Showing languages of South America — View all world languages →
Explore our comprehensive South America languages database listing languages and dialects spoken across South America. Every entry provides the language name, native script spelling, ISO 639-1 two-letter code, ISO 639-3 three-letter code and a full list of countries where the language is officially recognised or actively spoken. Browse major global languages — English, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Portuguese, French, Russian and Bengali — alongside indigenous Pacific languages, protected minority dialects and rare regional tongues. Tap any language name to open a complete language profile covering speaker population, writing system, language family classification and per-country usage status. Use the A-Z sticky alphabet bar to jump instantly to any language, or filter by continent using the sidebar links.
This languages directory is a trusted reference for multilingual market entry planning, global content localisation, translation workflow scoping and cross-border compliance. Verify official languages per country, look up ISO 639 codes for HTML lang attributes and API locale settings, and cross-reference with country population data, ISO country codes, national currencies and geolocation data for complete global intelligence. Frequently referenced in location intelligence, strategic decision-making, market research, international product launches and software internationalisation (i18n) workflows.
Directory Features: Searchable A-Z index • ISO 639-1 & ISO 639-3 codes • Native script names • Countries per language • Continent-filtered directory • Full language profiles • Speaker population data • Language family classification • Writing system identification • Mobile-optimised layout • Market research ready
| Language Name | Native Name | ISO Code | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | |||
| Akawaio | ake | Guyana | Akurio | ako | Suriname |
| Araona | alaōna | aro | Bolivia | Arawak | Lokono | arw | Guyana |
| Arawak-Lokono | Suriname | Arekuna | Guyana |
| Aymara | Aymar aru | ay (aym) | Bolivia, Peru |
| B | |||
| Baniwa | bwi | Brazil | Baure | brg | Bolivia |
| Bésiro | Bolivia | ||
| C | |||
| Canichana | caz | Bolivia | Carib | car | Guyana |
| Carib-Kari'nja | Suriname | Castellan | Castellan | Bolivia |
| Cavineñoa | Bolivia | Cayuvava | cyb | Bolivia |
| Chakobo | cao | Bolivia | Chimane | cas | Bolivia |
| Chiquitano | cax | Bolivia | Croatian | hrvatski | hr (hrv) | Austria, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Chile, Croatia, Montenegro |
| D | |||
| Dutch | Nederlands | nl (nld) | Belgium, Netherlands, Suriname |
| E | |||
| East Pomeranian | Brazil | English | English | en (eng) | American Samoa, Antigua And Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Cook Islands, Dominica, England, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts And Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, Samoa, Scotland, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad And Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States Of America, Vanuatu, Wales, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Ese Ejja | ese | Bolivia | |
| F | |||
| French | français | fr (fra) | Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Comoros, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Italy, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Mayotte, Monaco, Niger, Republic Of The Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, United States Of America, Vanuatu |
| G | |||
| German | Deutsch | de (deu) | Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland | Greek | ελληνικά | Chile, Cyprus, Greece |
| Guaraní | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay | Guarasuawe | Bolivia |
| Guarayu | gyr | Bolivia | Guyanese Creole | gyn | Guyana |
| H | |||
| Hunsrückisch | Brazil | ||
| I | |||
| Italian | italiano | it (ita) | Austria, Brazil, Chile, Italy, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland, Vatican City | Itonama | ito | Bolivia |
| J | |||
| Japanese | 日本語 | ja (jpn) | Brazil, Japan, Palau |
| K | |||
| Kom | bkm | Argentina | Kreyòl | Chile |
| L | |||
| Leco | lec | Bolivia | Lokono | Guyana |
| Lombard | Lengua lombarda | lmo | Brazil |
| M | |||
| Machajuya-Kallaway | Bolivia | Machiner | Bolivia |
| Macushi | mbc | Guyana | Majeño-Trinitario | Bolivia |
| Maropa | Bolivia | Mawayana | mzx | Guyana |
| Mojeño-Ignaciano | Bolivia | Moquoit | Argentina |
| Mosetén | Bolivia | Movima | mzp | Bolivia |
| N | |||
| Neapolitan | Lengua napulitana | nap | Brazil | Nheengatu | ñe'engatú | yrl | Brazil |
| P | |||
| Pacawara | Bolivia | Patamona | pbc | Guyana |
| Pemon | kamarakotos | aoc | Guyana | Polish | język polski | pl (pol) | Austria, Brazil, Poland, Slovakia |
| Portuguese | português | pt (por) | Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome And Principe, Spain, Timor-Leste | Puquina | puq | Bolivia |
| Q | |||
| Quechua | Qhichwa simi | qu (que) | Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru |
| R | |||
| Romani | Romani chib | rom | Austria, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Norway, Poland, Slovakia |
| S | |||
| Sikiana-Kashuyana | Suriname | Sirionó | Bolivia |
| Spanish | español | es (spa) | Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, United States Of America, Uruguay, Venezuela | Sranan Tongo | Sranantongo | srn | Suriname |
| T | |||
| Tacana | tna | Bolivia | Talian | Talian | Brazil |
| Tapieté | tpj | Bolivia | Tiro-Tiriyó | Suriname |
| Toromona | Bolivia | Tucano | Dahseyé | tuo | Brazil |
| U | |||
| Ukrainian | українська мова | uk (ukr) | Brazil, Canada, Russia, Transnistria, Ukraine | Uru-Chipaya | Bolivia |
| V | |||
| Venetian | Vèneto | vec | Brazil |
| W | |||
| Waiwai | waw | Guyana, Suriname | Wapishana | wap | Guyana |
| Warao | wba | Guyana, Suriname | Wayana | way | Suriname |
| Weenhayek | Bolivia | Wichi | Argentina |
| Y | |||
| Yaminawa | yaa | Bolivia | Yuki | yuk | Bolivia |
| Yuracaré | yuz | Bolivia | |
| Z | |||
| Zamuco | Bolivia | ||
A world languages database documents every known language with the countries where it is spoken, its native script, ISO identification codes and speaker population. Unlike a dictionary, it maps the geographic distribution of human communication — helping professionals understand where a language is spoken, how many people use it and which ISO codes identify it in international standards. Our directory covers over 7,000 languages across all continents, from dominant global languages to minority tongues protected by regional law.
Languages are grouped into families sharing common ancestry. The Indo-European family covers English, Spanish, Hindi, French, Russian and Portuguese — spoken by over 3 billion people. The Sino-Tibetan family leads by speaker count, anchored by Mandarin's 1.1 billion users. The Afro-Asiatic family spans the Middle East and North Africa, while the Niger-Congo family represents sub-Saharan Africa's rich linguistic diversity. Understanding family relationships helps businesses use language proximity to reduce localisation costs in related markets.
Many countries operate with multiple official languages reflecting diverse populations. India recognises 22 scheduled languages — including Hindi, Bengali, Telugu and Tamil — making multilingual communication a daily commercial reality. South Africa has 11 co-official languages including Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans. Papua New Guinea hosts over 800 distinct languages among 9 million people, the world's highest linguistic density. Switzerland manages four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh — a model for efficient multilingual business and government services.
Each language uses a specific writing system critical for correct text rendering, font selection and digital content delivery. The Latin alphabet (English, Spanish, Swahili) is the world's most widely used script. Cyrillic serves Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian. Arabic script covers Arabic, Persian and Urdu — written right-to-left, requiring specific publishing and UI adaptations. Devanagari covers Hindi and Marathi. Correctly identifying writing systems is essential for software internationalisation (i18n), multilingual SEO and typographic design.
ISO 639 provides internationally recognised codes for every language. ISO 639-1 uses two-letter codes (e.g. en for English, fr for French). ISO 639-3 covers all known languages with three-letter codes. These are used in HTML lang attributes, API localisation parameters, translation management platforms and digital asset metadata — making them a direct reference for developers, localisation engineers and content managers.
Approximately 40% of the world's languages face extinction risk, many with fewer than 1,000 active speakers. When a language disappears, communities lose oral histories, localised knowledge and cultural identity. Governments, NGOs and technology firms invest in digital archiving and revitalisation programmes. For content and media businesses, tracking these languages reveals emerging niche markets and first-mover localisation advantages in underserved communities.
Disclaimer We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.