What languages are spoken in England?
English is the main language of England, spoken by almost everyone. However, many other languages are also spoken, including Polish, Romanian, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati and Arabic, reflecting the country's diverse population.
English developed from the languages of Germanic tribes, the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, who settled in England from the fifth century. It was later influenced by Old Norse and by Norman French after 1066.
Modern English has many regional accents and dialects, such as Scouse in Liverpool, Geordie in Newcastle and Cockney in London.
Other languages
Cornish, a Celtic language, was once widely spoken in Cornwall. It died out as a community language around the late 1700s but has been revived, and some people now learn and speak it.
According to the 2021 census, Polish and Romanian were among the most common main languages after English in England. In London, hundreds of languages are spoken.
British Sign Language is used by many deaf people and was recognized as an official language of Great Britain by law in 2022. Welsh and Scottish Gaelic are spoken in Wales and Scotland, but are rarely heard in England.