Quick answer: English is by far the most widely spoken language in the United States. Spanish is the leading language other than English spoken at home, followed by Chinese and Tagalog among the largest individual language groups. Vietnamese, Arabic, French, Korean, Russian, German, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Hindi and many other languages also form part of everyday American life.
What are the most spoken languages in the United States? The answer depends on what we mean by “spoken.” Are we counting a language used at home, a first language, a language learned at school, or a language someone can use professionally?
The U.S. Census Bureau gives us an unusually useful way to approach the question. Its American Community Survey asks people age 5 and older whether they speak a language other than English at home, what that language is, and how well they speak English. According to the Census Bureau’s latest published profile, 22.3% of Americans age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home.
Can we really rank the most spoken languages in America?
Yes, but with an important qualification. Census figures measure language spoken at home; they do not measure every language a person knows. A bilingual American who speaks English at home and Spanish at work may therefore appear as English-only in this particular statistic.
The Census Bureau released detailed 2017–2021 data in 2025 covering more than 500 individual languages and language groups. About 22% of the population age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, and about 61% of that multilingual-at-home population spoke Spanish.
For the underlying methodology and current data, see the U.S. Census Bureau language-use data.
Good to know: speaking another language at home does not mean someone cannot speak English. Many Americans use two or more languages every day.
1. English: the common language of everyday life
English dominates public life, education, business, media and most day-to-day communication in the United States. Census data for 2018–2022 showed that 78.3% of people age 5 and older spoke only English at home.
Yet the United States has no single linguistic reality. New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, Seattle and many other metropolitan areas contain communities where switching between languages is entirely normal.
2. Spanish: by far the largest language other than English
Spanish occupies a unique place in the United States. It is not simply a foreign language learned for travel: it is a major American community language with deep historical roots and enormous contemporary use. The Census Bureau’s latest profile reports that 13.6% of Americans age 5 and older speak Spanish at home.
Spanish is especially visible across California, Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, New York and many large metropolitan areas. It connects the United States with Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Spain, while also serving millions of U.S.-born bilingual families.
If Spanish is one of your goals, explore our Spanish courses in Carrollton. We will also rotate links to different local course pages in future articles so our city pages receive useful internal links rather than always pointing to the same locations.
3. Chinese languages: a major multilingual presence
Chinese is the next major language category after Spanish in national Census comparisons. The Census category includes multiple Chinese varieties, so it should not be interpreted as meaning that everyone speaks the same form. Mandarin and Cantonese are among the varieties Americans are most likely to encounter.
Chinese-speaking communities have long histories in cities such as San Francisco and New York and substantial populations across California and other metropolitan areas. Chinese is also strategically important in international business, technology, manufacturing, education and family connections.
4. Tagalog and other Philippine languages
Tagalog, including Filipino in Census reporting, is one of the largest languages other than English spoken at home. In the Census Bureau’s 2018–2022 comparison, it represented 2.5% of people who spoke a non-English language at home.
Its importance reflects the long relationship between the Philippines and the United States and large Filipino American communities, particularly in California, Hawaii, Nevada and major urban regions.
5. Vietnamese
Vietnamese is another major community language in the United States, with particularly visible communities in California, Texas and several metropolitan areas around the country. It is a strong example of how migration, family transmission and local community networks shape America’s linguistic map.
Talk and Chalk has local pages for languages beyond the obvious choices, including Vietnamese courses in Fremont.
6. Arabic
Arabic has grown into an important American community and heritage language. As with Chinese, “Arabic” covers significant regional varieties: speakers may use Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi or Maghrebi varieties in daily life while Modern Standard Arabic plays a different role in writing, media and formal contexts.
Arabic-speaking communities are found across the country, with particularly well-known concentrations in parts of Michigan, California, New York, New Jersey and Texas.
7. French, Haitian Creole and the Francophone United States
French has a much older American story than many people realize. Louisiana French and Cajun traditions form part of U.S. history, while French remains important in parts of New England because of ties with Canada. In the Census Bureau’s 2017–2021 detailed data, French was the most common language other than English in Maine and Vermont.
Haitian Creole should be considered separately rather than treated as simply another form of French. It has its own grammar and a major presence in Florida, New York and other Haitian American communities.
8. Korean, Russian, German and other European languages
Korean is prominent in several metropolitan areas and is increasingly visible through business, technology and popular culture. Russian remains important in communities in New York and elsewhere. German has a particularly deep historical footprint in the United States, even though language shift across generations means ancestry and home-language use are very different measures.
Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Greek and other European languages remain part of the country’s linguistic landscape as heritage, family and newly arrived community languages.
9. Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese is spoken by communities with roots in Brazil, Portugal, Cape Verde and other Portuguese-speaking countries. Brazilian Portuguese has a particularly visible presence in parts of Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey and other states.
For learners interested in Brazil, see our Brazilian Portuguese classes.
10. Native American languages: languages of the land itself
No picture of languages in the United States is complete without Native languages. Navajo, Central Yupik, Western Apache, Cherokee and many others predate English and Spanish on the territory by centuries.
The Census Bureau’s detailed 2017–2021 release counted 342,311 speakers across Native North American language categories and reported a decline compared with 2009–2013. These languages are not simply demographic categories: they carry community knowledge, identity, history and cultural continuity.
What does America’s language map look like by region?
The national ranking hides dramatic local differences. Spanish has a major presence throughout the Southwest, California, Texas, Florida and many large cities. Chinese languages are especially visible in major coastal metropolitan areas. French has distinctive importance in parts of New England and Louisiana. Tagalog and other Philippine languages are prominent in Hawaii and parts of the West Coast, while Arabic has important community concentrations in Michigan and several large metro areas.
That is why local language data can be more useful than a national ranking when deciding what to learn for work, family or community life.
At-a-glance: why are these languages important in the U.S.?
| Language or group | Main presence | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| English | Public and everyday life | Dominant home language nationwide |
| Spanish | Home, community, work and media | Largest non-English home language |
| Chinese | Family, community, business | Census category includes multiple varieties |
| Tagalog / Filipino | Family and community | One of the largest non-English language groups |
| Vietnamese & Arabic | Family, community and business | Strong regional concentrations |
| French & Haitian Creole | Heritage and community | Distinct languages with important regional histories |
| Native languages | Tribal nations and communities | Indigenous linguistic heritage |
Which language should you learn in the United States?
There is no universal answer. Spanish offers enormous practical value across the country. Chinese can be valuable for family, culture and international business. French opens doors across Canada, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Portuguese can connect learners with Brazil and other Lusophone countries. Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and many other languages may be the best choice when they match your career, family or personal interests.
The best language is usually the one you will actually use. If you are not sure where to start, take one of our language level tests and build a learning plan around your current level and goals.
Quick quiz: how multilingual is America?
Five questions to test what you learned.
1. What is the largest language other than English spoken at home in the U.S.?
2. About what share of Americans age 5+ speak a language other than English at home?
3. Which source provides major U.S. language-at-home statistics?
4. In which two states was French the most common language other than English in the 2017–2021 detailed Census data?
5. Does speaking another language at home mean a person cannot speak English well?
FAQ: languages spoken in the United States
What is the second most spoken language in the United States?
Spanish is by far the most widely spoken language other than English at home. Census data show it represents roughly 61% of people who speak a non-English language at home.
What is the most spoken language in the U.S. besides English and Spanish?
Chinese is the next major individual language category in national Census comparisons, followed by Tagalog among the largest categories. Remember that the Census Chinese category includes multiple varieties.
How many languages are spoken in the United States?
There is no single timeless number because language classification and reporting change. The Census Bureau’s detailed 2017–2021 release published data on more than 500 individual languages and language groups.
What percentage of Americans speak another language at home?
The latest Census Bureau profile reports 22.3% of people age 5 and older speaking a language other than English at home.
Why should Americans learn another language?
A second language can strengthen professional communication, travel, family connections, cultural understanding and access to multilingual communities already present throughout the United States.
One country, hundreds of languages
The most spoken languages in the United States tell the story of the country itself: Indigenous nations, migration, neighboring countries, international business, family heritage and constantly changing communities. English and Spanish dominate the national picture, but America’s linguistic reality is far richer than a two-language map.
Learning another language does more than prepare you for a trip abroad. In the United States, it can help you communicate with people who already live, work and build communities around you.
