Chinese (including Cantonese, Mandarin and other varieties) – 2,900,000 native speakers
In terms of vocabulary, Spanish words and phrases have made their way into American English, perhaps most visibly in numerous American cities and states (San Francisco, Nevada, El Paso, etc.). There are also large concentrations of speakers in the Southwest, sometimes still referred to as “El Norte” because California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas composed the northernmost region of Mexico until 1848). Hispanic communities are located in every state, with particularly large concentrations of Spanish speakers in major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Miami. In fact, there are more Spanish speakers in the United States than in Spain, making it second only to Mexico in terms of the Spanish-speaking population.įurther evidence of the ubiquity of Spanish in America can be found in both geographic enclaves and Americans’ everyday lexicons. While the number of native Spanish speakers in the United States is significantly less than that of English speakers, Spanish is one of the fastest growing languages in the country - it increased by 233 percent between 19, according to Pew Research Center. In one corner of the country you may be “pahking the cah,” while in another “fixin’ to eat supper.” In a sense, the stark contrasts in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation make each region its own separate world. That’s a lot of variation for a single language (and that doesn’t include the forms of English spoken in other parts of the world). Long Island University reference associate Robert Delaney created this map, which divides the country into 24 distinct dialects. But with such a wide array of regional dialects, it can sound like there are many different versions of English being spoken in various parts of the country.
Official language or not, English speakers make up an enormous portion of the U.S. Despite the lack of an official language on a federal level, more than half of the 50 states have passed laws giving English official language status. Proponents of making English the official language typically fall on the conservative side of the political scale, while opponents are usually more left-leaning and pro-immigrant. The United States doesn’t have an official language on the books, but the topic has sparked a fiery debate that goes back centuries. While it should come as no surprise that English is the most spoken language in the United States, you may be surprised to learn it’s not the country’s official language. residents? And if we zoom in on specific sections of the map, what are the influences of these languages? Here’s the list of the most spoken languages in the United States as determined by the number of people who speak the language at home. Census Bureau report published in 2015 found at least 350 languages in the United States that are spoken in homes across the country.īut which languages are spoken by the most U.S. “Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” Whether melting pot or mosaic, the United States is undeniably defined by its rich diversity - exemplified in the sheer number of languages in the United States spoken at home. “We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic,” the former president said. Former President Jimmy Carter famously characterized it in a slightly different way. The United States is often referred to as a melting pot of cultures and nationalities.
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