Most Widely Spoken Languages
Below is a list of the top twelve spoken languages in the world. The numbers to the extreme left of the list (ex. 1., 2., 3. etc) signify the rank of the corresponding language and the number to the extreme right signifies the amount people who speak the language. The numbers should be interpreted in millions.
This list is important simply due to its ability to help you make an informed decision of what language to learn. Granted this list alone is not sufficient enough to assist you in finding out what’s the best language to learn, but it is a starting point. Once you see the facts below you can couple that with additional information that will help you decide to learn any language of your choosing.
Highest Estimation
1. Chinese (all dialects) 1400
2. English 1000
3. Hindi/Urdu 600
4. Spanish 500
5. Arabic 400
6. French 260
7. Russian 250
8. Indonesia/Malay 250
9. Portuguese 230
10. Bengali 230
11. German 150
12. Japanese 150
Moderate Average Estimation
1. Chinese 1300
2. English 1000
3. Hindi/Urdu 600
4. Spanish 500
5. Arabic 400
6. French 260
7. Russian 250
8. Indonesia/Malay 250
9. Portuguese 230
10. Bengali 230
11. German 150
12. Japanese 150