Using U.S. Census data, WordFinderX identified the most commonly spoken language in each state once English and Spanish are removed from the equation.
Of the 195 countries in the world, most recognize at least one official language—but linguistic diversity often extends far beyond what’s written into law. In the United States, English is the most widely spoken language nationwide, followed closely by Spanish. But once those two are removed from the mix, a much more diverse linguistic landscape emerges across individual states.
So if you DO remove English and Spanish from the mix, what’s the NEXT most commonly spoken language in each state? WordFinderX decided to find out.
It appears that WordFinderX is, in so many words (you see what I did there?), a site to help you do well at word games. They created a jumble solver tool for people who like to play Scrabble, Scrabble Go, Words With Friends, etc. They also have a tool for crossword puzzles.
But along with helping you finish the New York Times crossword puzzle ;-), WordFinderX’s blog covers a variety of word-related topics. They’ve covered things such as the global origins of town names, the most-translated artist and song from every country, and the most mispronounced names. And recently, they delved in to discover the most commonly spoken language (besides English and Spanish) in every state.
Their Methodology
WordFinderX analyzed detailed household language data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to census estimates, at least 350 languages are spoken in homes across the United States, making it one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world.
Most spoken languages by state
Once English and Spanish are excluded, the most commonly spoken languages vary widely by region.
- German, by far, is the most commonly spoken language — it’s spoken in 13 states.
- Second is French, which is spoken in the far Northeast, as well as Maryland, the Carolinas, and (not surprisingly) Louisiana — a total of 7 states, plus Washington, D.C.
- Chinese is the most commonly spoken language in 6 states.
- Portuguese is the most commonly spoken language in 5 states.
- Arabic is the most commonly spoken language in 4 states.
- Vietnamese is the most commonly spoken language in 3 states.
- Korean and Navajo are both the most commonly spoken language in 2 states each.
- Aleut, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Japanese, Polish, Russian, and Tagalog are the most commonly spoken languages in just 1 state each.
Created with mapchart.net // Source: WordFinderX
Click here to see WordFinderX’s larger version of this map, including more detail.
Most spoken language by city
WordFinderX also broke its analysis down into the most commonly spoken languages (besides English and Spanish) by city. They have maps for the Western U.S., the Southwest, the Midwest, the Southeast, and the Northeast (don’t let that moniker fool you — it includes the Mid-Atlantic states, too). And because New York City is probably the biggest melting pot in the country, they separated out NYC, as well.
Or you can see all of them on this page of WordFinderX’s website.
Together, the state- and city-level maps highlight just how linguistically diverse the United States really is. While English and Spanish dominate nationwide, many communities maintain strong ties to other languages—often shaped by immigration patterns, history, and regional culture.
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