Society and Culture > Race & Ethnicity > Population/Demographics

Persons Speaking a Language Other than English at Home, 2006

What languages do Americans speak at home? The U.S. Census Bureau keeps track. This data comes from the 2006 American Community Survey and is based on sample and subject to sampling variability. No surprise, English comes in at number one, but dozens of other languages are represented as well.

Language Persons 5
years old
and over who
speak language
Population, 5 years and over 279,012,712
Speak only English 224,154,288
Spanish or Spanish Creole 34,044,945
 French (incl. Patois, Cajun) 1,395,732
 French Creole 601,886
 Italian 828,524
 Portuguese or Portuguese Creole 683,405
 German 1,135,999
 Yiddish 152,515
 Other West Germanic languages 255,414
 Scandinavian languages 130,113
 Greek 353,200
 Russian 823,210
 Polish 640,265
 Serbo-Croatian 271,066
 Other Slavic languages 312,349
 Armenian 216,533
 Persian 348,769
 Gujarathi 298,658
 Hindi 504,607
 Urdu 324,578
 Other Indic languages 612,890
 Other Indo-European languages 393,519
Asian and Pacific Island languages 8,275,131
 Chinese 2,492,871
 Japanese 475,414
 Korean 1,060,631
 Mon-Khmer, Cambodian 184,351
 Miao, Hmong 187,190
 Thai 140,020
 Laotian 146,625
 Vietnamese 1,207,721
 Other Asian languages 608,960
 Tagalog 1,415,599
 Other Pacific Island languages 355,749
Other languages 2,255,116
 Navajo 176,280
 Other Native North American languages 205,470
 Hungarian 97,489
 Arabic 732,519
 Hebrew 225,179
 African languages 696,607
 Other and unspecified 121,572
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, The 2009 Statistical Abstract.

Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Persons Speaking a Language Other than English at Home, 2005 Population/Demographics
Persons Speaking a Language Other than English at Home, 2006

what’s hot

  1. Top 10 End-of-the-Year Gifts for Teachers
  2. 10 Gender-Predicting Old Wives' Tales
  3. Top 12 Fundraising Ideas
  4. VIEW ALL

stay connected

Sign up for our free email newsletters and receive the latest advice and information on all things parenting.

Enter your email address to sign up or manage your account.

Facebook icon Twitter icon Follow Us on Pinterest

editor’s picks

highlights

8 Printable Thank-You Cards for Teachers
As the end of the school year approaches, it's nice to thank your favorite educators for all their hard work. Print any of these free printable teacher appreciation cards to show your gratitude in a cute and simple way.

Great Gift Ideas for Dad's First Father's Day
Every dad's first Father's Day is a special one. Honor Daddy's important new role with a fun and heartfelt gift from you and your baby.

Explore Funbrain Jr. with Your Preschooler
Looking for fun online games, adorable stories, and cool printables for preschoolers and kindergartners? Check out the new Funbrain Jr., a fun place to learn for children ages 2 to 6.

11 Succulent Vegetarian Recipes for the Grill
Barbecue season isn't just for meat-lovers! These vegetarian recipes for the grill are a healthy and delicious alternative to typical barbecue fare.