Embracing our multilingual nation
Do you know what is the second most spoken language in the United States?
Image: Houcine Ncib
In the United States, the number of people who speak a language other than English at home has nearly tripled over the last three decades, increasing from 23.1 million to 67.8 million. According to the 2019 American Community Survey by the Census Bureau, more than 350 languages are spoken across the country , making it one of the world's most linguistically diverse nations. In this article, we’ll explore the 12 most spoken languages in the United States. Can you guess how the rankings go?
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12. Portuguese
Image: Etienne Girardet
Today, there are over 845,000 Portuguese speakers in the United States, making it the 12th most spoken language after English.
The Portuguese-speaking community is composed of immigrants from both Portugal and Brazil. Since the 1960s, many Portuguese immigrants have settled along the coast of Massachusetts, where they could continue their traditional fishing activities. Besides Massachusetts, Portuguese is most commonly spoken in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Utah.
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11. Hindi
Image: Rohan Solankurkar
Hindi is the most widely spoken Indian language in the United States, with more than 890,000 people speaking it . Hindi belongs to the Indo-European language family and has been included on the U.S. State Department's list of critical languages due to strategic commercial interests in South Asia.
Hindi-speaking Indians began immigrating to North America in the early 19th century. The community has primarily settled in large cities such as New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
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10. Russian
Image: Tessakay
There are currently almost 950,000 Russian speakers in the United States. Did you know that Russian is one of the two official languages aboard the International Space Station? NASA astronauts typically take Russian language courses to communicate with their Russian counterparts.
Another well-known Russian-speaking community is in New York's Brighton Beach neighborhood, often referred to as "Little Odessa." Cultural events, festivals, and markets featuring traditional Russian foods, music, and crafts are common sights here. Los Angeles is another city where Russian is regularly used.
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9. Korean
Image: 昆 阿
Over the past few decades, the number of Korean speakers in the United States has grown significantly, with nearly 1,100,000 people now speaking Korean .
Los Angeles is home to the largest Koreatown in the country, and many residents in other major cities speak Korean at home, helping to maintain and promote the heritage of this Asian culture in the United States.
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8. Arabic
Image: Rawan Yasser
With more than 1.2 million speakers, Arabic is the eighth most spoken language in our country.
Arabic is spoken in immigrant communities from countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. These communities are most prominent in states like California, New York, and Michigan, where Arabic is commonly heard in homes and community centers.
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7. German
Image: FotosFuerBlogger
German is widely spoken in states with high populations of German ancestry, such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas. When including Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch, and other West Germanic languages, there are over 1,450,000 German speakers in the United States.
Cities like Fredericksburg and New Braunfels, Texas, were founded by German immigrants and continue to celebrate their heritage with festivals such as Oktoberfest. In Pennsylvania, a large number of Pennsylvania Dutch speakers—predominantly among the Amish and Mennonite communities—speak this German dialect, which is not, as one might expect, Dutch.
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6. Vietnamese
Image: Huynh Van
The number of Vietnamese speakers in the United States is similar to that of the previous language on this list, with more than 1.5 million people speaking the language of this Southeast Asian country.
In recent decades, the number of Vietnamese immigrants has been increasing exponentially. Most have settled in California, followed by Texas, Florida, Washington, and Georgia.
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5. Tagalog
Image: Emmanuel Nicolas Jr.
Despite being the fifth most spoken language in the United States, Tagalog is often overlooked. For those who have never heard of it, Tagalog is one of the official languages of the Philippines.
A significant number of Filipino immigrants have settled in the United States since the early 19th century. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are currently more than 1.7 million Tagalog speakers . Thirty-eight percent of Filipinos in the United States live in California, with relatively large concentrations also in Hawaii and Texas.
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4. French
Image: Erik Mclean
If we include Patois, Cajun, Haitian, and Louisiana Creole—a hybrid of French and various African languages—French is the fourth most widely spoken language in the United States.
The French influence, which dates back to the 17th century, is evident in a wide variety of American English words and phrases. Today, there are nearly 2.1 million French speakers in the country.
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3. Chinese
Image: 五玄土 ORIENTO
The Chinese language, including its different variants such as Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hokkien, contributes significantly to the cultural diversity of the United States. Although the gap between the second and third most spoken languages in the country is considerable, the number of people who speak Chinese is still representative.
With approximately 3.5 million Chinese speakers across the country, the greatest influence of this culture can be found in states with the highest concentrations of Chinese immigrants, such as New York and California.
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2. Spanish
Image: Leeloo The First
Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States and one of the fastest-growing languages in the country. This is no surprise, as approximately 19% of the total population is of Hispanic origin.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 40 million people speak Spanish in addition to English in the United States. Hispanic communities are found throughout the nation, with the largest concentrations in California, Texas, Florida, and New York.
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1. English
Image: Wilhelm Gunkel
Although it is not surprising that English is the most widely spoken language in the United States, it is still not recognized as an official language. However, more than half of the 50 states have passed laws granting it official language status.
English speakers make up a large percentage of the U.S. population, with approximately 78 percent speaking only English . American English is also incredibly rich, composed of dozens of regional dialects with distinct grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
