What Languages Are Spoken In America? (Answered!)

While the United States of America doesn’t have an official language on a national level, English is accepted as the country’s standard language. Almost 80% of Americans only speak English at home. Other common languages spoken in the USA are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, and Korean.

The United States of America is a country shared by many different cultures and peoples.

While some may see the “American” culture as a thing of its own, it is a mixture of many European, Native American, and Asian cultures that integrated over the years.

The USA has even developed its own variety of English called American English, which is often simply referred to as English.

Other than English, over 350 languages are spoken in the USA.

In This Article

What is American English?

American English is the variety of English primarily spoken in the USA.

English first entered the country in the early 17^th century as settlers arrived from Britain.

The USA didn’t exist then as a country, but instead as a British colony.

As many people from different backgrounds around the United Kingdom and Europe migrated to the American mainland, accents, and dialects mixed.

English then underwent dialect leveling and mixture, where several varieties of a language mix and lose some of their diversity and variation.

Since the 20^th century, American English has become the most common and influential variety of English worldwide.

Most of this popularity is attributed to media produced in the USA.

Hollywood movies are considered some of the best in the world and have had a big influence in many countries.

American English differs from other English varieties such as British English by its unique pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.

Most of the other English varieties in the world originated from British English and share many of its characteristics.

There are many different accents unique to American English. No single accent is considered standard for American English.

One of the most recognizable accents is the American English “southern” or “country” accent.

Do Americans speak Spanish?

Yes, Spanish is widely spoken in the USA.

It is the second-most common language with over 40 million people speaking it as their first language.

Many public schools in the USA teach Spanish as a second language.

Most native Spanish speakers live in the south of the USA, close to the Mexican border.

Many Mexicans migrate across the border seeking jobs and better lives in the USA, bringing their language with them.

What are the official languages of the USA?

The USA has no official language at the federal (national) level, although most states do have English as their official language.

English is the preferred language of use for official purposes (such as legislation, court rulings, and executive orders) across the USA, even in states without English as their official language.

Even so, many states print ballots and other public documents in multiple languages to ensure everyone can understand.

The following USA states and territories have official languages other than English:

Alaska—Inupiaq, Siberian Yupik, Central Alaskan Yup’ik, Alutiiq, Unangax, Dena’ina, Deg Xinag, Holikachuk, Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim, Gwich’in, Tanana, Upper Tanana, Tanacross, Hän, Ahtna, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian

American Samoa—Samoan

Guam—Chamorro

Hawaii—Hawaiian

Northern Mariana Islands—Chamorro, Carolinian

Puerto Rico—Spanish

South Dakota—Sioux

Acts in some states officially recognize certain languages without bestowing official language status on them.

What other languages are popular in America?

While English and Spanish are the most common languages in the USA, there has been an influx of other languages as people from other countries immigrated to America.

These are the most common languages in the USA excluding Spanish and English:

Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hokkien): 3.5 million speakers. Many Chinese attend university or college in the USA and settle in the country afterward.
Tagalog (Filipino): 1.7 million speakers. The USA has had a big influence on the Philippines since World War 2, and many Filipinos immigrate to the country to find work.
Vietnamese: 1.5 million speakers. Similar to the Filipinos, many Vietnamese move to the USA seeking a better life. The Vietnamese are one of the fastest-growing groups in North America.
Arabic: 1.2 million speakers. A recent addition to the list, Arabic has spread predominantly in urban areas as more Arabs move to the country for business and family reasons.
French: 1.2 million speakers. Many French also moved to North America in the 17^th century, colonizing land in areas such as Louisiana. French influence has since dwindled, although French is still taught as a second language in many public schools.
Korean: 1.1 million speakers. Foreign students attending secondary education institutions bring Korean into the country similar to the Chinese. Korean is one of the most popular languages studied in the USA.
Russian: 0.94 million speakers. Because of Russia’s proximity to Alaska, a mixing of people took place over many centuries. Recently, an influx of Russians immigrated to the USA following the collapse of communist regimes.

What are the indigenous languages of America?

Native Americans lived in North America for a long time before any Europeans visited the land.

After the mass colonialization that took place, countless Native Americans lost their lives, their lands, and sometimes even their culture.

The most common Native American language is Navajo of the Athabaskan language family.

Navajo is spoken by almost 50% of all Native American speakers in the USA, with over 170,000 people.

Other indigenous languages of note are:

Dakota
Yupik
O’odham
Apache
Keres
Cherokee
Choctaw

Some Native Americans living in the plains of North America developed a sign language known as Plains Indian Sign Language to facilitate trade.

It was mostly used by hearing speakers and has multiple accents and dialects.

Even though the USA seems monolingual, it is a melting pot of many cultures each bringing their own language.

A linguist named Edward Sapir once observed that “within the confines of the United States there is spoken today a far greater variety of languages … than in the whole of Europe”.

Some languages are growing and some are dying, but we can certainly learn to appreciate the beauty of them all.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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