, which is a branch of the larger Indo-European language family. Hindi is written in the Devanagari script and is closely related to Urdu, another Indian language.
The earliest known examples of Hindi date back to the 12th century CE. By the 19th century, Hindi had become one of the main languages spoken in North India. In the early 20th century, Hindustani (a mix of Hindi and Urdu) became the lingua franca of northern India.
Since independence in 1947, Hindi has been declared as one of India’s official languages. It is also one of 22 scheduled languages in the Constitution of India. In addition to being the official language of India, Hindi is also recognized as an official language by Nepal and Mauritius.
2. Mandarin Chinese
Total Mandarin Speakers in the World – 1.1 Billion / 110 Crores
Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, with over 1.1 billion speakers. That’s about one in every seven people on the planet! The majority of Mandarin Chinese speakers live in China, but the language is also spoken in Taiwan, Singapore, and other parts of East Asia.
Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the meaning of a word can change depending on the tone it is spoken in. There are four tones in Mandarin Chinese: flat, rising, falling-rising, and falling. For example, the word “mother” can be pronounced four different ways, each with a different meaning: mā (neutral tone), má (rising tone), mǎ (falling-rising tone), or ma (falling tone).
Learning Mandarin Chinese can be challenging for English speakers because it is so different from our own language. However, it is a fascinating and rewarding experience! If you’re interested in learning Mandarin Chinese, there are many resources available online and offline.
1. English
Total English Speakers in the World – 1.5 Billion / 150 Crores
As of 2019, there are an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide who speak English as a first or second language. This makes English the third most spoken language in the world, behind Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.
While English is not an official language in many countries, it is the de facto language of business and international communication. In fact, more than two-thirds of the world’s email and internet traffic is in English.
There are a number of reasons for English’s widespread usage. First, English is the native language of several major nations including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Second, English has been adopted as an official language by a number of non-native countries including India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Singapore. Finally, English is taught as a foreign language in most schools around the world.
Despite its widespread use, there is no single standardized form of English. This can be attributed to the fact that English has roots in multiple languages including Latin, Germanic, Anglo-Saxon, and French.
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Conclusion
It’s interesting to see the top 10 most spoken languages in the world and how they rank in terms of speakers. It’s no surprise that English is at the top of the list, but it’s also interesting to see how many people speak Chinese and Spanish as well. With so many different languages spoken around the world, it’s important to be able to communicate with as many people as possible. That’s why learning a second or third language can be so beneficial. What language do you want to learn next?
Source: Top Most Spoken Languages
