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Best language for family and heritage

Best languages to learn for family and heritage

Many people learn a language to talk to a partner, in-laws, grandparents or their own heritage. The best language is the one a person you love speaks.

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Updated · by the 4ToSpeak team

How we ranked them

We ranked languages by how many English-speaking households have a family link to them and how quickly an English speaker can reach conversational level.

The 8 best languages, ranked

  1. 1. Spanish

    Closest to English · about 700 hours

    Spoken in a large share of US households, and one of the quickest languages to learn.

    Learn Spanish · How long it takes

  2. 2. Italian

    Closest to English · about 700 hours

    A common family heritage in North America and Australia.

    Learn Italian · How long it takes

  3. 3. Portuguese

    Closest to English · about 700 hours

    Brazilian and Portuguese families, with a language close to Spanish.

    Learn Portuguese · How long it takes

  4. 4. Hindi

    Harder · about 1,100 hours

    Large Indian communities worldwide, and spoken Hindi also helps with Urdu.

    Learn Hindi · How long it takes

  5. 5. Chinese

    Hardest · about 2,200 hours

    Large communities of Chinese speakers; Mandarin and Cantonese differ, so check which your family speaks.

    Learn Chinese · How long it takes

  6. 6. Tagalog

    Harder · about 1,100 hours

    A friendly community and many borrowed words make early progress feel good.

    Learn Tagalog · How long it takes

  7. 7. Korean

    Hardest · about 2,200 hours

    Korean-speaking families and fans of Korean culture can start with Hangul in days.

    Learn Korean · How long it takes

  8. 8. Arabic

    Hardest · about 2,200 hours

    Spoken at home in many families; ask which dialect before you start.

    Learn Arabic · How long it takes

Tips for getting there faster

  • Learn the family's own sentences first: greetings, food, how are you, thank you for dinner.
  • Ask them to correct you. Relatives are usually delighted and patient.
  • Practise saying the phrases aloud before visiting, so they come out naturally.

Still torn between two?

Compare the finalists head to head:

FAQ

Questions, answered

Still stuck? support@4tospeak.com

What are the best languages to learn for family and heritage?

Choose the language your family speaks. For people who are open to any language, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese are the easiest to learn and the most likely to have a speaker in your life.

Which is the easiest of these languages to learn?

Spanish is the quickest on this list for an English speaker, at about 700 hours to working proficiency (roughly 3.8 years at 30 minutes a day).

How do I choose between them?

Pick the one that matches where you will use it and what you enjoy. Motivation beats the difference in difficulty over months of study. If you cannot decide, try a week of 15 minutes a day in your top two and keep the one you look forward to.

Can I start for free?

Yes. 4ToSpeak has a free plan with no card and no time limit. Every sentence goes through ordering, translating, listening and saying it out loud.

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