United States Languages

Map showing the location of United States

There are around 500 languages spoken in the United States. However, the constitution does not specify any language as the official language at the federal level. Thirty-two states have declared English the national language. For example, Hawaii recognizes Hawaiian and English as the official languages while Alaska recognizes English and 20 other native languages as the official languages. American English is the most spoken language, while Spanish is the second most spoken language in the country.

A majority of people residing in the United States of America speak English as the country was a British colony before gaining independence in 1776. The British language and culture was adopted post-independence and became the accepted norms of the United States. In 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau conducted a survey to determine the population and ethnic diversity of the country. The survey revealed that 237.8 million people spoke English as their first language, 40.5 million spoke Spanish, 3.4 million spoke Chinese, and 1.7 million spoke Tagalog. Furthermore, 1.5 million spoke Vietnamese as a first language. Arabic was spoken by 1.2 million as a first language, 1.2 million spoke French while 1.1 million spoke Korean.

American English differs from British English. Some words used in America might mean something different when used in Britain (the opposite is also true). The accent is also different. American and Canadian English share much in common, including, for the most part, accents.

The United States recognizes six racial categories among its population. These categories are Americans, African Americans, Native Hawaiian. Native Americans, Alaska Native, Asian American, and other races form the Pacific islands. White Americans make up the largest race, while African Americans make up 13.3% and Hispanic and Latino Americans make up 17.8% of the population.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Washington
Languages	English 79.2%, Spanish 12.9%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 3.3%, other 0.9% (2011 est.)
Ethnic Groups	White 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate)
Religion	Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Mormon 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other Christian 0.9%, Jewish 1.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)
Government	Constitutional federal republic
Independance	4 July 1776 (declared); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)
Area	9,833,517.00 km²
Water Area	685,924.00 km²
Land Area	9,147,593.00 km²
Population	323,995,528.00 Large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prairie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu
Location	North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,155 km
GDP(PPP)	$18,600,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$57,300.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Canada, Mexico, and China.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are agricultural products, industrial supplies, and capital goods.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Canada, and Mexico.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include agricultural products, industrial supplies, capital goods, and consumer goods.
Climate	Warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain	Vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Learn More	United States

United States Languages

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