{"id":3045,"date":"2023-11-16T11:20:50","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T17:20:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cantalk.com\/?p=3045"},"modified":"2026-03-04T11:06:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:06:42","slug":"what-languages-are-spoken-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cantalk.com\/what-languages-are-spoken-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"What Languages are Spoken in India? India\u2019s Amazing Linguistic Landscape!"},"content":{"rendered":"

What language do they speak in India? Is there any one traditional language in India?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

These are fair questions if you\u2019re traveling to India, doing business in India, or seeking Indian language services for any number of purposes.\u00a0 However, the only simple answer is: <\/span>There is no single language that\u2019s consistently spoken across this vast, vibrant, and incredibly multilingual nation.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Having recently overtaken China as<\/span> the most populous country in the world<\/span><\/a>, India’s more than 1.4 billion citizens represent an incredibly rich, diverse, and complex linguistic landscape encompassing more than 19,500 mother tongues in 28 different states across more than 3.2 million square kilometres.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sound overwhelming?\u00a0 Wondering where to begin?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that exploring India’s thousands of mother tongues and dialects in depth could take many lifetimes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is: <\/span>Gaining a fundamental understanding of the country’s language structure that will allow you to begin communicating effectively with your target audience can be accomplished much more quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Below, we\u2019ve provided a brief history of language in India, an overview of the country’s officially recognized languages, and a note on the role of English.\u00a0 If you\u2019re seeking high quality Indian language translation and interpretive services but aren\u2019t sure where to begin, CanTalk can help.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The History of Language in India<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start with a little bit of background.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The languages spoken in India primarily belong to two major language families:<\/span> Indo-Aryan<\/span><\/a> languages (northern India) and<\/span> Dravidian<\/span><\/a> languages (southern India). Other less prevalent language families include Austroasiatic, Sino-Tibetan, and Tai-Kadai.<\/span><\/p>\n

Proto-Dravidian languages date back as far as the 4th millennium BC while Old Indo-Aryan evolved around 1500 BC. Over thousands of years, regional and cultural influences have shaped the vast array of distinct languages and dialects spoken throughout the Indian nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Many Languages Are Actually Spoken in India?<\/h2>\n

Incredibly, the 2011<\/span> Census of India<\/span><\/a> reported more than <\/span>19,500 mother tongues<\/span><\/i>, 121 of which are languages with more than 10,000 speakers. For an in-depth overview of the country’s languages and a breakdown of where they\u2019re spoken, access the<\/span> Language Atlas of India<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 22 Officially Recognized Languages of India<\/h2>\n

Fortunately, if you\u2019re seeking Indian language services, it\u2019s unlikely that you\u2019ll have to translate content into tens of thousands of different languages.\u00a0 This is because in May of 2008, the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India laid out a list of 22 official Indian languages (also known as scheduled languages).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More than<\/span><\/i> 96% of the Indian population<\/span><\/i><\/a> speaks at least one of these 22 languages<\/span><\/i>, many of which are recognized as official languages in specific Indian states (of which there are 28 in total).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If 22 languages still feels like a lot to navigate, it may be helpful to know that, at a national level, Hindi is recognized as India’s official language. English is also recognized as an official language (see below).<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at each of India\u2019s 22 scheduled languages and learn something memorable about each:<\/span><\/p>\n

Assamese<\/h3>\n

Assamese is the official language of the northeastern state of Assam. More than 15 million people communicate in Assamese, and it serves as a common tongue in the linguistically diverse region.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n