What language is the most commonly spoken in the world?

• A. English
• B. Spanish
• C. Mandarin
• D. Hindi

Answer: (C)

Number of native speakers determines the most commonly spoken language. Mandarin Chinese has the largest number of people who speak it as their first language, thanks to China’s huge population. Estimates put native Mandarin speakers around 900 million to about 1 billion, mainly in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and in Chinese communities around the world. That large base makes Mandarin the language with the most native speakers overall. English, Spanish, and Hindi are very widespread, but when counting people who learn a language as a second language as well, English often reaches a higher total count. The question here is about native speakers, which is why Mandarin is the best answer.