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English-Speaking Countries Quiz

Name the countries where more than 50% speak English as a first language.
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Enter answers in the area marked "Enter country here".

You can enter any answer, at any time - they don't have to be in order

Punctuation and capitalization don't matter on JetPunk.

%
Country
95.8
95.0
93.9
93.2
92.2
92.1
90.9
87.7
86.6
%
Country
85.9
80.6
78.7
78.0
77.6
70.2
63.1
56.9
Answer Stats
%
Country
% Correct
Your %
nawal23
+1
level 20
Nov 10, 2010
That's cuz you have the Aborigines in Australia
madcake45
+4
level 17
Oct 2, 2012
Haha. No. Aboriginal Languages are dying out at a rapid rate (200 every year) in Australia. The reason that English is so low is that Australia is a country of migrants. We take well over 50,000 migrants a year and during peak periods (WW1, WW2) entire communities were established (Vietnamese, Italians, Greeks). There are areas in Victoria were 80% of people come from a non- English speaking background.
burtviile
+2
level 79
Dec 17, 2013
That is funny nawal (if you have a morbid sense of humor), it's like saying the US is at 80% because of them Injuns.
kristy
+1
level 16
Jan 10, 2011
It's a very multicultural place in Australia.
wojtowicz
+1
level 14
Feb 5, 2011
There are very few Aborigines in Australia.
WoozyB
+1
level 28
Mar 11, 2011
Suriname? Has higher than Canada? I guess we really are multicultural.
Yong100
+2
level 10
Aug 25, 2013
some part of Canada 1st language is French
Swanseajoe
+1
level 20
Sep 1, 2013
Quebec is the city with the most percentage of french speakers, even more than paris!
redsplat
+2
level 70
Jan 21, 2015
Yes, very multicultural :) In Vancouver (2million people) half the households speak a language other than English at home, and over half the population was born in another country.
JackTheLad
+2
level 16
Apr 5, 2011
there is at least a million asians in australia
Jurryaany
+1
level 15
Apr 25, 2011
Yeah Suriname was a Dutch colony... I didn't know either. I'm Dutch :/
dudeman
+1
level 2
May 3, 2011
i forgot jamaica
snowywolf1020
+1
level 13
May 4, 2014
I thought they all spoke Jamaican.
TheQuizzler
+2
level 54
May 6, 2014
On the street they speak Jamaican Patois but they speak English in schools so everyone knows it.
katytheelf
+2
level 14
Jun 7, 2011
No it isn't 'cuz we have aboriginies' - they make up a tiny proportion of our population and most of them now speak english as a first language anyway. it's because we have a lot of migration. Remember the question in this quiz is not how many people speak english (in australia it would be in the 90%s) but how many speak it as a *first language* which counts out all our asian immigrants.
snowywolf1020
+1
level 13
May 4, 2014
which in NZ is a lot.
spazbhoy
+1
level 4
Jun 7, 2011
Where are you getting this data? There is no way only 53% list English as their first language in Canada. Even with the Fench in Quebec and the multicultural cities it has to be higher than that.
thirdeyeyes
+1
level 27
Apr 12, 2013
I was thinking the same thing but the Quebecois are almost a third of the whole population
kalbahamut
+2
level 73
May 8, 2013
Wikipedia says 57% speak English, 21% speak French, 20% speak some language other than French or English including Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Spanish, Russian etc. etc., and 0.6% speak indigenous languages like Inuit.
serval
+2
level 41
Jan 15, 2015
A lot of immigrant communities keep their languages when they come to Canada, much more so than in the US, for example. My parents are Italian immigrants here in Montreal, and even though I was born here my first language is Italian. Many people are like me.
NathanielMcVeagh
+1
level 35
Jun 10, 2011
I actually can't belive I forgot Ireland. *facepalm*
mountainsong
+1
level 34
Jun 20, 2011
15/17 i can't believe that i forgot suriname and guyana
KellyGeoGirl
+1
level 11
Aug 8, 2011
I had no idea about Suriname and Guyana. Interesting. Need to learn more about these countries
jadekelly
+1
level 29
Aug 22, 2011
Missed Guyana, Suriname and Belize. I would have thought the first two would have been French speaking, I can't say I know a lot about those countries though! Found this one tougher than the Spanish one though.
Jaq
+1
level 20
Aug 25, 2011
I missed Belize and St Vincent - I guessed most of them though. I would have thought that most of the caribbean spoke french..
ruudsje
+1
level 70
Aug 30, 2011
I can hardly believe Suriname is up there. Up to 20 languages are spoken in Suriname. Most of the people speak Dutch or the local Sranantongo.
Quizmaster
+1
level ∞
Aug 30, 2011
I removed Suriname. I researched it on Wikipedia. On one page, they said 55% speak English as a first language. However, on the main Suriname page, it says 60% speak Dutch as a first language. So, I'm going with that.
kalbahamut
+1
level 73
Feb 2, 2013
There are different conflicting definitions of what exactly a first or native language is. That may explain the discrepancy, or it could simply be bad data.
CapitalAce
+1
level 32
Sep 16, 2011
I don't know about Belize. It's true that English is the official language, but not many speak it. The CIA World Factbook has English at 3.?%, with Spanish at 46%.
Quizmaster
+1
level ∞
Sep 17, 2011
Here's my source for Belize: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population

It includes speakers of an English creole

LarryLovage
+1
level 59
Jan 24, 2015
If the speakers of that creole attemtped to have a conversation with me, I think it unlikely I would understand them. An English based creole isn't the same as English or speaking English as a 1st language.

I've never been to either place, but I do doubt the figures for Belize and Guyana.
urbanohno
+2
level 32
Apr 13, 2015
I've been to Belize and I spoke with everyone, no problem. We went to jungle, beach and towns. They get their TV from Florida.
Madison
+1
level 15
Oct 25, 2011
new zealands higher than australia? but there is way more people there and New Zealanders also have maori
NaturalGaz
+1
level 33
Jan 23, 2013
A. It's percentage, not total population. B. Maori make up about 14% of the population, of those, maybe 10% can speak fluent Maori.
GreenFriday
+1
level 73
Oct 13, 2015
Most Maori speak English as their first language, very few speak Maori at home. Also total number of people does not matter, it is a percentage.
Kahikatea
+1
level 59
Jul 5, 2018
I was surprised by the figures for New Zealand too. 14% not speaking English as their first language is only enough to cover Asian immigrants, but there would be plenty of Pacific Islanders in New Zealand for whom English is not their first language too
flarg789
+1
level 14
Nov 1, 2011
How the heck does Jamaica speak more English than Britain?
Nige
+1
level 40
Nov 10, 2014
Maybe the data is a little dated.... given the history of immigration into the UK, I would guess the answer now is closer to 90%, if not lower.
Jaq
+1
level 20
Nov 1, 2011
Madison - few maori speakers learn it as a first language. Also, Australia has a very high number of immigrants who continue to teach their children their native language before english
420anaitor
+1
level 22
Nov 22, 2011
When my friend returned from iceland he said he didn't encounter one person that didn't speak english
17cruzc
+1
level 65
Jun 26, 2015
Yes but Icelandic is their first language, and for most, English is the second.
LacsiraxAriscal
+1
level 29
Nov 29, 2011
Yes, but that will have been as a second language...
ErinS
+1
level 16
Nov 30, 2011
Woo 15/16 :) I missed Antigua and Barbuda :(
lottie
+1
level 9
Dec 7, 2011
flarg,have you any idea how many languages are spoken here in the UK and how many nationalities live here? I go to Jamaica a lot with my Jamaican-born husband and have only heard Chinese,English and Patois spoken.
Rittings
+1
level 19
Dec 21, 2011
Only 82% of Americans speak English... to be fair though... that's so low because of the deep south I guess... hehe.... :p
Jamesgoatcher
+1
level 58
Mar 5, 2015
More like immigrants living in southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
ijovecanada
+1
level 10
Dec 28, 2011
What about St.Lucia?
Nige
+1
level 40
Nov 10, 2014
That had a more French history than English, and the local creole is French-based.
PatTag2659
+1
level 37
Dec 30, 2011
Where's the Philippines? We always speak English. It is the 3rd English-speaking country.
PatTag2659
+1
level 37
Dec 30, 2011
In your quiz I mean
jyp
+1
level 48
Oct 13, 2015
I don't think more than 50% of people in the Philippines speak English as their first language.
Copper
+1
level 10
Feb 20, 2012
Doesn't surprise me that Jamaica has more than the UK. Everyone there speaks English, apart from immigrants, and who wants to emigrate to the murder capital of the world? Whereas in the UK a good 7% of our population speaks an Indian language as a first language. I knew about all the Carribean and Central American countries, since I listen to a lot of dancehall music and they all have variations of the stereotypical 'Jamaican' accent.
jadekelly
+1
level 29
Jul 24, 2012
Also I'm sure Welsh, Gaelic and other Celtic languages that are spoken as a first language over English in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland probably makes up a good portion of that 4.7% that don't speak English as their first language.
Nige
+1
level 40
Nov 10, 2014
Not as a FIRST language. In particular, Ulster Scots/Gaelic, Manx and Cornish have a tiny number of speakers. The second-ranked indigenous language is probably British Sign Language!
cariad
+1
level 44
May 24, 2015
Welsh is a first language for many in Wales, especially in North Wales.
ElHarisonio
+1
level 47
Oct 13, 2015
Welsh is the only viable thing here and it's a pretty insignificant proportion, around 16% of the Welsh population speak it fluently and that's not necessarily as a first language. I imagine it makes up about 0.4% of the UK population. The other languages are as good as dead, mostly have been revived so it's not possible to say for definite that they speak it correctly now. The 4.7% will mainly come from the 600,000 people who come to the UK every year (bear in mind this includes students approx. 1/3 who technically don't settle) and so will be a mix of European, Asian and African dialects.
Muffy
+1
level 14
Feb 24, 2012
suriname doesnt speak english they speak dutch
RyanSem
+1
level 39
Apr 2, 2012
If only I knew the names of more carribean islands!
indiavoyager
+1
level 12
Apr 11, 2012
19/20 ...missed Belize.. Easy quiz - I guessed UK and all it's former colonies, got most of them
Chestnuthare
+1
level 57
Jan 3, 2015
Same, I guessed all the island nations around north and south america and it went boom boom boom. Unfortunately I forgot about the Bahamas which is quite close to the spanish speaking islands
eac1949
+1
level 5
May 5, 2015
ALL of the former colonies?? Until its independence, Belize was known as British Honduras. The British army still is its only military.
DavidFW80
+1
level 46
Apr 7, 2016
It also has the BDF - Belize Defence Force, although they are generally just a bunch of Belizean dudes that wear uniform and chill out complaining about how hot it is to wear uniform in Belize!!
Bumblebrook
+1
level 21
Apr 21, 2012
16/16. I was surprised at Canada being so low, even with Quebec and it being their other language.
skillmaster9000
+1
level 49
Oct 13, 2015
What about Inuit and other indigenous languages?
JBrommit
+1
level 46
Oct 13, 2015
Inuktitut is spoken by most of Nunavut, BUT Nunavut has a mere 32,000 people compared to the rest of my country's 35-36 million people. And Quebec, our French-speaking province, has 8 million of that. Plus we have an assload of immigrants here who don't speak English as a first language.
Jiaozira
+1
level 57
Apr 24, 2016
The people not to speak English as the first language are the millions of Francophones, (around 9 million), Aboriginals, (almost 2 million) and Immigrants. These numbers may appear small compare to United States, but Canada has 34 million people and not 300 million.
PatoPotato
+1
level 40
Dec 30, 2015
Not the *only* one
RedWingGirl
+1
level 2
Apr 21, 2012
Hola. Mexico speaks some english.
ijovecanada
+1
level 10
May 5, 2012
I thought Dominica spoke English.
moose2
+1
level 7
Aug 3, 2012
I miss India - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population
ponnuki
+1
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
from the header of this quiz "where more than 50% speak English as a first language" - from the header of that Wikipedia page "including information on both native speakers and second-language speakers." Also, on that page India is given as 10.35%, which is well below 50%. Looking only at first-language speakers (as this quiz does), India scores around 0.02% according to that page.
Maxx
+1
level 3
Sep 30, 2012
i thought dominica spoke english too. saying to ijovecanada.
ponnuki
+1
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
There seems to be a French-based Creole that is common too. I guess common enough to push English under 50% first language.
sierraistheshiz
+1
level 22
Oct 11, 2012
Jamaica is a tourist country they have to speak English to get any business
DustyBottoms
+1
level 41
Oct 15, 2013
It has nothing to do with it being a tourist destination. They speak English with or wothout the tourists. They were a British colony.
bakainu
+1
level 56
Oct 3, 2016
Yeah, the world doesn't revolve around English speaking tourists. Thailand, Fiji, Cuba all seem to survive fine without it.
will14
+1
level 25
Nov 1, 2016
Sorry, but I'm English and have been to Thailand and Cuba
Nix418
+1
level 20
Oct 12, 2012
You forgot to put Malta here. 88% people there speak English cause it's one of the 2 official languages there.
DustyBottoms
+1
level 41
Oct 15, 2013
Yes, but not as a first language, which is what this quiz specifies. Maltese is the first language, but most also speak English.
ponnuki
+1
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
In numbers: first language speakers 86% Maltese, 12% English, 2% Italian; including second (third etc.) language speakers 98% Maltese, 88% English, 66% Italian, 17% French
rom016
+1
level 35
Nov 12, 2016
In that case we would need to include many more countries and what level of English counts. English has been a compulsory subject in Japan for a long time, but many can't string a spoken sentence together. I assume for the same reasons that many British people are in the same boat when it comes to their compulsory second language, however I believe the UK has dropped at as a requirement but individual schools can still enforce it.
redlassie
+1
level 7
Nov 18, 2012
not surprised at Guyana, as it was under British rule. I take it the Channel islands, and Gibraltar are not counted as separate countries from uk, even though they are many thousands of miles away from the main islands of uk?
Tinu
+1
level 44
Oct 13, 2015
Neither Gibraltar nor the Channel Islands have a separate legal subjectivity. Gibraltar is an Overseas territory of the UK (a direct successor of what used to be called Crown Colony), while the Channel Islands (and also the Isle of Man) have the peculiar position of being a Crown dependency (i.e. quasi-feudal appendix) of the English crown. this means the the islands are neither independent nor a part of the UK (or the EU). Since England ceased to be an independent nation itself in 1707, the islands are administered by the British crown which "swallowed" the English one, but are not a part of the UK's territory or jurisdiction.
ChipOtley
+1
level 70
Oct 26, 2015
thousands? That's a flipping wide channel
brandybuck96
+1
level 74
Nov 15, 2015
^Like
babansonia
+1
level 26
Dec 17, 2012
India had approximately 125,226,449 way back in 2001. These are people who function (work/school/govt) etc easily in English- in my experience and all the trips to India- even the common people can converse in English. I went to Paris once and no one would tell me where the bathroom was because I could not speak French- nor they English. In fact a few even turned their back when I spoke English. It's funny now but wasn't at the time.
kalbahamut
+1
level 73
Feb 2, 2013
re: Malta, India, and other countries too, presumably, like the Philippines... I assume they are using a more strict definition of "first language," such as the language spoken most commonly at home. While many people in these countries learn English in school and use English every day at work and can communicate just fine, and in some cases live in countries where English is an official language, in the strictest sense, it is not their first language.
kalbahamut
+1
level 73
Feb 2, 2013
I'm guessing that's why South Africa also failed to make the list.
Tecumseh94
+1
level 54
May 8, 2013
Yes a lot of people can speak English but there are hundreds of other languages that people in India speak as a first language. The percentage of people who speak English as a first language would be miniscule.
paula05
+1
level 33
Dec 19, 2012
14. not bad.
kalbahamut
+1
level 73
Feb 2, 2013
Seems impossible there are so many when you start, then seems easy once you start picking off all the Caribbean ones.
CHEESELWEESEL
+1
level 46
Feb 18, 2017
I agree,so true
Arancaytar
+1
level 16
Feb 20, 2013
I'd never ever have guessed that Jamaica was ahead of the UK.
kalbahamut
+1
level 73
May 8, 2013
Fewer immigrants going to Jamaica, and a much smaller and more concentrated population.
drowningmafiafish
+1
level 34
Apr 20, 2013
I got Guyana but somehow missed United States!
What
+1
level 32
May 8, 2013
So Ireland... are still quiet a few people speaking Gaelic?
DeusCaritasEst
+1
level 60
Jan 21, 2016
From what I learned when I visited a few years ago, almost everyone in Ireland CAN speak it--it's required to be taken in school, up through high school/upper levels. There are only a few areas where Irish (Gaelic) is primarily spoken, so the percentage of people that speak Gaelic and not English as their first language would, I imagine, be incredibly low. Ireland has a fair amount of immigrants from other countries as well.
danmcallen
+1
level 17
Dec 15, 2016
It's taught in schools here in the same way as French or Latin would be taught in schools. People leave school and stop caring to learn more and can't actually converse but know some phrases. This is only in some areas, other parts of the country nobody can speak a word.
gzx5
+1
level 52
Feb 19, 2017
Ireland has some immigrants but overall not that many.
Lemurlover3
+1
level 43
May 8, 2013
Fun quiz. I seemed to have forgotten the Caribbean.
4321
+1
level 45
May 9, 2013
It kind of funny that Jamaica has a higher rate of people who speak English as a first language, than the U.K., where English originated. I guess the other 5% are immigrants.
BeccaScorer20
+1
level 15
Nov 15, 2013
Not neccesarrily, a small per centage speak Gaelic in the UK
DeusCaritasEst
+1
level 60
Jan 21, 2016
There are a lot of immigrants in the U.K. though as well.
danmcallen
+1
level 17
Dec 15, 2016
Gaelic is spoken in Ireland, not in the UK.
BranOfTheNorth
+1
level 46
Dec 21, 2016
Scottish gaelic is another language in the gaelic family that is spoken in the UK if you want to get technical. Manx as well on the isle of man but that's an incredibly tiny number of speakers
Cigfran
+1
level 41
Feb 21, 2017
Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and a handful of speakers of Irish (in Northern Ireland) make up some of the non-English first language speakers.
idontlikeit2
+1
level 56
May 14, 2017
Jamaican English is actually a pidgin language/creole, and is difficult for American English/ Received Pronunciation speakers to understand.
bkbrowning
+1
level 44
Jun 20, 2017
Jamaicans speak both English and a creole language called Patwa (patois). English is the only official language.
sekai9
+1
level 10
May 9, 2013
Jamaica my friend.. I totally forgot that.
pantera69
+1
level 16
May 10, 2013
53% in Canada..at first I said to myself, "that is insanely wrong." Being Canadian, almost every one I know ONLY speaks english. Then I thought to myself, my god there are a lot of Asians in Vancouver. Yes, 53% is correct, because white people are now a minority in BC
Quizmaster
+1
level ∞
May 10, 2013
That's a partial explanation probably, but aren't you forgetting French Canada?
TSLiverpool
+1
level 28
Dec 18, 2013
53% is incorrect, actual number is 59% of Canadians speak English as a first language. Also, 73% of Canadians speak fluent English.
gzx5
+1
level 52
Feb 19, 2017
Exactly, that 53 percent number is wrong no doubt about it. Outside of Quebec and New Brunswick French is limited to small pockets becoming less and less common the further west you go in the country. Many of the people who are from or are descended from people who from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean can speak fluent English too.
mottmatt
+1
level 33
Jul 11, 2017
But is it also their first language?
GeographerCartographer
+1
level 16
Jun 20, 2013
I thought that Trinidad and Tobago spoke Spanish...
DustyBottoms
+1
level 41
Oct 15, 2013
Nope. Only about 5% speak Spanish. English is the official language but most speak a kind of Creole in their day to day lives.
buck1017
+1
level 73
Jul 25, 2017
Yep...in fact Jon Oliver made a commercial calling out the president of Trinidad and it aired on Trinidadian television. In English of course.
ConnorIsBoss
+1
level 16
Sep 4, 2013
How is the UK not first? We invented the language, it cant get much more english speaking than that
DeusCaritasEst
+1
level 60
Aug 20, 2015
I mean..."invented" is a strong word; English is a Germanic language, so its roots come from the European mainland. Modern English, perhaps, yes.
Djilas
+1
level 70
Jul 27, 2017
Shortest history of English language: "It was invented by the French."
WolfCam
+1
level 58
Sep 24, 2017
It was invented by the German... and the French... and the Romans.... English is weird
selah13
+1
level 39
Apr 29, 2016
My guess is that Wales, Scotland, N. Ireland might drive the number of English as a first language down. While I'm not certain, I think most Welsh speak Welsh as a first language. There's also probably a few Scots and Irish who speak Gaelic as a first language. Then there would also be the immigrants.
SilverFlute
+1
level 25
Jul 3, 2016
I have Welsh friends who learn it as a second language in school, along with French, Spanish and German! All Welsh speak English, excluding a few ancient hermits up in the Cambrian mountains.
danmcallen
+1
level 17
Dec 15, 2016
First language in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland is English. I'm from Northern Ireland and have never met someone who speaks fluent Gaelic. The Welsh from my experience sometimes can speak Welsh fluently, but it's certainly not a first language. It's the immigrants the drive the percentage down.
LeoVIllalba
+1
level 36
Jan 4, 2017
There's more Welsh speakers in Argentina than Wales, its a dying language as its not used by 99% of businesses in Wales. Those businesses who use Welsh to operate are themselves going out of business. Schools in Wales teach Welsh as a secondary language and is only required up to GCSE(SAT's, High school etc)
Cigfran
+1
level 41
Feb 21, 2017
@LeoVIllalba Welsh is spoken by about 20% of the population (a figure that is fairly static at the mo) and if you go to the north west or south west of the country, most people speak the language as a first language.
Cigfran
+1
level 41
Feb 21, 2017
Jeez! Rather ignorant about your own country. Never heard of Welsh, or Scottish Gaelic? Or never heard all the Polish spoken around these days?
PjotrL
+1
level 60
Jul 29, 2017
How about the million plus Polish and Lithuanians who certainly don't have English as a first language?
theguy316
+1
level 45
Sep 24, 2017
we are a very multi cultural society now and not every one of the people living here use English as a FIRST language the ones listed higher have fewer other cultures living there and so there are fewer other languages spoken. lets not forget within the uk we also have welsh, gaelic and also the irish language spoken as well as languages brought other from other nations
George12ISL
+1
level 15
Sep 13, 2013
South Africa, not in list? I always miss Barbados... 13/16 from the first try.
BeccaScorer20
+1
level 15
Nov 15, 2013
Cannot beleive that there is a higher per centage of English speakers in Jamaica than in the country where the language derived from. Mind=Blown!
akbadry
+1
level 39
Sep 24, 2017
Because there's far more foreigners in the UK than in Jamaica...so many in the UK have English as a second language
ButterKnife
+1
level 14
Dec 19, 2013
South Africa and India are not accepted as answers
idontlikeit2
+2
level 56
May 14, 2017
I wonder why...
CoolDood
+3
level 20
Jan 26, 2014
What about Kiribati. 37 percent is Gilbertese, 63 percent is English.
theguy316
+1
level 45
Sep 24, 2017
Gibraltar is classed as part of the UK as are the Fawkland Islands they are not sovereign nations in there own right but are overseas territories of UK
skillmaster9000
+3
level 49
Sep 24, 2017
What does that have to do with Kiribati?
Gigalol12
+6
level 48
Sep 24, 2017
Gilbertese isnt language in gibraltar Its language in Kiribati dude
HailLaure
+2
level 9
Apr 25, 2014
How in the world in Canada only 53% what?? Is this just as your first language? Even then... I know we're suppose to be a bilingual country but it's only an unfortunate minority that speaks french and I don't think a lot of our First Nations speak their own language before English...
ponnuki
+2
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
Yes, it's first language only, read the introduction. Wikipedia gives 60% English, 23% French, 3% Chinese (mostly Cantonese) and a bit over 1% each for Punjabi, Spanish, German and Italian.
gzx5
+1
level 52
Feb 13, 2018
I live in Canada and can tell you that number is wrong. Plus wikipedia isn't really a reliable source. The French are mostly in Quebec and while we have many immigrants, in fact too many, English as a first language is still more than 53 percent.
Milanthro
+6
level 50
Oct 13, 2015
Unfortunate minority? French speaking Canada: Quebec and french minorities in the rest of the country make up roughly 25% of canada. On the contrary, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales combined make up less than 16% of the UK's population. French speakers in Canada make up a more substantial percentage than Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish peoples in the UK.
lazyhoser
+4
level 22
Apr 8, 2017
Come to Quebec where millions of Canadians live. French does not feel like a minority here in Quebec.
MrBeast6000
+6
level 43
Sep 24, 2017
Many people in Canada were born in another country.
HailLaure
+1
level 9
Apr 25, 2014
Ya google says 77% of Canadians speak English natively so I don't know where the 52% is coming from. And how does UK have more native English speakers, living next to all the European countries, then US?
smartguy2
+3
level 54
Sep 25, 2017
77% speak English, but not as a first language. Since many Canadians are immigrants, English counts as a second language, not a first. Wherever they came from is they're first language.
divantilya
+1
level 39
Feb 25, 2018
That's just the point. The UK is separated from the main land by a sea. I don't find it unusual at all that English is their predominant language. what I can't fathom is why Saint Lucia isn't on this quiz.l
Miqueas
+1
level 66
Apr 30, 2014
Hey what about Liberia?
DasCreamy109
+2
level 53
Sep 13, 2017
If the country does not fit the criteria, it will usually not be among the answers.
nonono
+3
level 77
Sep 25, 2017
English is the official language of Liberia, but spoken by only about 20% of the population. No need to be snide.
pjsantos26
+1
level 13
May 1, 2014
hey yow!!!! where is the PHILIPPINES! kindly please edit your Quiz... kinda so embarassing to every filipinos.....
Cigfran
+2
level 41
Feb 21, 2017
There are loads of languages spoken in Philippines AS A FIRST LANGUAGE, not just English.
lazyhoser
+3
level 22
Apr 8, 2017
If all of the countries where English was spoken by a majority were included, this would be a very long quiz. It's about first-language stats.
DasCreamy109
+3
level 53
Sep 13, 2017
Don't you guys learn Tagalog first or something?
pjsantos26
+1
level 13
May 1, 2014
you forgot india too
DasCreamy109
+3
level 53
Sep 13, 2017
He actually did not.
Quizmaster
+6
level ∞
May 1, 2014
India, Philippines, Liberia? In none of these countries do 50% of the people speak English as a first language. In fact, in Philippines and India it's less than 1%.
snowywolf1020
+1
level 13
May 4, 2014
I got 3! YAY!
Theref
+2
level 32
May 4, 2014
How do 100% of people in ENGLAND not speak English? And surely E, S, W and NI should be separate. We don't really identify ourselves as one nation much
Nige
+1
level 40
Nov 10, 2014
I don't want to appear un-PC, but have you spent much time in London, Bradford, Leicester.... and even here in Somerset, we have many Poles, as well as families of Chinese and Indian sub-continent origin.
anavil1234
+1
level 41
Apr 13, 2016
Yes, I am a British Indian! Leicester, London, Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester etc are very diverse!
DeusCaritasEst
+1
level 60
Aug 20, 2015
Yes, even from the short time I have spent in Ireland/the U.K. (Ireland and parts of Northern Ireland) was I able to gather that they have a VERY diverse population, much more so than the very American state/major city I live in! Also, I really tried to not say anything to the "identifying as one nation" comment, but besides the fact that England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales are not sovereign nations (as per the usual response to such questions on this site), I'm betting Ireland/NI at least would have a little something to say about whether identifying themselves as part of the nation of the U.K. is an important issue or not...
Cigfran
+2
level 41
Feb 21, 2017
The answer is the UK, not England. In the UK, there are indigenous languages spoken in Wales and Scotland. And there are also significant immigrant communities.
Djilas
+1
level 70
Jul 27, 2017
Immigrants are ressponsible for most of it, not much native Welsh/Gaelic speakers left
DasCreamy109
+2
level 53
Sep 13, 2017
Sorry Theref, everyone else identifies you guys as one country.
kido
+1
level 13
May 12, 2014
it says "Name the countries where more than 50% speak English as a first language." FIRST LANGUAGE" so India and Philippines are not in the list..
UKIPhater
+1
level 14
May 26, 2014
Suriname isn't on here.
ponnuki
+9
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
Nor is Mongolia.
anavil1234
+1
level 41
Apr 13, 2016
hahahaha!
sleekcollins
+1
level 56
Aug 27, 2016
Brilliant response!
WillAppleBook
+1
level 13
May 27, 2017
Suriname is 55%
divantilya
+1
level 39
Feb 25, 2018
It shouldn't be. The first language of Surinamers is Dutch; the second a version of Tagalog. The comes English.
Aar0nC
+1
level 14
May 29, 2014
Like how I got Barbados and not Ireland.
kazan
+1
level 17
Jun 6, 2014
yeah..11/16.... I'm very much aware that Caribbean nations speak English..but I'm a little bit surprised with Belize and Guyana..I thought they speak Spanish and French respectively...I was retyping India and Philippines for a thought of misspelling but how come they're not in the list.
ponnuki
+2
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
As written elsewhere in this section: Those countries have many English speakers, but many of them speak it as their second (or even third) language.
bkbrowning
+2
level 44
Mar 13, 2017
Belize and Guyana were former British colonies. They definitely speak English. You might be getting Guyana (formerly British Guiana) confused with French Guiana, which is still a part of France.
lemonzzz
+1
level 9
Jun 23, 2014
WHAT?! I was surpised at Jamaica.
jayj
+1
level 20
Aug 10, 2014
What a noob I am- missed the great canada
deanbeany
+1
level 34
Aug 19, 2014
You should add Singapore. Since they teach english as first language.
ponnuki
+3
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
Numbers for Singapore (according to Wikipedia): 50% Mandarin Chinese, 32% English, 12% Malay, 3% Tamil (3% other languages)
Dyno88
+1
level 26
Aug 26, 2014
I aced it with time to spare
daffad
+1
level 20
Nov 12, 2014
yeah, finished with 2:24!
daffad
+1
level 20
Nov 12, 2014
where is Suriname on this list??
ponnuki
+2
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
The major language in Suriname is Dutch, not English.
ander217
+1
level 73
Sep 24, 2017
This is one time where it pays to be old. When I was in school we learned those South American countries as Dutch Guiana, French Guiana, and British Guiana. Also at that time Belize was called British Honduras.
stockiebasher97
+1
level 57
Nov 20, 2014
I saw that UK had second Highest English rate and thought ' Is there some kind of Super-English I've never heard of'
evacooper
+1
level 56
Dec 17, 2014
didnt know all these small countries speak it too. when i moved to israel everyone thought i was american because i speak english, and i was like: dude! there are like 7 countries that have english as the main language! and it's not my mother-tongue...
LarryLovage
+1
level 59
Jul 3, 2016
Maybe you shouldn't have said "like, dude"...
pldorota
+1
level 55
Jan 21, 2015
missing st lucia, dominica, nigeria ,
bkbrowning
+1
level 44
Mar 13, 2017
A large number of people in St. Lucia and Dominica actually speak a French creole in addition to English, probably why they don't appear on this list and I believe for most Nigerians English would be their second language.
Shade9099
+1
level 48
Feb 21, 2018
And Lithuania...and New York...and Malaysia...
fh2796
+1
level 52
Jan 24, 2015
What about Malta?
ponnuki
+1
level 55
Oct 13, 2015
Only 12% first language speakers, majority has Maltese as their first language.
stockiebasher97
+1
level 57
Feb 7, 2015
Sorry, more people know that the USA has English as it's first language, when the UK started using it AND gave it to America!!! What is wrong with some people
Loebas
+1
level 16
Mar 13, 2015
Where is Nigeria?
TheWombat
+6
level 71
May 5, 2015
Between Benin and Cameroon, last I looked...
MagentaDog790
+1
level 38
Jul 5, 2015
+1
DeusCaritasEst
+1
level 60
Aug 20, 2015
Just wanted to give an update on Nigeria's location; it appears to still be between Benin and Cameroon.
Quizzer6794
+1
level 57
Sep 29, 2015
Second update: ok, it's the same
Gyrenaica
+1
level 33
Oct 13, 2015
and under Niger
Jewbacca
+1
level 3
Jun 24, 2015
I thought South Africa would have been on here.
niggdos12
+1
level 21
Jul 31, 2015
what about south africa?
Quizmaster
+1
level ∞
Aug 1, 2015
They have 11 different official languages. The most common first languages are Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans. English is in 4th place, with about 10% speaking it as a first language.
kolp
+1
level 71
Sep 7, 2015
+ I doubt even half the total population actually speaks any English.
sillie
+1
level 79
Oct 13, 2015
Just remember that a person can have more than one "first language". I would be utterly unable to say if I learned Finnish or Swedish first, I grew up with both. Some grow up with three or even more languages. I'd imagine that's often the case in New Zealand with Maori for example.
dasubergeek
+1
level 66
Oct 13, 2015
Same here, but with English and French.
anavil1234
+1
level 41
Apr 13, 2016
Yes, you're right. I am Indian but I grew up in Britain. I learnt Gujarati and English first simultaneously as at home and with family and friends I would always speak Gujarati but at school I would speak English to other pupils and teachers. Then on I learnt Hindi, French, German and others as well. Some I can speak fluently and some are basic/intermediate skills e.g. understanding, speaking, listening ,reading etc
mapman04
+1
level 22
Oct 13, 2015
wooow most of them were caribeian countries
rawe
+1
level 50
Oct 13, 2015
My best try is in 10 seconds (03:50 left)
Santos1888
+1
level 14
Oct 28, 2015
Damn, this really tests your knowledge of the Caribbean
tom88
+1
level 65
Feb 23, 2016
got most of em. was surprised by guyana and belize. I just assumed they would have more Spanish as a first language
bkbrowning
+1
level 44
Mar 13, 2017
Guyana and Belize, just like much of the Caribbean countries were former British colonies, hence why the majority speak English as their 1st language. Belize has a significant Spanish-speaking population, but that is mostly from immigration from neighbouring countries.
osezzz
+1
level 10
Apr 27, 2016
15/16 on first try. I'm impressed
Chunkydonkey
+1
level 49
May 10, 2016
Surprised of being Australia so low - and surprised of finding 100%!!!
lucd13
+1
level 61
Sep 25, 2017
Australia has a rather high immigration rate and, because there is no official language of the country, there is no requirement to learn the language for residency or citizenship. Also, due to the 'multicultural' political attitude, many immigrant pockets have been created, where you'll find it hard to ever hear English - not only in the capitals, but a smattering of country towns, too.
Mamahomes
+1
level 10
May 31, 2016
Wales???
LarryLovage
+1
level 59
Jul 3, 2016
Still part of the UK, last time I checked.
ManUtd101420
+1
level 35
Jul 8, 2016
BELIZE!!!!!!!!
CHEESELWEESEL
+1
level 46
May 20, 2017
CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!
JBrommit
+1
level 46
Aug 5, 2016
Missed Guyana. For some reason I keep thinking they speak French there. And yes, a lot of Canadians speak French (not me though, aside from what we took in school) or are immigrants, so that number doesn't surprise me. Go to Toronto, you'll barely hear anyone speaking English in the street or on the subway/bus. Native-born English-speaking Canadians are now in the minority there. And then need I mention all of the big province of Quebec (outside Montreal) in regards to "Who DOESN'T natively speak English"? And then in Eastern Ontario around Ottawa and the Ontario-Quebec border, bilingualism is REALLY REALLY REALLY common. Like, literally everyone I have ever met from Ottawa (a lot. I travelled there a ton when I was a kid and have several friends and family there) spoke fluent English AND French. You basically need to be bilingual there to get any half-decent job.
Alex1sk1ng
+1
level 31
Sep 22, 2016
Isn't Ireland part of the UK?
duralict
+1
level 40
Dec 10, 2016
The country of Ireland isn't. The territory of Northern Ireland is.
JBezz
+1
level 39
Sep 22, 2016
How can Belize be on the Spanish speaking country list if over 60% of it people speak English (which is the official language)?
Melodious
+1
level 22
Oct 5, 2016
Singapore's official language is English.
LeoVIllalba
+1
level 36
Jan 4, 2017
Very surprised Nigeria isnt on here, their First Language is English.
Cigfran
+1
level 41
Feb 21, 2017
Think you're confusing official language with first language. Nigeria's official language is English, but that doesn't mean that everyone grows up speaking it as the very first language they learn - there are lots of languages in Nigeria indigenous to West Africa, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa for starters.
UMCPGreg
+1
level 61
Jan 25, 2017
Look at this wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population, it's unclear why Jamaica gets in and Liberia doesn't. What's your source?
Djilas
+1
level 70
Jul 27, 2017
QUIZ: "Name the countries where more than 50% speak English as a first language."

WIKI: "The following is a list of English-speaking population by country, including information on both native speakers and second-language speakers."
calvord
+1
level 63
Apr 21, 2017
India has the largest English-speaking population. Consider adding it.
joeythelemur
+1
level 75
Dec 4, 2017
But that's not what this quiz is about.
naughtynick
+1
level 35
May 21, 2017
Didn't get Belize, was trying to remember all old British colonies and forgot it ! Incidentally, the UK has no official languages.
WillAppleBook
+1
level 13
May 27, 2017
According to Wikipedia, Nauru is 92% first language English speakers, so why is it not included?
Quizmaster
+1
level ∞
Jul 25, 2017
Fixed
bioboi07
+1
level 32
Jun 29, 2017
How about Singapore?
Djilas
+1
level 70
Jul 31, 2017
Only a tiny minority speaks English as the FIRST language.
epicdjyoshi
+1
level 31
Jul 3, 2017
Australia, how
mahble
+1
level 59
Jul 13, 2017
I forgot Canada... Why... Why am I so bad....
Liechenstien
+1
level 21
Jul 16, 2017
I didn't know that Jamaica, Belize, Guyana, and other central american countries predominately spoke English... interesting...
MarcusStone
+1
level 22
Jul 29, 2017
What about Malta?
Djilas
+1
level 70
Jul 31, 2017
Read instructions again, not everyone who speaks English counts.
masabi
+1
level 69
Sep 24, 2017
I very strongly disagree on nauruans speaking english as their FIRST language.
jajaco2017
+1
level 51
Sep 24, 2017
Malta ?
fitheach
+1
level 56
Sep 25, 2017
Maltese is the most spoken FIRST language.
Blubble
+1
level 23
Nov 26, 2017
this quiz is #$#@^%$^&$^%
Cameron18
+1
level 19
Nov 26, 2017
this is bullshit
leni
+1
level 55
Mar 16, 2018
Isn't it interesting that over 63 million people in the USA do NOT speak English as their first language, yet they have so many people insisting that English should be spoken by everyone, everywhere!!! I'm proud that my first language was NOT English, and that I am now fluent in two languages, and can understand three more. Total: 5
Thomas739945
+1
level 15
Mar 17, 2018
If you added Guyana and Suriname, how did you not add Liberia?
ElSharif
+1
level 33
Apr 26, 2018
Sorry, Canada :(
TrickyTramTracks
+1
level 23
Apr 26, 2018
Everyone speaks English in Singapore!
secretkeeper
+1
level 3
Jun 5, 2018
Yeah, it's official language, like Chinese and Malay, right?
quiantaene
+1
level 31
Aug 7, 2018
Never thought Nauru spoke English!
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