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Across the world, countless languages are spoken, yet English remains the most widely used. Around 1.5 billion people speak English globally, but only about 390 million of them are native speakers. The rest use it as a second language, making English one of the most universal means of communication today. Chinese (Mandarin): Following English, Mandarin is one of the most widely spoken languages, with an estimated 1.1 to 1.2 billion speakers. It dominates China and neighbouring regions, holding the title of the world’s most spoken native language. Hindi: Roughly 609 million people speak Hindi. While most speakers are based in India, the Indian diaspora has helped spread it across the globe. Among India’s 22 official languages, Hindi remains the most commonly spoken. Spanish: Spoken by about 560 million people, Spanish has a strong presence in Spain, Latin America, and the United States. Interestingly, it is also the second most used language on the Internet after English. Arabic: Between 330 and 420 million people speak Arabic, stretching from Morocco to the Persian Gulf. However, the language varies widely by region, with numerous dialects in use. Bengali: Around 280 million people speak Bengali, the main language of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. Portuguese: With approximately 264 million speakers, Portuguese is recognised for its global presence, particularly through Brazil’s vibrant music and film culture. Russian: Spoken by around 255 million people, Russian holds great importance in science, technology, and space exploration. Urdu: Urdu has about 238 million speakers and is widely spoken across Pakistan, India, and several parts of the Middle East.
