View source for Languages of Africa

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{{For|the 1963 book|The Languages of Africa{{!}}''The Languages of Africa''}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
[[File:Map of African language families.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|A rough overview of language families spoken in Africa:
{{legend|#D8CC6B|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] }}
{{legend|#35256E|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (possibly a family)}}
{{legend|#A33929|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (some areas may not belong)}}
{{space|4}}{{Legend inline|#C05545|[[Bantu languages|Bantu]]}}
{{legend|#2FA7E8|[[Khoisan languages|Khoisan]] (not a family)}}
{{legend|#7DE647|[[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]]}}
{{legend|#FBFF36|[[Austronesian languages|Austronesian]]}}
]]

The number of languages natively spoken in [[Africa]] is variously estimated (depending on the delineation of [[language]] vs. [[dialect]]) at between 1,250 and 2,100,<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Heine|Nurse|2000}}</ref> and by some counts at over 3,000.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XkkrDH27jmIC&pg=PR9 |title=The Language of African Literature |publisher=Africa World Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-86543-534-0 |editor-last=Epstein |editor-first=Edmund L. |page=ix |quote=Africa is incredibly rich in language—over 3,000 indigenous languages by some counts, and many creoles, pidgins, and lingua francas. |access-date=2011-06-23 |editor2-last=Kole |editor2-first=Robert}}</ref> [[Nigeria]] alone has over 500 languages (according to [[SIL Ethnologue]]),<ref>{{cite web |title=Ethnologue report for Nigeria |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=nigeria |work=Ethnologue Languages of the World}}</ref> one of the greatest concentrations of linguistic diversity in the world. The '''languages of Africa''' belong to many distinct [[Language family|language families]], among which the largest are:

*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], which include the large [[Atlantic-Congo]] and [[Bantu languages|Bantu branches]] in [[West Africa|West]], [[Central Africa|Central]], [[Southeast Africa|Southeast]] and [[Southern Africa]].
*[[Afroasiatic languages]] are spread throughout [[Western Asia]], [[North Africa]], the [[Horn of Africa]] and parts of the [[Sahel]].
*[[Saharan languages|Saharan]], [[Nilotic languages|Nilotic]] and [[Central Sudanic languages|Central Sudanic]] languages (grouped under the hypothetical [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] macro-family), are present in East Africa and [[Sahel]].
*[[Austronesian languages]] are spoken in [[Madagascar]] and parts of the [[Comoros]].
*[[Khoe–Kwadi languages]] are spoken mostly in [[Namibia]] and [[Botswana]].
*[[Indo-European languages]], while not indigenous to Africa, are spoken in [[South Africa]] and [[Namibia]] ([[Afrikaans]], [[English language|English]], [[German language|German]]) and are used as [[lingua francas]] in [[Liberia]] and the [[British Empire#Wind of change|former colonies of the United Kingdom]] ([[English language|English]]), [[Françafrique|former colonies of France]] and of [[Belgian Empire|Belgium]] ([[African French|French]]), [[Portuguese-speaking African countries|former colonies of Portugal]] ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]), [[Italian Empire|former colonies of Italy]] ([[Italian language|Italian]]), [[Spanish Empire#Territories in Africa (1885–1975)|former colonies of Spain]] ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]) and the current Spanish territories of [[Ceuta]], [[Melilla]] and the [[Canary Islands]] and the current French territories of [[Mayotte]] and [[La Réunion]].

There are several other small families and [[language isolate]]s, as well as [[creole language|creoles]] and languages that have [[Unclassified language|yet to be classified]]. In addition, Africa has a wide variety of [[sign language]]s, many of which are language isolates.

Around a hundred languages are widely used for interethnic communication. These include [[Varieties of Arabic|Arabic]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]], [[Amharic]], [[Oromo language|Oromo]], [[Igbo language|Igbo]], [[Somali language|Somali]], [[Hausa language|Hausa]], [[Manding languages|Manding]], [[Fulani language|Fulani]] and [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]], which are spoken as a second (or non-first) language by millions of people. Although many African languages are used on the radio, in newspapers and in primary-school education, and some of the larger ones are considered [[national language]]s, only a few are [[official language|official]] at the national level. In Sub-Saharan Africa, most official languages at the national level tend to be colonial languages such as French, Portuguese, or English.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oluwole |first=Victor |date=2021-09-12 |title=A comprehensive list of all the English-speaking countries in Africa |url=https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/a-comprehensive-list-of-all-the-english-speaking-countries-in-africa/hdp1610 |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=Business Insider Africa |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stein-Smith |first=Kathleen |date=2022-03-17 |title=Africa and the French language are growing together in global importance |url=http://theconversation.com/africa-and-the-french-language-are-growing-together-in-global-importance-179224 |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yates |first=Y |title=How Many People Speak Portuguese, And Where Is It Spoken? |url=https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/how-many-people-speak-portuguese-and-where-is-it-spoken |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=Babbel Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

The [[African Union]] declared 2006 the "Year of African Languages".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0001850/index.php |title=African Union Summit 2006: Khartoum, Sudan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060530020735/http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0001850/index.php |archive-date= 2006-05-30 |publisher=Southern African Regional Poverty Network}}</ref>

==Language groups==
[[File:Map of African languages.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|Clickable map showing the traditional language families, subfamilies and major languages spoken in Africa]]
Most languages natively spoken in Africa belong to one of the two large [[Language family|language families]] that dominate the continent: [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]], or [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]. Another hundred belong to smaller families such as [[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]], [[Nilotic languages|Nilotic]], [[Saharan languages|Saharan]], and the various families previously grouped under the umbrella term [[Khoisan languages|Khoisan]]. In addition, the languages of Africa include several [[unclassified languages]] and [[sign languages]].

The earliest Afroasiatic languages are associated with the [[Capsian culture]], the Saharan languages are linked with the Khartoum Mesolithic/Neolithic cultures. Niger-Congo languages are correlated with the west and central African [[Hoe-farming|hoe-based farming traditions]] and the Khoisan languages are matched with the south and southeastern [[Wilton culture]].<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Language |volume=61 |issue=3–4 |year=1985 |publisher=Linguistic Society of America |page=695 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sG8KAQAAMAAJ|access-date=31 January 2017 |last=Bender |first=M. Lionel |title=Review of Ehred & Posnansky (eds.), ''The archaeological and linguistic reconstruction of African history''|doi=10.2307/414395 |jstor=414395 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Afroasiatic languages===
{{Main|Afroasiatic languages}}
[[Afroasiatic languages]] are spoken throughout [[North Africa]], the [[Horn of Africa]], [[Western Asia]] and parts of the [[Sahel]]. There are approximately 375 Afroasiatic languages spoken by over 400 million people. The main subfamilies of Afroasiatic are [[Berber languages|Berber]], [[Chadic languages|Chadic]], [[Cushitic languages|Cushitic]], [[Omotic languages|Omotic]], [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] and [[Semitic languages|Semitic]]. The [[Afroasiatic Urheimat]] is uncertain. The family's most extensive branch, the Semitic languages (including [[Arabic]], [[Amharic]] and [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] among others), is the only branch of Afroasiatic that is spoken outside Africa.<ref>{{cite book |first=Christopher |last=Ehret |chapter=Language and History |isbn=0-521-66629-5|page=290|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C7XhcYoFxaQC&pg=PA290|access-date=12 March 2018 |editor-last1=Heine |editor-first1=Bernd |editor-last2=Nurse |editor-first2=Derek |year=2000 |title=African Languages: An Introduction |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref>

Some of the most widely spoken Afroasiatic languages include [[Arabic language|Arabic]] (a Semitic language, and a recent arrival from West Asia), [[Somali language|Somali]] (Cushitic), [[Berber languages|Berber]] (Berber), [[Hausa language|Hausa]] (Chadic), [[Amharic]] (Semitic) and [[Oromo language|Oromo]] (Cushitic). Of the world's surviving language families, Afroasiatic has the longest written history, as both the [[Akkadian language]] of Mesopotamia and [[Egyptian language|Ancient Egyptian]] are members.

===Nilo-Saharan languages===
{{Main|Nilo-Saharan languages}}

[[Nilo-Saharan languages]] are a proposed grouping of some one hundred diverse languages. Genealogical linkage between these languages has failed to be conclusively demonstrated, and support for the proposal is sparse among linguists.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Lyle |last1=Campbell  |first2=Mauricio J. |last2=Mixco |title=A Glossary of Historical Linguistics |year=2007 |publisher=University of Utah Press |isbn=9780874808926}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=P.H. |last=Matthews |title=Oxford Concise Dictionary of Linguistics |year=2014 |publisher=OUP Oxford |edition=3rd |isbn=9780199675128}}</ref> The languages share some unusual [[morphology (linguistics)|morphology]], but if they are related, most of the branches must have undergone major restructuring since diverging from their common ancestor.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

This hypothetical family would reach an expanse that stretches from the [[Nile Valley]] to northern [[Tanzania]] and into [[Nigeria]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|DR Congo]], with the [[Songhay languages]] along the middle reaches of the [[Niger River]] as a geographic outlier. The inclusion of the [[Songhay languages]] is questionable, and doubts have been raised over the [[Koman languages|Koman]], [[Gumuz language|Gumuz]] and [[Kadu languages|Kadu]] branches.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Some of the better known Nilo-Saharan languages are [[Kanuri language|Kanuri]], [[Fur language|Fur]], [[Songhay language|Songhay]], [[Nobiin language|Nobiin]] and the widespread [[Nilotic languages|Nilotic family]], which includes the [[Luo dialect|Luo]], [[Dinka language|Dinka]] and [[Maasai language|Maasai]]. Most Nilo-Saharan languages are [[tone (linguistics)|tonal]], as are Niger-Congo languages.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

===Niger–Congo languages===
{{Main|Niger–Congo languages}}
[[File:Africa ethnic groups 1996.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Map showing the traditional language families represented in Africa:
{{legend|#E6EAAD|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] (Semitic-Hamitic)}}
{{legend|#8E7D8F|[[Austronesian languages|Austronesian]] (Malay-Polynesian)}}
{{legend|#8A421A|[[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]]}}
{{legend|#DC782D|[[Khoisan languages|Khoisan]]}}
[[Niger-Congo languages|Niger-Congo]]:
{{legend|#A6BE50|[[Bantu languages|Bantu]]}}
{{legend|#E9A96C|Central and Eastern Sudanese}}
{{legend|#51384E|Central Bantoid}}
{{legend|#C96273|Eastern Bantoid}}
{{legend|#A7BC47|Guinean}}
{{legend|#B77B85|[[Mande languages|Mande]]}}
{{legend|#4D7830|Western Bantoid}}
[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]:
{{legend|#827241|[[Kanuri language|Kanuri]]}}
{{legend|#824240|[[Nilotic languages|Nilotic]]}}
{{legend|#C88C50|[[Songhay languages|Songhai]]}}]]
The [[Niger–Congo languages]] constitute the largest language family spoken in [[West Africa]] and perhaps the world in terms of the number of languages.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} One of its salient features is an elaborate [[noun class]] system with grammatical [[agreement (linguistics)|concord]]. A large majority of languages of this family are [[tonal language|tonal]] such as [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] and [[Igbo language|Igbo]], [[Akan language|Akan]] and [[Ewe language]]. A major branch of Niger–Congo languages is the [[Bantu languages|Bantu]] phylum, which has a wider speech area than the rest of the family (see Niger–Congo B (Bantu) in the map above).

The [[Niger–Kordofanian languages|Niger–Kordofanian]] language family, joining Niger–Congo with the [[Kordofanian languages]] of south-central [[Sudan]], was proposed in the 1950s by [[Joseph Greenberg]]. Today, linguists often use "Niger–Congo" to refer to this entire family, including Kordofanian as a subfamily. One reason for this is that it is not clear whether Kordofanian was the first branch to diverge from rest of Niger–Congo. [[Mande languages|Mande]] has been claimed to be equally or more divergent. Niger–Congo is generally accepted by linguists, though a few question the inclusion of Mande and [[Dogon languages|Dogon]], and there is no conclusive evidence for the inclusion of [[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]].

===Other language families===
Several languages spoken in Africa belong to language families concentrated or originating outside the African continent.

====Austronesian====
[[Malagasy language|Malagasy]] belongs to the [[Austronesian languages]] and is the westernmost branch of the family. It is the national and co-official language of [[Madagascar]], and a Malagasy dialect called [[Bushi language|Bushi]] is also spoken in [[Mayotte]].
 
The ancestors of the Malagasy people migrated to Madagascar around 1,500 years ago from Southeast Asia, more specifically the island of Borneo. The origins of how they arrived to Madagascar remains a mystery, however the Austronesians are known for their seafaring culture. Despite the geographical isolation, Malagasy still has strong resemblance to [[Barito languages]] especially the [[Ma'anyan language]] of southern Borneo.

With more than 20 million speakers, Malagasy is one of the most widely spoken of the Austronesian languages.

====Indo-European====
[[Afrikaans]] is [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]], as is most of the vocabulary of most African [[creole language]]s. Afrikaans evolved from the [[Dutch language|Dutch vernacular]]<ref>{{cite book |isbn=9781433105012 |first1=Kathleen |last1=Pithouse |first2=Claudia |last2=Mitchell |first3=Relebohile |last3=Moletsane |title=Making Connections: Self-Study & Social Action |date=16 December 2023 |page=91|publisher=Peter Lang }}</ref><ref name="Heese1971">{{cite book |title=Die herkoms van die Afrikaner, 1657–1867 |publisher=A. A. Balkema |location=Cape Town |year=1971 |language=af |oclc=1821706 |ol=5361614M |first=J. A. |last=Heese |trans-title=The origin of the Afrikaner, 1657–1867}}</ref> of [[South Holland]] ([[Hollandic dialect]])<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/kloe004herk01_01/kloe004herk01_01.pdf |title=Herkomst en groei van het Afrikaans |first=G.G. |last=Kloeke |year=1950 |location=Leiden |publisher=Universitaire Pers Leiden}}</ref><ref>{{cite CiteSeerX |citeseerx=10.1.1.222.5044 |title=The origin of Afrikaans pronunciation: a comparison to west Germanic languages and Dutch dialects |first1=Wilbert |last1=Heeringa |first2=Febe |last2=de Wet |date=2007}}</ref> spoken by the mainly [[Afrikaners|Dutch settlers]] of what is now [[South Africa]], where it gradually began to develop distinguishing characteristics in the course of the 18th century, including the loss of verbal conjugation (save for 5 modal verbs), as well as grammatical case and gender.<ref name="coetzee">{{Cite book |url=http://www.dbnl.org/arch/coet003stan01_01/pag/coet003stan01_01.pdf |title=Standaard Afrikaans |first=Abel |last=Coetzee |publisher=Afrikaner Pers|year=1948 |access-date=2014-09-17}}</ref> Most Afrikaans speakers live in [[South Africa]]. In [[Namibia]] it is the [[lingua franca]]. Overall 14 to 21 million people are estimated to speak Afrikaans.

Since the [[Colonialism|colonial]] era, Indo-European languages such as [[Afrikaans]], [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] have held official status in many countries, and are widely spoken, generally as [[lingua franca]]s. (''See [[African French]] and [[Portuguese in Africa|African Portuguese]]''.) Additionally, languages like French, and Portuguese have become native languages in various countries.

French has become native in the urban areas of the DRC,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tibategeza |first=Eustard |date=January 2023 |title=Language-in-Education Policy and Practice in the Democratic Republic of Congo |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367235628}}</ref> and Gabon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hugues Steve Ndinga-Koumba-Binza |first=Hugues Steve Ndinga-Koumba-Binza |date=August 2011 |title=From foreign to national: a review of the status of French in Gabon |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267327159}}</ref> Spanish is spoken as a native language by a small minority in Equatorial Guinea, primarily in larger cities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Facts |first=Victor Kiprop in World |date=2018-09-24 |title=What Languages Are Spoken In Equatorial Guinea? |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-equatorial-guinea.html |access-date=2025-09-21 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[German language|German]] was once used in [[German colonial empire|Germany's colonies]] there from the late 1800s until World War I, when Britain and France took over and revoked German's official status. Despite this, German is still spoken in [[Namibia]], mostly among the [[White Namibians|white population]]. Although it lost its official status in the 1990s, it has been redesignated as a national language. [[Indo-Aryan Languages|Indo-Aryan languages]] such as [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]] are spoken by [[South Asia]]n expatriates exclusively. In earlier historical times, other Indo-European languages could be found in various parts of the continent, such as [[Old Persian language|Old Persian]] and [[Koine Greek|Greek]] in Egypt, [[Latin]] and [[Vandalic]] in North Africa and [[Persian language|Modern Persian]] in the [[Horn of Africa]].

====Small families====
The three small [[Khoisan languages|Khoisan]] families of southern Africa have not been shown to be closely related to any other major language family. In addition, there are various other families that have not been demonstrated to belong to one of these families. The classifications below follow [[Glottolog]].
*[[Mande languages|Mande]], some 70 languages, including the major languages of [[Mali]] and [[Guinea]]; these are generally thought to be divergent Niger–Congo, but debate persists
*[[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]], some 70 languages, centered on the languages of the [[Central African Republic]]; may be Niger–Congo
*[[North Omotic languages|Te-Ne-Omotic]], some 20 languages, previously classified under Afro-Asiatic, spoken in Ethiopia
*[[Khoe languages|Khoe-Kwadi]], around 10 languages, the primary family of Khoisan languages of [[Namibia]] and [[Botswana]]
*[[Surmic languages|Surmic]], some 11 languages, previously classified within either Sudanic or Nilo-Saharan
*[[Kxʼa languages|Kxʼa]], around five languages, with various dialects, spoken in Southern Africa
*[[Aroid languages|South Omotic]], around five languages; previously classified within Afro-Asiatic, spoken in Ethiopia
*[[Tuu languages|Tuu]], or Taa-ǃKwi, two surviving languages
*[[Hadza language|Hadza]], an isolate of Tanzania
*[[Bangime language|Bangime]], a likely isolate of Mali
*[[Jalaa language|Jalaa]], a likely isolate of Nigeria
*[[Sandawe language|Sandawe]], an isolate of Tanzania
*[[Laal language|Laal]], a possible isolate of Chad

''[[Khoisan languages|Khoisan]]'' is a term of convenience covering some 30 languages spoken by around 300,000–400,000 people. There are five Khoisan families that have not been shown to be related to each other: [[Khoe languages|Khoe]], [[Tuu languages|Tuu]] and [[Kxʼa languages|Kxʼa]], which are found mainly in [[Namibia]] and [[Botswana]], as well as [[Sandawe language|Sandawe]] and [[Hadza language|Hadza]] of [[Tanzania]], which are [[language isolate]]s. A striking feature of Khoisan languages, and the reason they are often grouped together, is their use of [[click consonant]]s. Some neighbouring Bantu languages (notably [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]] and [[Zulu language|Zulu]]) have clicks as well, but these were adopted from Khoisan languages. The Khoisan languages are also [[tonal language|tonal]].

====Creole languages====
Due partly to its multilingualism and its colonial past, a substantial proportion of the world's [[creole language]]s are to be found in Africa. Some are based on Indo-European languages (e.g. [[Sierra Leone Krio language|Krio]] from English in [[Sierra Leone]] and the very similar [[West African Pidgin English|Pidgin]] in [[Nigeria]], [[Ghana]] and parts of [[Cameroon]]; [[Cape Verdean Creole]] in [[Cape Verde]] and [[Guinea-Bissau Creole]] in [[Guinea-Bissau]] and [[Senegal]], all from Portuguese; [[Seychellois Creole]] in the [[Seychelles]] and [[Mauritian Creole]] in [[Mauritius]], both from French); some are based on Arabic (e.g. [[Juba Arabic]] in the southern [[Sudan]], or [[Nubi language|Nubi]] in parts of [[Uganda]] and [[Kenya]]); some are based on local languages (e.g. [[Sango language|Sango]], the main language of the [[Central African Republic]]); while in [[Cameroon]] a creole based on French, English and local African languages known as [[Camfranglais]] has started to become popular.

====Unclassified languages====
{{further|:Category:Unclassified languages of Africa}}
A fair number of [[unclassified languages]] are reported in Africa. Many remain unclassified simply for lack of data; among the better-investigated ones that continue to resist easy classification are:

* possibly Afroasiatic: [[Ongota language|Ongota]]
* possibly Nilo-Saharan: [[Shabo language|Shabo]]
* possibly Niger–Congo: [[Jalaa language|Jalaa]], [[Mbre language|Mbre]], [[Bayot language|Bayot]]
* unknown: [[Laal language|Laal]], [[Mpre language|Mpre]]
Of these, [[Jalaa language|Jalaa]] is perhaps the most likely to be an isolate.

Less-well investigated languages include [[Rimba language|Irimba]], [[Luo language (Cameroon)|Luo]], [[Mawa language (Nigeria)|Mawa]], [[Rer Bare]] (possibly Bantu languages), [[Bete language (Nigeria)|Bete]] (evidently Jukunoid), [[Bung language|Bung]] (unclear), [[Kujargé language|Kujarge]] (evidently Chadic), [[Lufu language|Lufu]] (Jukunoid), [[Meroitic language|Meroitic]] (possibly Afroasiatic), [[Oropom language|Oropom]] (possibly spurious) and [[Weyto language|Weyto]] (evidently Cushitic). Several of these are extinct, and adequate comparative data is thus unlikely to be forthcoming. Hombert & Philippson (2009)<ref name="HombertPhilippson">{{cite book |first1=Jean-Marie |last1=Hombert |first2=Gérard |last2=Philippson |year=2009 |url=http://www.ddl.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/fulltext/hombert/Hombert_2009_LDLT2.pdf |chapter=The linguistic importance of language isolates: the African case |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523092814/http://www.ddl.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr/fulltext/hombert/Hombert_2009_LDLT2.pdf |archive-date=23 May 2013 |editor-first1=Peter K. |editor-last1=Austin |editor-first2=Oliver |editor-last2=Bond |editor-first3=Monik |editor-last3=Charette |editor-link3=Monik Charette |editor-first4=David |editor-last4=Nathan |editor-first5=Peter |editor-last5=Sells |title=Proceedings of Conference on Language Documentation and Linguistic Theory 2 |location=London |publisher=SOAS}}</ref> list a number of African languages that have been classified as [[language isolate]]s at one point or another. Many of these are simply unclassified, but Hombert & Philippson believe Africa has about twenty language families, including isolates. Beside the possibilities listed above, there are:

*[[Aasax language|Aasax]] or Aramanik ([[Tanzania]]) ([[South Cushitic languages|South Cushitic]]? contains non-Cushitic lexicon)
*[[Imeraguen language|Imeraguen]] ([[Mauritania]]) – [[Hassaniyya]] Arabic restructured on an Azêr ([[Soninke language|Soninke]]) base
*Kara ([[Fer language|Fer]]?) ([[Central African Republic]])
*[[Oblo language|Oblo]] ([[Cameroon]]) ([[Adamawa languages|Adamawa]]? Extinct?)
<!--*[[Yeni language|Yeni]] ([[Cameroon]]) is clearly Mambiloid-->

[[Roger Blench]] notes a couple additional possibilities:
*[[Defaka language|Defaka]] ([[Nigeria]])
*[[Dompo language|Dompo]] ([[Ghana]])

Below is a list of language isolates and otherwise unclassified languages in Africa, from Vossen & Dimmendaal (2020:434):<ref name="Vossen">{{cite book |editor-last1=Vossen |editor-first1=Rainer  |editor-last2=Dimmendaal |editor-first2=Gerrit J. |year=2020 |title=The Oxford Handbook of African Languages |pages=392–407 |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press.}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Language !! Country
|-
| [[Bangime language|Bangi Me]] || [[Mali]]
|-
| [[Bayot language|Bayot]] || [[Senegal]]
|-
| [[Dompo language|Dompo]] || [[Ghana]]
|-
| [[Ega language|Ega]] || [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
| [[Gomba language|Gomba]] || [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Gumuz language|Gumuz]] || [[Ethiopia]], [[Sudan]]
|-
| [[Hadza language|Hadza]] || [[Tanzania]]
|-
| [[Irimba language|Irimba]] || [[Gabon]]
|-
| [[Jalaa language|Jalaa]] || [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Kujarge language|Kujarge]] || [[Chad]]
|-
| [[Laal language|Laal]] || [[Chad]]
|-
| [[Lufu language|Lufu]] || [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Luo language (Cameroon)|Luo]] || [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Mawa language|Mawa]] || [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Miyobe language|Meyobe]] || [[Benin]], [[Togo]]
|-
| [[Mimi of Decorse]]; [[Mimi of Nachtigal]] || [[Chad]]
|-
| [[Mpra language|Mpra]] || [[Ghana]]
|-
| [[Oblo language|Oblo]] || [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Ongota language|Ongota]] || [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Oropom language|Oropom]] || [[Kenya]], [[Uganda]]
|-
| [[Rer Bare language|Rer Bare]] || [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Shabo language|Shabo]] || [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Weyto language|Weyto]] || [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Wutana language|Wutana]] || [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Yeni language|Yeni]] || [[Cameroon]]
|}

====Sign languages====
{{See also|List of sign languages#Africa}}
Many African countries have national sign languages, such as [[Algerian Sign Language]], [[Tunisian Sign Language]], [[Ethiopian Sign Language]]. Other sign languages are restricted to small areas or single villages, such as [[Adamorobe Sign Language]] in [[Ghana]]. Tanzania has seven, one for each of its schools for the Deaf, all of which are discouraged. Not much is known, since little has been published on these languages

Sign language systems extant in Africa include the [[Paget Gorman Sign System]] used in Namibia and [[Angola]], the [[Sudanese sign languages|Sudanese Sign languages]] used in [[Sudan]] and [[South Sudan]], the [[Arab sign-language family|Arab Sign]] languages used across the Arab Mideast, the [[French Sign Language family|Francosign]] languages used in [[Francophone Africa]] and other areas such as [[Ghana]] and [[Tunisia]], and the [[Tanzanian sign languages|Tanzanian Sign languages]] used in [[Tanzania]].

==Language in Africa==
Throughout the long multilingual history of the African continent, African languages have been subject to phenomena like language contact, language expansion, language shift and language death. A case in point is the [[Bantu expansion]], in which Bantu-speaking peoples expanded over most of [[Sub-Equatorial Africa]], intermingling with Khoi-San speaking peoples from much of [[Southeast Africa]] and [[Southern Africa]] and other peoples from [[Central Africa]]. Another example is the Arab expansion in the 7th century, which led to the extension of [[Arabic language|Arabic]] from its homeland in Asia, into much of North Africa and the Horn of Africa.

[[Trade language]]s are another age-old phenomenon in the African linguistic landscape. Cultural and linguistic innovations spread along trade routes and languages of peoples dominant in trade developed into languages of wider communication ([[lingua franca]]). Of particular importance in this respect are [[Berber language|Berber]] (North and West Africa), [[Dioula language|Jula]] (western West Africa), [[Fula language|Fulfulde]] (West Africa), [[Hausa language|Hausa]] (West Africa), [[Lingala language|Lingala]] (Congo), [[Swahili language|Swahili]] (Southeast Africa), [[Somali language|Somali]] (Horn of Africa) and [[Arabic language|Arabic]] (North Africa and Horn of Africa).

After gaining independence, many African countries, in the search for national unity, selected one language, generally the former Indo-European colonial language, to be used in government and education. However, in recent years, African countries have become increasingly supportive of maintaining linguistic diversity. Language policies that are being developed nowadays are mostly aimed at multilingualism. This presents a methodological complication when collecting data in Africa and limited literature exists. An analysis of [[Afrobarometer]] [[public opinion]] survey data of 36 countries suggested that survey interviewers and respondents could engage in various linguistic behaviors, such as [[code-switching]] during the survey.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lau |first=Charles |url=https://www.rti.org/rti-press-publication/language-survey-research |chapter=Language differences between interviewers and respondents in African surveys (Chapter 5) |title=The Essential Role of Language in Survey Research |date=2020-04-30 |publisher=RTI Press |isbn=978-1-934831-24-3 |editor-last=Sha |editor-first=Mandy |pages=101–115 |doi=10.3768/rtipress.bk.0023.2004 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Moreover, some African countries have been considering removing their official former Indo-European colonial languages, like [[Mali]] and [[Burkina Faso]] which removed French as an official language in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=AfricaNews |date= 26 July 2023|title=Mali drops French as official language |url=https://www.africanews.com/2023/07/26/mali-drops-french-as-official-language/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Africanews |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=AfricaNews |date=2023-12-07 |title=Burkina abandons French as an official language |url=https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/07/burkina-abandons-french-as-an-official-language/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Africanews |language=en}}</ref>

===Official languages===
{{see also|Languages of the African Union}}
[[File:Official languages in Africa.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|Official languages in Africa:
{| cellpadding="0"
|-
| {{legend|#FF8C00|[[Afrikaans]]}}  || {{legend|#8EB423|[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]}}
|-
| {{legend|#19822D|[[Arabic]]}} || {{legend|#DAC716|[[Spanish language|Spanish]]}}
|-
| {{legend|#C35A91|[[English language|English]]}} || {{legend|#55433B|[[Swahili language|Swahili]]}}
|-
| {{legend|#415096|[[French language|French]]}} || {{legend|#000000|other African languages}}
|}]]
;Afroasiatic
*Berber (Amazigh):
**[[Standard Moroccan Amazigh]] in [[Morocco]]
**[[Standard Algerian Berber]] in [[Algeria]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Algeria reinstates term limit and recognises Berber language |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35515769 |work=BBC News}}</ref> 
**[[Tamasheq language|Tamasheq]] in Mali<ref name=":0">{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=29 September 2017 |title=JOURNAL OFFICIEL DE LA REPUBLIQUE DU MALI |url=https://sgg-mali.ml/JO/2017/mali-jo-2017-39.pdf |access-date=26 July 2023 |website=sgg-mali.ml |quote=Langues nationales : langues considérées comme propres à une nation ou à un pays. Selon la Loi n°96- 049 du 23 août 1996, les langues nationales du Mali sont : le bamanankan (bambara), le bomu (bobo), le bozo (bozo), le dTgTsT (dogon), le fulfulde (peul), le hasanya (maure), le mamara (miniyanka), le maninkakan (malinké) le soninke (sarakolé), le soKoy (songhoï), le syenara (sénoufo), le tamasayt (tamasheq), le xaasongaxanKo (khassonké).}}</ref>
**[[Tawellemmet language|Tawellemet]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*Chadic:
**[[Hausa language|Hausa]] in [[Niger]]
*Cushitic:
**[[Afar language|Afar]] in [[Ethiopia]]
**[[Oromo language|Oromo]] in Ethiopia and Kenya
**[[Somali language|Somali]] in [[Somalia]], Ethiopia, [[Kenya]], and [[Djibouti]] 
*Semitic:
**[[Amharic]] in Ethiopia
**[[Arabic]] in [[Algeria]], [[Chad]], [[Comoros]], [[Djibouti]], [[Egypt]], [[Libya]], [[Mauritania]],<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mauritania/ CIA – The World Factbook].</ref> [[Morocco]], [[Somalia]],<ref name="Charter">According to article 7 of [http://www.chr.up.ac.za/hr_docs/countries/docs/charterfeb04.pdf ''The Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218004011/http://www.chr.up.ac.za/hr_docs/countries/docs/charterfeb04.pdf|date=18 December 2008}}: "The official languages of the Somali Republic shall be Somali (Maay and Maxaatiri) and Arabic. The second languages of the Transitional Federal Government shall be English and Italian".</ref> [[Sudan]], [[Tunisia]] and [[Zanzibar]] ([[Tanzania]])
***[[Hassaniya Arabic]] in [[Mali]]<ref name=":0" />
**[[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]] in Ethiopia and [[Eritrea]]

;Austronesian
*[[Malagasy language|Malagasy]] in [[Madagascar]]

;Ngbandi creole
*[[Sango language|Sango]] in the [[Central African Republic]]

;French Creole
*[[Seychelles Creole]] in [[Seychelles]]

;Indo-European
*[[Afrikaans]] in [[South Africa]]
*[[English language|English]] in [[Ghana]], [[Gambia]], [[Uganda]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[Nigeria]], [[Cameroon]], [[Kenya]], [[South Africa]], [[Liberia]], [[Zambia]], [[Malawi]], [[Rwanda]], [[Namibia]], [[Seychelles]], [[South Sudan]], [[Sudan]], [[Tanzania]], [[Eswatini]], [[Lesotho]], and [[Mauritius]].
*[[French language|French]] in [[Benin]], [[Burundi]], [[Cameroon]], [[Central African Republic]], [[Chad]], [[Comoros]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Democratic Republic of Congo]], [[Republic of the Congo|Congo]], [[Ivory Coast|Côte d'Ivoire]], [[Djibouti]], [[Gabon]], [[Guinea]], [[Madagascar]], [[Rwanda]], [[Senegal]], [[Seychelles]], and [[Togo]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spencer |first=Erika Hope |title=Research Guides: France & French Collections at the Library of Congress: Sub-Saharan Africa |url=https://guides.loc.gov/french-collections/francophone-studies/sub-saharan-africa |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=guides.loc.gov |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] in [[Angola]], [[Mozambique]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Cape Verde]], [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] and [[Equatorial Guinea]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Fehn |first=Anne-Maria |title=African Linguistics in Official Portuguese- and Spanish-Speaking Africa |date=2019 |work=A History of African Linguistics |pages=189–204 |editor-last=Wolff |editor-first=H. Ekkehard |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history-of-african-linguistics/african-linguistics-in-official-portuguese-and-spanishspeaking-africa/9ED5EF68F7DE7E253FE57BE4AAF2AF0A |access-date=2024-03-28 |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-41797-6}}</ref>
*[[Spanish language|Spanish]] in [[Equatorial Guinea]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABOUT EQUATORIAL GUINEA {{!}} Equatorial Guinea Embassy USA |url=https://www.egembassydc.com/about-equatorial-guinea |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=EG Embassy USA |language=en}}</ref>

;Niger-Congo
*[[Bambara language|Bambara]] in [[Mali]]<ref name=":0" />
*[[Bobo language|Bobo]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Bozo language|Bozo]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Chewa language|Chewa]] in [[Malawi]] and [[Zimbabwe]]
*[[Comorian language|Comorian]] in the [[Comoros]]
*[[Dogon languages|Dogon]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Fula language|Fula]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Kassonke language|Kassonke]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Kikongo language|Kongo]] in [[Angola]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Gabon]], and [[Republic of the Congo]]
*[[Kinyarwanda]] in [[Rwanda]]
*[[Kirundi]] in [[Burundi]]
*[[Maninka language|Maninke]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Minyanka language|Minyanka]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Senufo languages|Senufo]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Sesotho language|Sesotho]] in [[Lesotho]], [[South Africa]] and [[Zimbabwe]]
*[[Tswana language|Setswana]] in [[Botswana]] and South Africa
*[[Shona language|Shona]], [[Northern Ndebele language|Sindebele]] in [[Zimbabwe]]
*[[Sepedi]] in South Africa
*[[Soninke language|Soninke]] in Mali<ref name=":0" />
*[[Southern Ndebele language|Ndebele]] in South Africa<ref>[http://www.southafrica.info/about/people/language.htm "The languages of South Africa"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304001836/http://www.southafrica.info/about/people/language.htm |date=4 March 2011 }}. ''southafrica.info''.</ref>
*[[Swahili language|Swahili]] in [[Tanzania]], [[Kenya]], [[Rwanda]] and [[Uganda]]
*[[Swazi language|Swati]] in [[Eswatini|Eswatini (Swaziland)]] and [[South Africa]]
*[[Xitsonga|Tsonga]] in South Africa
*[[Tshivenda|Venda]] in South Africa
*[[Xhosa language|Xhosa]] in South Africa
*[[Zulu language|Zulu]] in South Africa

;Nilo-Saharan
*[[Songhay languages|Songhay]] in [[Mali]]<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Language
!Family
!Official status per country
|-
|Afar
| rowspan="8" |Afroasiatic
|Ethiopia, Djibouti (national)
|-
|Amharic
|Ethiopia
|-
|Arabic
|Algeria, Comoros, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan 
|-
|Berber
|Algeria, Morocco
|-
|Hausa
|Niger, Nigeria (national)
|-
|Oromo
|Ethiopia<ref>{{cite web |title=ETHIOPIA TO ADD 4 MORE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES TO FOSTER UNITY |url=http://venturesafrica.com/ethiopia-to-add-4-more-official-languages-to-foster-unity/ |website=Ventures Africa |date=4 March 2020 |publisher=Ventures |access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ethiopia is adding four more official languages to Amharic as political instability mounts |url=https://www.nazret.com/2020/03/07/ethiopia-is-adding-four-more-official-languages-to-amharic-as-political-instability-mounts/ |website=Nazret |access-date=2 February 2021 |archive-date=17 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817225007/https://www.nazret.com/2020/03/07/ethiopia-is-adding-four-more-official-languages-to-amharic-as-political-instability-mounts/ }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Shaban |first1=Abdurahman |title=One to five: Ethiopia gets four new federal working languages |url=https://www.africanews.com/2020/03/04/one-to-five-ethiopia-gets-four-new-federal-working-languages// |agency=Africa News |access-date=10 February 2021 |archive-date=15 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215231030/https://www.africanews.com/2020/03/04/one-to-five-ethiopia-gets-four-new-federal-working-languages// }}</ref> 
|-
|Somali
|Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti (national)
|-
|Tigrinya
|Ethiopia, Eritrea (national)
|-
|Malagasy
|Austronesian
|Madagascar
|-
|Seychelles Creole
|French Creole
|Seychelles
|-
|Afrikaans
|Indo-European
|South Africa
|-
|Sango
|Ngbandi creole
|Central African Republic
|-
|Chewa
| rowspan="17" |Niger-Congo
|Malawi, Zimbabwe
|-
|Comorian
|Comoros
|-
|Kikongo
|Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo
|-
|Kinyarwanda
|Rwanda
|-
|Kirundi
|Burundi
|-
|Ndebele
|South Africa
|-
|Sepedi
|South Africa
|-
|Sesotho
|Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe
|-
|Setswana
|Botswana, South Africa
|-
|Shona
|Zimbabwe
|-
|Sindebele
|Zimbabwe
|-
|Swahili
|Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
|-
|Swati
|Eswatini, South Africa
|-
|Tsonga
|Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa
|-
|Venda
|South Africa, Zimbabwe
|-
|Xhosa
|South Africa
|-
|Zulu
|South Africa
|}

===Cross-border languages===
The colonial borders established by European powers following the [[Berlin Conference (1884)|Berlin Conference]] in 1884–1885 divided a great many ethnic groups and African language speaking communities. This can cause divergence of a language on either side of a border (especially when the official languages are different), for example, in orthographic standards. Some notable cross-border languages include [[Berber languages|Berber]] (which stretches across much of North Africa and some parts of West Africa), [[Kikongo language|Kikongo]] (that stretches across northern Angola, western and coastal Democratic Republic of the Congo, and western and coastal Republic of the Congo), [[Somali language|Somali]] (stretches across most of the Horn of Africa), Swahili (spoken in the African Great Lakes region), [[Fula language|Fula]] (in the Sahel and West Africa) and [[Luo languages|Luo]] (in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan and Sudan).

Some prominent Africans such as former [[Mali]]an president and former [[Chairperson of the African Union Commission|Chairman of the African Commission]], [[Alpha Oumar Konaré]], have referred to cross-border languages as a factor that can promote African unity.<ref>[http://www.acalan.org/ African languages for Africa's development] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524135600/http://www.acalan.org/ |date=24 May 2006 }} ACALAN (French & English).</ref>

===Language change and planning===
Language is not static in Africa any more than on other continents.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} In addition to the (likely modest) impact of borders, there are also cases of [[dialect levelling]] (such as in [[Igbo language|Igbo]] and probably many others), [[Koiné language|koinés]] (such as [[N'Ko language|N'Ko]] and possibly [[Runyakitara language|Runyakitara]]) and emergence of new dialects (such as [[Sheng (linguistics)|Sheng]]). In some countries, there are official efforts to develop [[Standard language|standardized language]] versions.

There are also many less widely spoken languages that may be considered [[endangered language]]s.

===Demographics===
{{Further|Demographics of Africa}}
Of the 1 billion Africans (in 2009), about 17 percent speak an [[Varieties of Arabic|Arabic dialect]].{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} About 10 percent speak [[Swahili language|Swahili]],{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} the lingua franca of Southeast Africa; about 5 percent speak a [[Berber languages|Berber]] dialect;{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} and about 5 percent speak [[Hausa language|Hausa]], which serves as a lingua franca in much of the Sahel. Other large West African languages are [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]], [[Igbo language|Igbo]], [[Akan language|Akan]] and [[Fula language|Fula]]. Major Horn of Africa languages are [[Somali language|Somali]], [[Amharic language|Amharic]] and [[Oromo language|Oromo]]. [[Lingala]] is important in Central Africa. Important South African languages are [[Sotho language|Sotho]], [[Tswana language|Tswana]], [[Northern Sotho language|Pedi]], [[Venda language|Venda]], [[Tsonga language|Tsonga]], [[Swazi language|Swazi]], [[Southern Ndebele language|Southern Ndebele]], [[Zulu language|Zulu]], [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]] and [[Afrikaans]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |title=Tongues under threat |date=22 January 2011 |page=58}}</ref>

French, English, and Portuguese are important languages in Africa due to colonialism. About 320 million,<ref>[https://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/uploads/Pr%C3%A9sentation_FRANCOSCOPE_2023-03-15_Finale.pdf 327 millions de francophones dans le monde en 2023] odsef.fss.ulaval.ca (in French)</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Verdeau | first=Paul | title=En 2023, 327 millions de personnes parlent français dans le monde, dont près de la moitié en Afrique | website=RTBF | date=20 March 2023 | url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/en-2023-429-millions-de-personnes-parlent-francais-dans-le-monde-dont-pres-de-la-moitie-en-afrique-11169856 | language=fr | access-date=27 November 2023}}</ref> 240 million and 35 million Africans, respectively, speak them as either native or secondary languages. Portuguese has become the national language of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, and Portuguese is the official language of Mozambique.

==Linguistic features==
Some linguistic features are particularly common among languages spoken in Africa, whereas others are less common. Such shared traits probably are not due to a common origin of all African languages. Instead, some may be due to [[language contact]] (resulting in borrowing) and specific idioms and phrases may be due to a similar cultural background.

===Phonological===
Some widespread phonetic features include:
* certain types of consonants, such as [[implosive consonant|implosives]] ({{IPA|/ɓa/}}), [[ejective consonant|ejectives]] ({{IPA|/kʼa/}}), the [[labiodental flap]] and in southern Africa, [[Click consonant|clicks]] ({{IPA|/ǂa/}}, {{IPA|/ᵑǃa/}}). True implosives are rare outside Africa, and clicks and the flap almost unheard of.
* doubly articulated [[Labial-velar consonant|labial-velar stops]] like {{IPA|/k͡pa/}} and {{IPA|/ɡ͡ba/}} are found in places south of the Sahara.
* [[prenasalized consonant]]s, like {{IPA|/mpa/}} and {{IPA|/ŋɡa/}}, are widespread in Africa but not common outside it.
* sequences of stops and fricatives at the beginnings of words, such as {{IPA|/fsa/}}, {{IPA|/pta/}} and {{IPA|/dt͡sk͡xʼa/}}.
* nasal stops which only occur with nasal vowels, such as {{IPA|[ba]}} vs. {{IPA|[mã]}} (but both {{IPA|[pa]}} and {{IPA|[pã]}}), especially in West Africa.
* vowels contrasting an [[advanced tongue root|advanced or retracted tongue]], commonly called "tense" and "lax".
* simple [[tone (linguistics)|tone]] systems which are used for grammatical purposes.

Sounds that are relatively uncommon in African languages include [[uvular consonant]]s, [[diphthong]]s and [[front vowel|front rounded vowels]]

[[Tonal language]]s are found throughout the world but are especially common in Africa - in fact, there are far more tonal than non-tonal languages in Africa. Both the Nilo-Saharan and the Khoi-San phyla are fully tonal. The large majority of the Niger–Congo languages are also tonal. Tonal languages are also found in the Omotic, Chadic and South & East Cushitic branches of Afroasiatic. The most common type of tonal system opposes two tone levels, High (H) and Low (L). [[Tone contour|Contour tone]]s do occur, and can often be analysed as two or more tones in succession on a single syllable. ''Tone melodies'' play an important role, meaning that it is often possible to state significant generalizations by separating tone sequences ("melodies") from the segments that bear them. [[Tonal sandhi]] processes like tone spread, tone shift, downstep and downdrift are common in African languages.
<!--Many ethnic groups living in the rain forests of Africa transmit messages from one village to another by use of so called ''talking drums''.
African languages differ in the number of tone levels they have. Most African tonal languages have a two tone system.-->

===Syntactic===
Widespread syntactical structures include the common use of adjectival verbs and the expression of comparison by means of a verb 'to surpass'. The Niger–Congo languages have large numbers of genders ([[noun class]]es) which cause agreement in verbs and other words. [[grammatical case|Case]], [[grammatical tense|tense]] and other categories may be distinguished only by tone. Auxiliary verbs are also widespread among African languages; the fusing of subject markers and TAM/polarity auxiliaries into what are known as tense pronouns are more common in auxiliary verb constructions in African languages than in most other parts of the world.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Anderson|first=Gregory D. S.|year=2011|title=Auxiliary verb constructions in the languages of Africa|journal=Studies in African Linguistics|volume=40 (1 & 2)|pages=1–409|doi=10.32473/sal.v40i1.107282|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Semantic===
Quite often, only one term is used for both animal and meat; the word ''nama'' or ''nyama'' for animal/meat is particularly widespread in otherwise widely divergent African languages.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

==Demographics==
The following is a table displaying the number of speakers of prominent languages within Africa:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:99%;"
|-
!width=15%|Language
!width=15%|Family
! style="width:15%;" data-sort-type="number"|Native speakers within Africa (L1)
!All speakers around the world (L1 + L2)
! width="30%" |Official status per country
|-
|[[ǂKxʼaoǁʼae]]
|[[Kxʼa languages|Kxʼa]]
|5,000 (2003)<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=sl_dDVctycgC&pg=RA1-PA363 International Encyclopedia of Linguistics: AAVE-Esperanto. Vol. 1]''. Oxford University Press. 2003. p. 363. {{ISBN|978-0-19-513977-8}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Botswana]]
|-
|[[ǂʼAmkoe language|ǂʼAmkoe]]
|[[Kxʼa languages|Kxʼa]]
|20–50 Western ǂʼAmkoe (2015)
unknown number Eastern ǂʼAmkoe<ref>Gerlach (2015: 14–15)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Botswana]]
|-
|[[Abon language|Abon]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|800 (1990)<ref name=":3" />
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Abron language|Abron]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] ||1,393,000 (2013)<ref name="ReferenceD">[[ethnologue:abr|Abron]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|| Native to [[Ghana]] and [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Acheron language|Acheron]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|20,000 (2006)
9,800 in home area (2006)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/acz/ Acheron] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Adara language|Adara]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|300,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kad/ Adara] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Afar language|Afar]] || [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] || 2,500,000 (2019–2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:aar|Afar]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

</ref>
| -|| Official in [[Ethiopia]]
Recognised minority language in [[Djibouti]] and [[Eritrea]],
Native to [[Djibouti]], [[Eritrea]], and [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Afrikaans]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] || 7,200,000 (2011)<ref name="statssa-2011-language-1">{{cite book |title=Census 2011: Census in brief |url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/census/census_2011/census_products/Census_2011_Census_in_brief.pdf |publisher=Statistics South Africa |location=Pretoria |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-621-41388-5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513171240/http://www.statssa.gov.za/census/census_2011/census_products/Census_2011_Census_in_brief.pdf |archive-date=13 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> 
| 17,300,000 (2011, 2016)|| National language in [[Namibia]], co-official in [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Aghem language|Aghem]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|27,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/agq/ Aghem] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Aiki language|Aiki]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|19,000 Kibet (1983)
43,000 Runga (1993–1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kie Kibet] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/rou Runga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]] and [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Aja language (Nilo-Saharan)|Aja]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|200 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/aja/ Aja] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]] and [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Aka language|Aka]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|30,000 (1986–1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/axk/ Aka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]] and [[Republic of Congo]]
|-
| [[Akan language|Akan]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] || 8,900,000 (2013)<ref>[[ethnologue:aka|Akan]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:abr|Abron]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:wss|Wasa]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -|| None. Government sponsored language of [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Ambo language (Nigeria)|Ambo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,000 or fewer (undated)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/amb/ Ambo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Amdang language|Amdang]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|170,000 (2024)<ref>[[ethnologue:amj|Amdang]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]] and [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Ambele language|Ambele]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ael Ambele] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Amharic]] || [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] || 35,000,000 (2020)<ref>[[Amharic language|Amharic]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| 60,000,000 (2019–2020)|| [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Amira language|Amira]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,100 (1984)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/none Amira] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Anaang language|Anaang]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,900,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/anw Anaang] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Manta language|Áncá]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|300 Áncá (2006)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/acb/ Áncá (?)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Asoa language|Asoa]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|26,000 (2000)<ref>[[Asoa language|Asoa]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Atsam language|Atsam]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|30,000 (1982)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/cch/ Atsam] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Arabic]] || [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] || 150,000,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ara|title=Arabic|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> but with separate mutually unintelligible varieties
| 481,000,000 (2020–2024)|| [[Algeria]], [[Chad]], [[Comoros]], [[Djibouti]], [[Egypt]], [[Libya]], [[Mauritania]], [[Morocco]], [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]], [[Somalia]], [[Sudan]], [[Tanzania]] ([[Zanzibar]]), [[Tunisia]]
|-
|[[Aringa language|Aringa]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|495,000 (2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/luc Aringa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Uganda]]
|-
|[[Avokaya language|Avokaya]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|100,000 (1989–2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/avu Avokaya] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Awing language|Awing]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|19,000 (2001)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/azo/ Awing] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Baba language|Baba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|25,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bbw/ Baba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Babanki language|Babanki]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|39,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bbk/ Babanki] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Baca language|Baca]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,500 (2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/baf/ Baca] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Bacama language|Bacama]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|300,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bcy Bacama] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Bade language|Bade]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|360,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bde Bade] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Baka language (South Sudan)|Baka]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|60,000 (2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bdh Baka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Barambu language|Barambu]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|26,000 (1990)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/brm/ Barambu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Bariba language|Bariba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,100,000 (1995–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:bba|Bariba]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Recognized in [[Benin]]
Native to [[Benin]], [[Burkina Faso]], [[Niger]], [[Nigeria]], and [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Bala language|Bala]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|60,000 Lobala (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/loq Lobala] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
21,000 Boko{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bkp Iboko] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Balo language|Balo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,200 (2000)<ref>[[Balo language|Balo]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Bamali language|Bamali]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|10,800 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bbq/ Bamali] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Bambara language|Bambara]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,200,000 (2012)<ref>{{Cite news |year=2024 |title=Bamanankan {{!}} Ethnologue Free |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bam |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309090451/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bam/ |archive-date=9 March 2023 |access-date=2025-03-06 |work=Ethnologue (Free All) |language=en-US |edition=27th |url-status=live }}</ref>
| -
|Official in [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Bambassi language|Bambassi]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|2,300 (2011)<ref>[[ethnologue:myf|"Màwés Aasʼè"]]. ''Ethnologue''. Retrieved 2018-08-01</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Bambalang language|Bambalang]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|29,000 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bmo/ Bambalang] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Bamukumbit language|Bamukumbit]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|12,000 (2008)<ref>[[Bamukumbit language|Bamukumbit]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Bamum language|Bamum]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|420,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bax/ Bamum] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Bamwe language|Bamwe]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|20,000 (1983)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bmg/ Bamwe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Bangala language|Bangala]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|A few{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/15/show_language/bxg Bangala] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (15th ed., 2005)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and [[Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Bangi language|Bangi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|120,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bni/ Bangi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mow/ Moi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Republic of Congo]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Bangolan language|Bangolan]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|14,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bgj/ Bangolan] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Bassari language|Bassari]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|31,000 (2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:bsc|Basari]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Guinea]] and [[Senegal]]
|-
|[[Baṭḥari language|Baṭḥari]] 
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|16 (2016)<ref>[[ethnologue:bhm|Bathari]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Oman]]
|-
|[[Batu language|Batu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|25,000{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref name=":4" />
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Bebe language|Bebe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,600 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bzv/ Bebe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Beba language|Beba]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bfp/ Beba’] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Beli language (South Sudan)|Beli]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|65,000 (2009)
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Bemba language|Bemba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,100,000 (2000–2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bem/ Bemba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Recognized minority in [[Zambia]]
Native to [[Zambia]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], and [[Tanzania]]
|-
|[[Bembe language (Kibembe)|Bembe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|100,000 (2007)<ref>[[Bembe language (Kibembe)|Bembe]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Bembe language (Ibembe)|Bembe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|250,000 in DRC (1991)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bmb/ Bembe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lgm/ Mwenga Lega] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and [[Tanzania]]
|-
| [[Berber languages|Berber]] || [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] || 16,000,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/subgroups/berber|title=Berber|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> (estimated) but with separate mutually unintelligible varieties 
| -|| [[Morocco]], [[Algeria]]
|-
|[[Berta language|Berta]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|380,000 (2006–2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/wti Berta] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]] and [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Besme language|Besme]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,200 (1993)<ref name=":7">[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bes/ Besme] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Bhaca language|Bhaca]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[South Africa]]
|-
| [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] ||65,300 (2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bho|title=Bhojpuri|website=Ethnologue|access-date=2019-07-16}}</ref>
| -
|| Native to [[Mauritius]]
|-
|[[Bina language|Bina]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|7,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/byj/ Bina] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Binza language|Binza]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|10,000 (1986)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/liz/ Binza] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Birri language|Birri]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|200 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bvq Birri] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Biseni language|Biseni]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,800 (1977)<ref>{{Cite news |year=2015 |title=Biseni |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ije/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605002527/https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ije/ |archive-date=5 June 2019 |access-date=2025-03-06 |work=Ethnologue |language=en |edition=18th |url-status=live }}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Bissa language|Bissa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|590,000 (1999–2003)<ref>[[Bissa language|Bissa]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]], and [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Bitare language|Bitare]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|52,000 (2000–2003)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/brt/ Bitare] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Bobo language|Bobo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|340,000 (1995–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:bwq|Southern]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:bbo|Northern]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Bole language|Bole]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|250,000 (2023)<ref>[[ethnologue:bol|Bole]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Bole language (Bantu)|Bole]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,000 (2004)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bvx/ Bole] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Bolon language|Bolon]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|23,000 (1998)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bof/ Bolon] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Bomboli–Bozaba language|Bomboli–Bozaba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,000 (1983–1986)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/24/language/bml Bomboli] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (24th ed., 2021)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/24/language/bzo Bozaba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (24th ed., 2021)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Bomboma language|Bomboma]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|23,000 (1983)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bws/ Bomboma] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Bomitaba language|Bomitaba]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|9,800 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/zmx/ Bomitaba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Republic of Congo]] and [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Bomu language|Bomu]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|320,000-380,000 (1991–2022)<ref>{{Cite news |year=2023 |title=Bomu {{!}} Ethnologue Free |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bmq |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309084118/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bmq/ |archive-date=9 March 2023 |access-date=2025-03-06 |work=Ethnologue (Free All) |language=en-US |edition=26th |url-status=live }}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Bongili language|Bongili]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|12,000 (2018)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bui Bongili] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Bongo language|Bongo]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|21,000 (2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:bot|Bongo]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Bonjo language|Bonjo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/16/show_language/bok Bonjo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (16th ed., 2009)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Bono dialect|Bono]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,400,000 (2013)<ref name="ReferenceD"/>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]] and [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Bono dialect|Bono]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|200,000 (2006)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/tan Tangale] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Boon language|Boon]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|60 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bnl/ Boon] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Somalia]]
|-
|[[Boko language|Boko]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|150,000 (2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bqc/ Boko] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Benin]], [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Boze language|Boze]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Bozo language|Bozo]] 
|[[Mande languages|Mande]]

|230,000 (apart from Tieyaxo) in Mali (2003–2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bzx/ Hainyaxo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/boo/ Tiemacèwè] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/boz/ Tiéyaxo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bze/ Jenaama] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Spoken in [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Bube language|Bube]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|51,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bvb/ Bube] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bbx/ Bubia (Wovea)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Recognized minority in [[Equatorial Guinea]] and [[Bioko Island]]
Native to [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Gabon]], [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Budza language|Budza]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|230,000 (1985)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bja/ Budza] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tmv/ Tembo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Buli language (Ghana)|Buli]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|170,000 (2013)<ref>[[Buli language (Ghana)|Buli]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Bukusu dialect|Bukusu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,400,000 (2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bxk/ Bukusu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Kenya]]
|-
|[[Bulu language|Bulu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|860,000 (2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bum/ Bulu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Bum language|Bum]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|21,000 (2001)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bmv/ Bum] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Buru–Angwe language|Buru–Angwe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,000 speakers of Buru; potentially substantially more of Angwe (uncited)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/15/show_language/bqw Buru–Angwe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (15th ed., 2005)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Busa language (Mande)|Busa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|110,000 (2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bqp/ Busa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bus/ Busa-Bokobaru] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Benin]], [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Bushong language|Bushong]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|160,000 (2000)<ref>[[Bushong language|Bushong]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Buu language (Cameroon)|Buu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|100–200 (2012)<ref>Pierpaolo Di Carlo & Jeff Good (2012) [http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jcgood/DiCarloGood-LFIdeology.pdf What are we trying to preserve? Diversity, change, and ideology at the edge of the Cameroonian Grassfields]</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Buyu language|Buyu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|10,000 (2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/byi/ Buyu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Bwela language|Bwela]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,400 (2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bwl/ Bwela] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Caka language|Caka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,000 (1983)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ckx/ Caka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Cape Verdean Creole]] || [[Portuguese-based creole languages|Portuguese Creole]] ||871,000 (2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/19/language/kea/ Cape Verdean Creole] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (19th ed., 2016)</ref>
| -|| National language in [[Cape Verde]]
|-
|[[Cebaara language|Cebaara]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|860,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sef/ Cebaara] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Central Banda language|Central Banda]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|580,000 (1984–1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/liy/ Banda-Bambari] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bpd/ Banda-Banda] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bqk/ Banda-Mbrès] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bfl/ Banda-Ndélé] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tor/ Togbo-Vara Banda] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bjo/ Mid-Southern Banda] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and [[South Sudan]]
|-
| [[Chewa language|Chewa]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 7,000,000 (2007)<ref>Mikael Parkvall, "Världens 100 största språk 2007" (The World's 100 Largest Languages in 2007), in ''[[Nationalencyklopedin]]''</ref>
| -|| [[Malawi]], [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|[[Chopi language|Chopi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,100,000 (2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:cce|Chopi]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mozambique]]
|-
|[[Chung language|Chung]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,400 (2001)<ref>[[Chung language|Chung]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Comorian language|Comorian]]|| [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) ||1,100,000 (2007–2011)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lafon |first=Michel |title=Le système Kamar-Eddine : une tentative originale d'écriture du comorien en graphie arabe |url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00265704/document |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430044934/https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00265704/document |archive-date=30 Apr 2023 |access-date= |pages=(14–15): 29–48}}</ref>
| -|| [[Comoros]]
|-
|[[Dagaare language|Dagaare]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,300,000 (1999–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:dga|Southern Dagaare]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:dgd|Dagaari Dioula]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:dgi|Northern Dagara]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]], and [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Dagbani language|Dagbani]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,200,000 (2013)<ref>[[ethnologue:dag|Dagbani]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]], [[Togo]]
|-
| [[Dangme language|Dangme]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) ||1,020,000 (2013)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ada Dangme] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|| [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Daza language|Daza]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|700,000 (2019–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:dzg|Daza]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]] and [[Niger]]
|-
|[[Dciriku language|Dciriku]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|82,000 (2004–2018)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/diu Dciriku] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]], [[Botswana]] and [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Dendi language|Dendi]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|440,000 (2000–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:ddn|Dendi]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Benin]], [[Niger]], and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Dengese language|Dengese]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,600 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/dez/ Dengese] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Defaka language|Defaka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|200 (2001)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Blench |first=Roger |year=2019 |title=An Atlas of Nigerian Languages |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/afn/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605001805/https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/afn/ |archive-date=5 June 2019 |access-date=2025-03-06 |work=Ethnologue |publisher=Kay Williamson Educational Foundation |location=Cambridge |language=en |edition=4th |url-status=live }}</ref>
| -
|Spoken in [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Dinka language|Dinka]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
|4,238,400 (2007)<ref>[[ethnologue:din|Dinka]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|[[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Djimini language|Djimini]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|96,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/dyi/ Djimini] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Spoken in [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Doghose language|Doghose]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|20,000 (1991)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/dos Dogosé] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Dogoso language|Dogoso]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|9,000 (1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/dgs/ Dogoso] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Doko language (Bantu)|Doko]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Dongo language (Nilo-Saharan)|Dongo]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Dyula language|Dyula]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,600,000 (2012–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:dyu|Dyula]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[Mali]], and [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Dzando language|Dzando]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|6,000 (1983)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/dzn Dzando] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Dzodinka language|Dzodinka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,600 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/add/ Dzodinka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Ebira language|Ebira]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,200,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/igb Ebira] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Ekoka ǃKung]]
|[[Kxʼa languages|Kxʼa]]
|16,500 (2013)<ref name=":2">[https://www.ethnologue.com/24/language/knw Ekoka ǃKung] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (24th ed., 2021)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Africa]], [[Namibia]], and [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Eman language|Eman]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|800 (1990)<ref>[[Eman language|Eman]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[English language|English]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] || 6,500,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/eng|title=English|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> (estimated) 
| -|| See [[List of countries and territories where English is an official language]]
|-
|[[Esimbi language|Esimbi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|34,800 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ags Esimbi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Eton language|Eton]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,500,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/eto/ Eton] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mct/ Mengisa (duplicate code)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Evant language|Evant]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|10,000 (1996)<ref name=":5">[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bzz Evant] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Ewondo language|Ewondo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|580,000 (1982)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ewo Ewondo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Fang language|Fang]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,000,000 (2006–2013)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fan/ Fang] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Recognized minority in [[Equatorial Guinea]] and [[Gabon]]
Native to [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Gabon]], [[Republic of the Congo]], [[Cameroon]], and [[São Tomé and Príncipe]]
|-
|[[Fang language (Cameroon)|Fang]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,000 (2011)<ref>[[Fang language (Cameroon)|Fang]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Fanji language|Fanji]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|17,000 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bfj/ Fanji] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Farefare language|Farefare]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|660,000 (1991–2013)<ref>[[ethnologue:gur|Farefare]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Feʼfeʼ language|Feʼfeʼ]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|140,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fmp/ Feʼfeʼ] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Fio language|Fio]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown but extant (2011–2015)<ref>{{cite journal |last=Di Carlo |first=Pierpaolo |year=2011 |title=Lower Fungom linguistic diversity and its historical development: proposals from a multidisciplinary perspective |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/aflin_2033-8732_2011_num_17_1_994 |journal=Africana Linguistica |volume=XVII |pages=53–100 |access-date=2024-09-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last=Ivoline |first=Budji K. |title=Spotlight on a Threatened Language: The Fio Language of the Bamenda Grassfields of North western Cameroon |degree=MA |publisher=Catholic University of Cameroon |year=2015 |location=Bamenda}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Fon language|Fon]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] || 2,300,000 (2019–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:fon|Fon]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -|| [[Benin]]
|-
|[[Fongoro language|Fongoro]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|a few elders (2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fgr/ Fongoro] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
| [[French language|French]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] || 1,200,000<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=French|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/fra|access-date=2021-01-15|website=Ethnologue.com}}</ref> (estimated) 
| 312,000,000 (2025)|| See [[List of territorial entities where French is an official language]] and [[African French]]
|-
| [[Fula language|Fulani]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] || 40,000,000
| 67,000,000 (2014–2021)<ref name="ReferenceA">[[ethnologue:ful|Fulani]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:fuc|Pulaar (Senegambia, Mauritania)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:fuf|Pular (Guinea, Sierra Leone)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:ffm|Maasina Fulfulde (Mali, Ghana)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:fue|Borgu Fulfulde (Benin, Togo)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:fuh|Western Niger Fulfulde (Burkina, Niger)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:fuq|Central–Eastern Niger Fulfulde (Niger)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>|| Northern [[Benin]], [[Burkina Faso]], [[Cameroon]], [[The Gambia|Gambia]], Northern [[Ghana]], [[Guinea]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Mali]], northeastern [[Nigeria]], Southern [[Niger]], and [[Senegal]]
|-
|[[Fungor language|Fungor]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,700 (1984)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fuj/ Fungor] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Fur language|Fur]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|790,000 (2004–2023)<ref>[[ethnologue:fvr|Fur]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]] and [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Furu language|Furu]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|16,000 (1984–1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fuu/ Furu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Fut language|Fut]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|100,000 (2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bfd/ Bafut] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Fwe language|Fwe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|15,000{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref>{{Cite news |title="The Mafwe People Group In All Countries" |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11196/WA |access-date=11 March 2025 |work=Joshua Project}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Gǀui dialect|Gǀui]]
|[[Khoe–Kwadi languages|Khoe–Kwadi]]
|1,500 (2013)<ref>[[Gǀui dialect|Gǀui]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Botswana]]
|-
| [[Ga language|Ga]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 745,000 (2016)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/gaa Ga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref> 
| -|| [[Ghana]]
|-
| [[German language|German]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] ||  
| -|| National language of [[Namibia]], special status in [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Gendza language|Gendza]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|43,000 (1986)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/lgz Gendza] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Gengele Creole]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Geme language|Geme]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|550 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/geq Geme] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Ghomalaʼ language|Ghomalaʼ]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|350,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bbj/ Ghomala] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Gikuyu language|Gikuyu]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 8,100,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/kik|title=Gikuyu|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> 
| -|| Spoken in [[Kenya]]
|-
|[[Goundo language|Goundo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|30 (1998)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/goy Goundo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Gourmanché]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,500,000 (2012–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:gux|Gourmanchéma]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Benin]], [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]], [[Niger]], [[Nigeria]], and [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Gumuz language|Gumuz]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|160,000 in Ethiopia (2007)
88,000 in Sudan (2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/guk Gumuz] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

</ref>
| -
|Spoken in [[Ethiopia]] and [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Gwari language|Gwari]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,840,000 (2020)<ref>[[ethnologue:gbr|Gbagyi]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:gby|Gbari]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Gyong language|Gyong]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|25,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kdm/ Gyong] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Hakaona language|Hakaona]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[Angola]] and [[Namibia]]
|-
|[[Hanga language|Hanga]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|6,800 (2003)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/hag/ Hanga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Ḥarsusi language|Ḥarsusi]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|600 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/19/language/hss/ Harsusi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (19th ed., 2016)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Oman]]
|-
|[[Hassaniya Arabic]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|5,200,000 (2014–2021)<ref>{{Cite news |year=2024 |title=Hassaniyya {{!}} Ethnologue Free |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309073757/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mey/ |archive-date=9 March 2023 |access-date=2025-03-06 |work=Ethnologue (Free All) |language=en-US |edition=27th |url-status=live }}</ref>
| -
|[[Mali]], Recognized in [[Morocco]]
|-
| [[Hausa language|Hausa]] || [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] || 54,000,000 (2021–2023)<ref>[[ethnologue:hau|Hausa]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| 94,000,000 (2023–2024)|| Recognized in [[Nigeria]], [[Ghana]], and [[Niger]]
|-
|[[Heiban language|Heiban]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,000 (1984)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/hbn Heiban] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Hendo language|Hendo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|50,000 (1982)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/soe Hendo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Herero language|Herero]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|250,000 (2015–2018)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/her OvaHerero] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]], [[Botswana]] and [[Angola]]
|-
| [[Hindi language|Hindi]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] ||  
| -|| Spoken in [[Mauritius]]
|-
|[[Hlubi language|Hlubi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Hõne language|Hõne]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|7,000 (1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/juh/ Hõne] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Hun-Saare language|Hun-Saare]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|73,000 (1985)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/uss/ Us-Saare] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/uth/ Ut-Hun] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Humburi Senni language|Humburi Senni]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|81,000 (1999–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:hmb|Humburi Senni]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Spoken in [[Burkina Faso]], and [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Hyam language|Hyam]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|300,000 (2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/jab/ Hyam] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Ibibio language|Ibibio]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|6,300,000 (2020)<ref>[[ethnologue:ibb|Ibibio]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Iceve-Maci language|Iceve-Maci]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|12,000 (1990)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bec Ceve] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Idun language|Idun]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|78,000 (2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ldb/ Idun] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Igala language|Igala]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,600,000 (2020)<ref>[[ethnologue:igl|Igala]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Igbo language|Igbo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|31,000,000 (2020)<ref>[[ethnologue:ibo|Igbo]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Ik language|Ik]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|14,000 (2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ikx Ik] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Uganda]]
|-
|[[Ila language|Ila]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|106,000 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ilb/ Ila] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/shq/ Sala] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Imraguen people|Imraguen]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|530 (2006)<ref>[https://people.umass.edu/nconstan/representatives/ "Language Representative Counts"]. Retrieved 2023-09-01.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mauritania]]
|-
|[[Ipulo language|Ipulo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,500 (1990)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ass Ipulo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Isu language|Isu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|15,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/isu Isu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Iyive language|Iyive]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,000 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/uiv Iyive] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Izon language|Izon]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,400,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ijc Izon] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Spoken in [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Italian language|Italian]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] ||  
| -|| Recognized in [[Eritrea]] and [[Somalia]]
|-
|[[Jagham language|Jagham]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|120,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/etu/ Ekoi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Jahanka language|Jahanka]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|150,000 (2017–2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:jad|Jahanka]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Guinea]]
|-
|[[Jarawa language (Nigeria)|Jarawa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|250,000 (2006–2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/jjr/ Zhár (Bankal)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/dbm/ Zugur (Duguri)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bau/ Mbat (Bada)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/jgk/ Gwak (Gingwak)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Jelkung language|Jelkung]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]]
|1,300 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/saa/ Jelkung] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Jiba language|Jiba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,000 (1977)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/juo Jiba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Jju language|Jju]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|600,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kaj Jju] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Juǀʼhoan language|Juǀʼhoan]]
|[[Kxʼa languages|Kxʼa]]
|4,000 (2003)<ref>Güldemann, Tom (2003). "Khoisan Languages". [https://books.google.com/books?id=sl_dDVctycgC&pg=RA1-PA362 ''International Encyclopedia of Linguistics''. Vol. 1: AAVE-Esperanto]. Oxford University Press. p. 362. {{ISBN|978-0-19-513977-8}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Botswana]]
|-
|[[Juba Arabic]]
|[[Arabic-based creole languages|Arabic-based creole]]
|250,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/pga Juba Arabic] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Jukun Takum language|Jukun Takum]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
| 2,400 (2000)<ref>[[ethnologue:jbu|Jukun]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Jur Modo language|Jur Modo]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|180,000 (2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bex Jur Modo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Kabalai language|Kabalai]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]]
|18,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kvf/ Kabalai] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Kadugli language|Kadugli]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|75,000 (2004)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xtc/ Kadugli] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Kamara language|Kamara]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (2003)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/jmr/ Kamara] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Kanga language|Kanga]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|17,000 (2022)<ref>[[Kanga language|Kanga]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Kalabari language|Kalabari]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|258,000 (2006)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-08-15 |title=2006 Funded Projects |url=http://www.endangeredlanguagefund.org/ll_projects_2006.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815055155/http://www.endangeredlanguagefund.org/ll_projects_2006.php |archive-date=2013-08-15 |access-date=2013-06-15 |website=Endangered Language Fund}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Kalenjin language|Kalenjin]] || [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable) || 6,600,000{{Citation needed|date=March 2025|reason=Whats the source, date, etc}}
| -|| Native to [[Kenya]] and [[Uganda]]
|-
|[[Kanembu language|Kanembu]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|880,000 (2019)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kbl Kanembu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/txj Old Kanembu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Kantosi language|Kantosi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|6,300 (2020)<ref>[[Kantosi language|Kantosi]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Kanuri language|Kanuri]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|9,600,000 (1993–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:kau|Kanuri]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:knc|Central Kanuri]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:kby|Manga Kanuri]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:krt|Tumari Kanuri]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[Bilma Kanuri]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:kbl|Kanembu]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:txj|Old Kanembu]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]], [[Chad]], [[Niger]], and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Kar language|Kar]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|40,000 (1995)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xrb/ Kar] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Karanga language|Karanga]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|10,000 (1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kth/ Karanga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Kasena language|Kasena]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|250,000 (1998–2004)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xsm/ Kasena] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Kassonke language|Kassonke]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,500,000 (2009–2022)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kao Kassonke] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Recognized in [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Katla language|Katla]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|25,000 Julud (2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kcr Katla] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
Possibly 14,000 Katla (1984)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/17/language/kcr/ Katla] language at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (17th ed., 2013)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Keiga language|Keiga]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|6,100 (1984)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kec/ Keiga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Kemezung language|Kemezung]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,540 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/dmo/ Kemezung] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Kendeje language|Kendeje]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|1,900 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/klf/ Kendeje] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Kele language (Gabon)|Kele]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|14,000 (2000–2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/keb/ West Kele, Bubi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nra/ Ngom] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of Congo]] and [[Gabon]]
|-
|[[Kele-Foma language|Kele-Foma]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|160,000 (1980)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/khy/ Kele] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fom/ Foma] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Keliko language|Keliko]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|42,500 (1989–2018)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kbo Keliko] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Kelo language|Kelo]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|200 (2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/16/show_language/xel Kelo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (16th ed., 2009)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Kgalagadi language|Kgalagadi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|65,400 (2015)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xkv/ Kgalagadi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Botswana]]
|-
|[[Khwe language|Khwe]]
|[[Khoe–Kwadi languages|Khoe–Kwadi]]
|8,000 (2011)<ref name="Brenzinger, Matthias 2011">Brenzinger, Matthias (2011) "The twelve modern Khoisan languages." In Witzlack-Makarevich & Ernszt (eds.), ''Khoisan languages and linguistics: proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, Riezlern / Kleinwalsertal'' (Research in Khoisan Studies 29). Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]], [[Angola]], [[Botswana]], [[South Africa]], and [[Zambia]]
|-
| [[Khoekhoe language|Khoekhoe]] || [[Khoe–Kwadi languages|Khoe–Kwadi]] || 200,000 ± 10,000 (2011) 
| -|| National language of [[Namibia]]
|-
|[[Ki language|Ki]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|26,000 (1982)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bag/ Ki] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[[Leti language (Cameroon)|Leti]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mct/ Mengisa (duplicate code)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Kim language|Kim]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|15,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kia/ Kim] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
| [[Kimbundu]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 1,700,000 (2015)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kmb Kimbundu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -|| [[Angola]]
|-
| [[Kinyarwanda]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 15,000,000 (2014–2024)<ref>[[ethnologue:kin|Kinyarwanda]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -|| [[Rwanda]]
|-
| [[Kirundi]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 13,000,000 (2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:run|Rundi]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -|| [[Burundi]]
|-
|[[Kisi language (Tanzania)|Kisi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|15,000 (2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kiz Kisi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Tanzania]]
|-
|[[Kissi language|Kissi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|910,000 (2017–2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kss Southern Kissi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kqs Northern Kissi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Guinea]], [[Liberia]], and [[Sierra Leone]]
|-
|[[Kita Maninka language|Kita Maninka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|449,000 (2001–2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mwk Kita Maninka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Recognized in [[Mali]]
|-
| [[Kituba language|Kituba]] || [[Kikongo language|Kongo-based]] [[Creole language|creole]] || 13,000,000 (2018–2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:mkw|Kituba (RC)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:ktu|Kituba (DRC)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -|| [[Democratic Republic of Congo]], [[Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Koalib language|Koalib]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|100,000 (2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kib Koalib] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Korandje language|Korandje]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|3,000 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kcy/ Korandje] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Algeria]]
|-
|[[Koro Wachi language|Koro Wachi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|150,000 (2006–2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ahs/ Ashe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bqv/ Begbere-Ejar] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Kom language (Cameroon)|Kom]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|210,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bkm/ Kom] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Komo language|Komo]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|10,000 in Sudan (1979)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xom/ Komo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

</ref>
8,500 in Ethiopia (2007)<ref>[http://www.csa.gov.et/images/documents/pdf_files/regional/CountryLevel.pdf Ethiopia 2007 Census]</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]], [[South Sudan]], and [[Ethiopia]]
|-
| [[Kikongo language|Kongo]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 6,000,000 cited 1982–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:kon|Kongo]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:kng|Koongo]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:ldi|Ladi, Laadi, Lari or Laari]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:kwy|San Salvador Kongo (South)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:yom|Yombe]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -|| [[Angola]], recognised national language of [[Republic of Congo]] and [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Konkomba language|Konkomba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|920,000 (2012–2013)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/xon Konkomba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]] and [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Konni language|Konni]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,800 (2003)<ref>[[Konni language|Konni]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Koshin language|Koshin]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (2011)<ref>[[Koshin language|Koshin]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Koyra Chiini language|Koyra Chiini]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|200,000 (1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/khq/ Koyra Chiini] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Koyraboro Senni]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|430,000 (2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ses/ Koyraboro Senni] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Kulango language|Kulango]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|470,000 (2021)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/nku Bouna] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kzc Bondoukou] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]] and [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Kunda language|Kunda]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|160,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kdn/ Kunda] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zimbabwe]], [[Zambia]], and [[Mozambique]]
|-
|[[Kusaal language|Kusaal]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|121,000 (2021 census)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kus/ Kusaal] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]], and [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Kusu language|Kusu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|26,000 (1971)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ksv/ Kusu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Kresh language|Kresh]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|16,000 including Dongo (2013)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/krs/ Kresh] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Krio language|Krio]] 
|[[English-based creole languages|English Creole]]
|860,000 (2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:kri|Sierra Leonean Creole]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sierra Leone]]
|-
|[[Krongo language|Krongo]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|54,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:kgo|Krongo]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Kuba language|Kuba]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|30,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kxx/ Kuba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Kuk language|Kuk]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kfn/ Kuk] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Kukelle]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|180,000 to 200,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kez/ Kele] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Kunama language|Kunama]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|180,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:kun|Kunama]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Eritrea]], and [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Kung language (Cameroon)|Kung]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|12{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kfl/ Kung] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Kurama language|Kurama]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|40,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/krh/ Kurama] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Kuranko language|Kuranko]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|670,000 (2017–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:knk|Kuranko]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Guinea]] and [[Sierra Leone]]
|-
|[[Kuvale language|Kuvale]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|70,000 (2015)<ref>[[Kuvale language|Kuvale]] language at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (19th ed., 2016)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Kwaʼ language|Kwaʼ]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,000 (2000)<ref>Kwaʼ at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Kwala language|Kwala]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|45,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kwc/ Kwala] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Kwama language|Kwama]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|15,000 (2015)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kmq Kwama] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Kwambi dialect|Kwambi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|33,000 (2006)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kwm/ Kwambi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Kwangali language|Kwangali]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|152,000 (2018)<ref>[[Kwangali language|"Kwangali"]]. ''Ethnologue''. Retrieved 15 August 2018.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Kwangwa language|Kwangwa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,400 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lyn/ Luyana] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Kwanyama]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|670,000 (1993–2006)<ref>[[Kwanyama]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Kyenga language|Kyenga]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|12,000 (1995–2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tye/ Kyenga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Benin]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Kyoli language|Kyoli]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|7,000-8,000 (2020)<ref>Decker, Ken, John Muniru, Julius Dabet, Benard Abraham and Jonah Innocent. 2020. [https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/86280 ''<nowiki>A Sociolinguistic Profile of the Kyoli (Cori) [cry] Language of Kaduna State, Nigeria</nowiki>''.] SIL Electronic Survey Reports.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Lala language (South Africa)|Lala]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown but extant (1999)<ref>[http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/17881/thesis_zungu_em.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y "A comparative phonological and morphological analysis of the North and South Lala dialects of Tekela Nguni"]. University of South Africa (UNISA). 1999-12-01. Retrieved 2025-03-12.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Lala-Bisa language|Lala-Bisa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|350,000 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/leb/ Lala-Bisa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Lamba language|Lamba]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|200,000 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lam/ Lamba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Laimbue language|Laimbue]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,000 (1994)<ref>Laimbue at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Laro language|Laro]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|40,000 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lro/ Laro] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Lega language|Lega]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|450,000 (1982–2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lea/ Shabunda Lega] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lgm/ Mwenga Lega] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/khx/ Kanu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ktf/ Kwami] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Lele language (Bantu)|Lele]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|26,000 (1971)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lel/ Lele] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Lendu language|Lendu]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|760,000 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/led/ Lendu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Lenje language|Lenje]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|130,000 (2010)
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Leti language (Cameroon)|Leti]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|"small population" (2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/leo/ Leti] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mct/ Mengisa (duplicate code)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Lia-Ntomba language|Lia-Ntomba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|200,000 (1980–2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nto/ Ntomba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bli/ Bolia] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Ligbi language|Ligbi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|19,000 (1991–2003)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lig/ Ligbi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Limba language (Cameroon)|Limba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,200 (2001)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mzd/ Limba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Limba language|Limba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|520,000 (1993–2019)<ref>[[ethnologue:lma|"Limba, East"]]. ''Ethnologue''. Retrieved 2018-08-11.

[[ethnologue:lia|"Limba, West-Central"]]. ''Ethnologue''. Retrieved 2018-08-11.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Guinea]] and [[Sierra Leone]]
|-
|[[Limbum language|Limbum]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|130,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lmp/ Limbum] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Lingala language|Lingala]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 21,000,000 (2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:lin|Lingala]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -|| National language of [[Democratic Republic of Congo]], [[Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Lobedu people|Lobedu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,000,000 (estimated)<ref>Cohen, C (1968). ''Rider Haggard: His life and works''. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan UK. {{ISBN|1-349-00602-5}}.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Logol language|Logol]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|13,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:lof|Logol]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Loki language|Loki]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,200{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/15/show_language/bkt Loki] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (15th ed., 2005)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Londo language|Londo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (1983)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bzm/ Londo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Lorhon language|Lorhon]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,000 (1991–1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lor/ Lorhon] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Losengo language|Losengo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|67,000 (1983–2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lse/ Losengo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bkt/ Boloki] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ndl/ Ndolo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Lozi language|Lozi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|725,000 (1982–2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/loz/ Lozi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Angola]], [[Botswana]], [[Namibia]], [[South Africa]], [[Zambia]], and [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
| [[Luganda]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 5,600,000 (2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/lug Ganda] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -|| Native to [[Uganda]]
|-
|[[Lugbara language|Lugbara]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|1,600,000 (2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lgg/ Lugbara] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/snm/ Southern Ma'di] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Uganda]] and [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Kuhane language|Kuhane]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|45,000<ref>Kuhane at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]], [[Botswana]], and [[Zambia]]
|- 
| [[Luhya language|Luhya]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 6,800,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/luh|title=Luhya|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> 
| -|| Spoken in [[Kenya]]
|-
|[[Lumun language|Lumun]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|15,000 (2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/lmd Lumun] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
| [[Luo dialect|Luo]] || [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable) || 4,200,000 (2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/luo/ Luo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -|| [[Kenya]], [[Tanzania]]
|-
|[[Luyana language|Luyana]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,380 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/lyn Luyana] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Maba language|Maba]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|570,000 (2019)<ref>[[ethnologue:mde|Maba]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Ma'di language|Ma'di]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|310,000 (1982–2002)<ref>[[Ma'di language|Ma'di]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Uganda]] and [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Mada language|Mada]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|100,000 (not counting Nunku) (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mda/ Mada] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Malagasy language|Malagasy]] || [[Austronesian languages|Austronesian]] || 18,000,000<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mlg|title=Malagasy|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> 
| -|| [[Madagascar]]
|-
|[[Marfa language|Marfa]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|5,000 (1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mvu Marfa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native in [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Marka language|Marka]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|190,000 (2009–2014)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/rkm Marka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Spoken in [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Mama language|Mama]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,000–3,000 (2001)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140907000403/http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/cr_files/2011-171_jkt.pdf "Archived copy"] (PDF). Archived from [http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/cr_files/2011-171_jkt.pdf the original] (PDF) on 2014-09-07. Retrieved 2015-02-20.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Mampruli language|Mampruli]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|230,000 (2004)Dagbani
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Mali]], and [[Mali|Togo]]
|-
|[[Mandinka language|Mandinka]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,100,000 (2017–2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:mnk|Mandinka]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

</ref>
| -
|Recognized in [[Senegal]]
|-
|[[Mangbetu language|Mangbetu]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|662,000 (1985)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mdj Mangbetu] at ''Ethnologue'' (13th ed., 1996).

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/lmi Lombi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Maninka language|Maninka]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,600,000 (2012–2021)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mku Konyanka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/emk Eastern Maninkaka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/msc Sankaran Maninkaka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mzj Manya (Liberia)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/jod Wojenaka (Odienné Jula)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Spoken in [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Mankon language|Mankon]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|19,000 (2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nge/ Mankon] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Manta language|Manta]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,300 (2001)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/myg/ Manta] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/acb/ Áncá (?)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Masaba language|Masaba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,700,000 (2002 & 2009)<ref name=":6">[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/myx/ Masaba (Gisu, Kisu, Dadiri, Buya)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bxk/ Bukusu (Tachoni)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[[Tachoni]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Kenya]]
|-
|[[Masalit language|Masalit]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|410,000 (2019–2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:mls|Masalit]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:mdg|Massalat]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]] and [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Mashi language|Mashi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|22,000 (2000–2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mho/ Mashi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xdo/ Kwandu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]] and [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Massa language|Massa]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]]
|340,000 (1982–2019)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mcn Massa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad|Cameroon]] and [[Chad]]
|-
| [[Mauritian Creole]] || [[French-based creole languages|French Creole]] || 1,100,000 (2016)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mfe|title=Morisyen|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> 
| -|| Native to [[Mauritius]]
|-
|[[Mbamba Bay language|Mbamba Bay]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|6,000 (2004)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mjh/ Mwera] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Tanzania]]
|-
|[[Mbandja language|Mbandja]] 
|[[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
|360,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/zmz/ Mbandja] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Republic of Congo]] and [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Mbati language|Mbati]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|60,000 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mdn/ Mbati] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Mbe language|Mbe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|65,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mfo Mbe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Mbəʼ language|Mbəʼ]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,500 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mtk/ Mbəʼ] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mbessa language|Mbessa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|25,000 (2020)<ref>[[Mbessa language|Mbessa]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mbili-Mbui language|Mbili-Mbui]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|10,000 (1983)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/baw/ Mbili-Mbui] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mbowe language|Mbowe]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|460 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mxo/ Mbowe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mbre language|Mbre]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|50 (2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mka Mbre] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Mbuʼ language|Mbuʼ]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|200 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/muc/ Mbuʼ] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mbuk language|Mbuk]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|600 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/bpc Mbuk] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mbuko language|Mbuko]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]]
|15,000 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mqb/ Mbuko] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mbukushu language|Mbukushu]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|95,000 (2020)<ref name=":1">[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mhw Mbukushu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|National language in [[Namibia]] and Native to [[Angola]], [[Botswana]], and [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Mbwasa language|Mbwasa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown<ref>Blench, Roger, 2011. ''[http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/Bantoid/General/Blench%20Bantu%20IV%20Berlin%20Bantoid%202011.pdf The membership and internal structure of Bantoid and the border with Bantu]''. ''Bantu IV'', Humboldt University, Berlin.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Medumba language|Medumba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|210,000 (1991)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/byv/ Medumba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mehri language|Mehri]] 
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]]
|230,000 (2020)
| -
|Native to [[Yemen]], [[Oman]] and [[Saudi Arabia]]
|-
|[[Menchum language|Menchum]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bby/ Menchum] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mendankwe-Nkwen language|Mendankwe-Nkwen]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|28,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mfd Mendankwe-Nkwen] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mengaka language|Mengaka]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|20,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/xmg/ Mengaka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Menyam language|Menyam]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,000 (1994)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bce/ Bamenyam] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mesaka language|Mesaka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|14,000 (1982)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/iyo/ Mesaka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mfumte language|Mfumte]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|30,700 (1982–2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nfu/ Mfumte] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fum/ Fum] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kdz/ Kwaja (East Mfumte)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Minyanka language|Minyanka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)

|740,000 (2000)<ref>{{Cite news |year=2015 |title=Sénoufo, Mamara |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/myk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605003402/https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/myk/ |archive-date=5 June 2019 |access-date=2025-03-06 |work=Ethnologue |language=en |edition=18th |url-status=live }}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Missong language|Missong]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|400 (2012)<ref>Pierpaolo Di Carlo & Jeff Good. 2012. [http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jcgood/DiCarloGood-LFIdeology.pdf What are we trying to preserve?: Diversity, change, and ideology at the edge of the Cameroonian Grassfields]</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mmen language|Mmen]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|35,000 (2001)<ref>[[Mmen language|Mmen]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mmuock Language|Mmuock]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Moba language|Moba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|440,000 (2004–2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mfq/ Moba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bim/ Bimoba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]], and [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Moro language|Moro]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|79,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:mor|Moro]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Morokodo language|Morokodo]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|3,400 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mgc/ Morokodo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nwm/ Nyamusa-Molo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/gbn/ Mo’da (Gberi)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mwu/ Mittu (extinct)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Moru language|Moru]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|230,000 (2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/mgd Moru] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
| [[Mossi language|Mossi]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 12,000,000 (2012–2022)<ref name="ReferenceE">[[ethnologue:mos|Mooré]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -|| Recognised regional language in [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Mono language (Congo)|Mono]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|65,000 (1984)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mnh/ Mono] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Mongo language|Mongo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|400,000 (1995)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lol/ Mongo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ymg/ Yamongeri] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Mooré]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|12,000,000 (2012–2022)<ref name="ReferenceE"/>
| -
|Official in [[Burkina Faso]]
Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[Benin]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Ghana]], [[Mali]], [[Togo]], [[Niger]], and [[Senegal]]
|-
|[[Mundabli language|Mundabli]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|500 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/boe/ Mundabli] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mündü language|Mündü]]
|[[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
|26,000{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/muh Mündü] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Mundum language|Mundum]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Mungbam language|Mungbam]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,900–2,200 (2012)<ref>Di Carlo, Pierpaolo; Good, Jeff (30 October 2014). ''[https://academic.oup.com/british-academy-scholarship-online/book/325/chapter/134958481 Endangered Languages]''. British Academy.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Munka language|Munka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|31,000 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bvm/ Munka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Nabit language|Nabit]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|30,000 (estimated) (2015)<ref>Naden, Tony (2014-11-08). [https://iso639-3.sil.org/sites/iso639-3/files/change_requests/2015/2015-014_nbz.pdf "Request for New Language Code Element in ISO 639: nbz"] (PDF). [[SIL International]].</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Nafanan language|Nafanan]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|89,000 (2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/nfr Nafaanra] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]] and the [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
| [[Nambya language|Nambya]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 100,000 (2000–2004)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/nmq Nambya] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -|| Native to [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|[[Nancere language|Nancere]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|144,000 (2019)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/nnc Nancere] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Nanerigé language|Nanerigé]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|50,000 (1985)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sen/ Nanerigé] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Naro language|Naro]]
|[[Khoe–Kwadi languages|Khoe–Kwadi]]
|9,000 (2011–2014)<ref name="Brenzinger, Matthias 2011"/><ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nhr/ Naro] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Botswana]] and [[Namibia]]
|-
|[[Nateni language|Nateni]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|110,000 (2021)<ref>[[Nateni language|Nateni]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Benin]]
|-
|[[Naki language|Naki]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/16/show_language/mff Naki (Cameroon)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (16th ed., 2009)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/16/show_language/buz Bukwen] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (16th ed., 2009)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/16/show_language/jms Mashi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (16th ed., 2009)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]], [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Ntcham language|Ntcham]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|390,000 (2004–2013)<ref>[[ethnologue:bud|Ntcham]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:aks|Akaselem]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]] and [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Ndaʼndaʼ language|Ndaʼndaʼ]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|10,000 (1990)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nnz/ Ndaʼndaʼ] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Ndau language|Ndau]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 2,400,000 (2000–2006)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ndc/ Ndau] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -|| [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
| [[Southern Ndebele language|Ndebele]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 1,100,000 (2011)<ref>{{cite web |year=2015 |orig-date=2011 census |title=Ndebele |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nbl/ |access-date=20 September 2016 |publisher=Ethnologue |edition=18th}}</ref>
| -|| Statutory national language in [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Ndemli language|Ndemli]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|10,000 (1999)<ref>[[Ndemli language|Ndemli]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Nding language|Nding]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|400 (2020)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Eberhard |first=David M. |title=Ethnoloɠue: Languages in Africa and Europe |last2=Simons |first2=Gary F. |last3=Fenning |first3=Charles D. |publisher=SIL International Publications |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-55671-458-0 |edition=23rd |location=Dallas |pages=279}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Ndombe language|Ndombe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|22,300 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ndq/ Ndombe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Ndonga]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|810,000 (2006)<ref>[[Ndonga]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Ndolo dialect|Ndolo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,000 (1983)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ndl/ Ndolo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Ndrulo language|Ndrulo]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|110,000 (2014–2018)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/dno Ndrulo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native language of [[Uganda]] and [[Democratic Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Ndzerem language|Ndzerem]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|<1,000{{Date missing|date=March 2025}}<ref>Roger Blench & Cameron Hamm (n.d.) ''The Nun Languages of the Grassfields of Cameroon''</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Ngaʼka language|Ngaʼka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|50,000 (1982)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mhk/ Ngaʼka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Ngambwe language|Ngambwe]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Ngando language|Ngando]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,000 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ngd/ Ngando] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Ngangam language|Ngangam]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|200,000 (2012–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:gng|Ngangam]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Benin]] and [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Ngbundu language|Ngbundu]] 
|[[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
|16,000 (1984)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nuu/ Ngbundu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Ngelima language|Ngelima]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|14,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/agh/ Ngelima] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Ngiemboon language|Ngiemboon]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|250,000 (2007)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Stephen C. |year=2007 |title="PRÉCIS D'ORTHOGRAPHE POUR LA LANGUE NGIEMBOON" |url=https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=entry_detail&uid=vwvrj4y82y |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713091717/https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=entry_detail&uid=vwvrj4y82y |archive-date=13 July 2024 |access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Ngile language|Ngile]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|39,000 (2024)<ref>[[ethnologue:jle|Ngile]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Ngiri language|Ngiri]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|80,000 (2000–2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/biz/ Loi (Baloi)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lie/ Likila (Balobo)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ndw/ Ndobo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/mmz/ Mabaale] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Ngiti language|Ngiti]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|100,000 (1991)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/niy/ Ngiti] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Ngondi language|Ngondi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (2004)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ndn/ Ngondi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Republic of Congo]]
|-
|[[Ngomba language|Ngomba]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|63,000 (1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/jgo/ Ngomba or Nguemba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Ngombale language|Ngombale]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|53,500 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/nla Ngombale] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Ngombe language|Ngombe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|150,000 (1971)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ngc/ Ngombe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Ngwe language|Ngwe]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|73,000 (2001)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nwe/ Ngwe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Nigerian Pidgin]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,700,000{{When|date=March 2025}}<ref>[[ethnologue:pcm|Nigerian Pidgin]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Ninzo language|Ninzo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|35,000 (1973)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nin/ Ninzo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Nkoroo language|Nkoroo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,500 (1989)<ref>{{Cite news |year=2015 |title=Nkoroo |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nkx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604225856/https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nkx/ |archive-date=4 June 2019 |access-date=2025-03-06 |work=Ethnologue |language=en |edition=18th |url-status=live }}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Nkumbi language|Nkumbi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|150,000 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/khu/ Nkumbi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Nkutu language|Nkutu]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|40,000 (1972)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nkw/ Nkutu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Nsei language|Nsei]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|25,000 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ndb/ Nsei] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Nsenga language|Nsenga]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|600,000 in Zambia and Mozambique (2006 – 2010)
16,000 in Zimbabwe (1969)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nse/ Nsenga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/phm/ Phimbi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]], [[Mozambique]], and [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|[[Nso language|Nso]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|240,000 (2005)<ref>[[Nso language|Nsɔ]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Noni language|Noni]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|50,000 (2005–2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nhu/ Noone] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ncr/ Ncane] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Noon language|Noon]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) ||  33,000 (2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/snf Noon] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[Senegal]]
|-
| [[Northern Ndebele language|Northern Ndebele]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) ||  2,600,000 (2023)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nde/ Ndebele] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -||Official in [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
| [[Northern Sotho language|Northern Sotho]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 4,700,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nso/ Northern Sotho] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) [2011 Census) (subscription required)

</ref>
| -|| Official in [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Nubi language|Nubi]]
|[[Arabic-based creole languages|Arabic-based creole]]
|50,000 (2014–2019)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kcn Nubi Arabic] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Uganda]], [[Kenya]]
|-
|[[Nuer language|Nuer]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
|1,700,000 (2007–2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:nus|Nuer]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]] and [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Numana language|Numana]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|50,000 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/nbr Numana] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Nupe language|Nupe]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,800,000 (2020)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/nup Nupe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Nyaneka language|Nyaneka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|300,000 to 1.2 million{{Date missing|date=March 2025}} (before 1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nyk/ Nyaneka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Angola]]
|-
|[[Nyanga language|Nyanga]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|150,000 (1994)<ref>[[Nyanga language|Nyanga]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Nyankpa language|Nyankpa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|70,000 (2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/yes/ Nyankpa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Nyarafolo language|Nyarafolo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|60,000 (2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sev/ Nyarafolo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Nyungwe language|Nyungwe]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|490,000 (2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:nyu|Nyungwe]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mozambique]]
|-
|[[Nzakara language|Nzakara]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|50,000 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nzk/ Nzakara] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]], and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Akita language|Okodia]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,600 (1977)<ref>{{Cite news |year=2022 |title=Okodia |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/okd |work=Ethnologue |edition=25th}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Oku language|Oku]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|87,000 (2005)<ref>[[Oku language|Oku]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Ombo language|Ombo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,400 (2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/oml/ Ombo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Omi language|Omi]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|91,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/omi/ Omi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Osatu language|Osatu]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|400 (2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ost/ Osatu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Oluʼbo language|Oluʼbo]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|33,000 (2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/lul Oluʼbo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Opuo language|Opuo]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|20,000 (2014–2019)<ref>[[ethnologue:lgn|Opuuo]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024) 
</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ethiopia]] and [[South Sudan]]
|-
| [[Oromo language|Oromo]] || [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] ||37,071,900 (2020) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/ET/languages|title=Oromo first-language speakers at Ethnologue (23rd ed., 2020)|accessdate=27 November 2023}}</ref> 
| -||Official in [[Ethiopia]]
Recognized minority in [[Kenya]]
Native to [[Ethiopia]], [[Kenya]], and [[Somalia]]
|-
|[[Oruma language|Oruma]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,000 (1995)<ref>{{Cite news |year=2022 |title=Oruma |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/orr |work=Ethnologue |edition=25th}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Otank language|Otank]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|15,000 (2006)<ref>[[Otank language|Otank]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Otoro language|Otoro]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|17,000 (2023)<ref>[[ethnologue:otr|Otoro]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Ovambo language|Ovambo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,441,000 (1990)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kua/ Kwanyama] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ndo/ Ndonga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kwm/ Kwambi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lnb/ Mbalanhu (Central Wambo)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nne/ Ngandjera] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Angola]] and [[Namibia]]
|-
|[[Palaka language|Palaka]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,000 (1995)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/plr/ Palaka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Paleni language|Paleni]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|260 (2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/pnl/ Paleni] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Pambia language|Pambia]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|21,000 (1982)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/pmb/ Pambia] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Pande language|Pande]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,870 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bkj/ Pande] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Phuthi language|Phuthi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|20,000 (1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ssw Swati] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref><ref>Donnelly 1999:114–115.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Lesotho]] and [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Pichinglis]]
|[[English-based creole languages|English Creole]]
|6,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fpe/ Pichinglis] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Bioko]] and [[Equatorial Guinea]]
|-
|[[Pinyin language|Pinyin]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|25,000 (2001)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/pny/ Pinyin] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Piti language|Piti]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,100 (2013)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/pcn/ Piti] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Niger]]
|-
| [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] || 17,000,000<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eberhard |first1=David M. |last2=Simons |first2=Gary F. |last3=Fennig |first3=Charles D. |title=Ethnologue report for Portuguese |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/por |website=Ethnologue |publisher=SIL International |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> 
| -|| [[Angola]], [[Cape Verde]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Mozambique]], [[São Tomé and Príncipe]] 
|-
|[[Pretoria Sotho]]
|[[Sotho-Tswana language]] [[Creole language|creole]]
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Rigwe language|Rigwe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|40,000 (1985)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/iri/ Rigwe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Niger]]
|-
|[[Ronga language|Ronga]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|720,000 (2006)<ref>[[Ronga language|Ronga]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mozambique]] and [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Saari language|Saari]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|7,600 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/asj Saari] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Saba language|Saba]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|1,300 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/saa/ Saba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Saho language|Saho]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|180,000 (2007–2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:ssy|Saho]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Eritrea]] and [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Samo language (Burkina)|Samo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|230,000 (1995–1999)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/stj/ Matya] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sym/ Maya] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sbd/ Southern] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Samwe language|Samwe]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,500 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/wbf/ Samwe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Sakata language|Sakata]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|75,000 (1982)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/skt/ Sakata] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Saya language|Saya]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|300,000 (2013)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/say/ Saya] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Niger]]
|-
|[[Sekele language|Sekele]] 
|[[Kxʼa languages|Kxʼa]]
|20,000 (2013–2019)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/vaj Sekele] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)

[[Ekoka ǃKung]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]], [[Angola]]
|-
| [[Sena language|Sena]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) ||2,869,000 (2017–2020)<ref>[[ethnologue:seh|Mozambiquean Sena]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:swk|Malawian Sena]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

[[ethnologue:bwg|Barwe]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[Zimbabwe]]
Recognized in [[Malawi]]
Native to [[Malawi]], [[Mozambique]], and [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|[[Senara language|Senara]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|210,000 (1995–2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/seq/ Senara] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Sengele language|Sengele]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|17,000 (2002)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/szg/ Sengele] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
| [[Northern Sotho language|Sepedi]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 4,700,000 (2011)<ref>[[Northern Sotho]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) [2011 Census] (subscription required)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[South Africa]]
|-
| [[Sesotho language|Sesotho]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 5,600,000 (2001–2011)<ref name="Sotho">[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sot/ Sotho] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[Lesotho]], [[South Africa]] and [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|[[Tlôkwa people|Setlôkwa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown (Possibly ~670,000)
| -
|Native to [[Lesotho]] and [[South Africa]]
|-
| [[Seychellois Creole]] || [[French-based creole languages|French Creole]] ||73,000 (1998)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/crs/ Seychellois Creole] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[Seychelles]]
|-
|[[Shabo language|Shabo]] 
|[[Language isolate]] or possible [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
|400 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sbf/ Shabo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Shanjo language|Shanjo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|4,400 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/toi/ Tonga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Shi language|Shi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|660,000 (1991)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/shr/ Shi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nyg/ Nyindu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
| [[Shona language|Shona]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 8,400,000 (2012–2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:sna|Shona (Zezuru, Karanga, Korekore)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:twl|Tavara (Korekore)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:mxc|Manyika]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:twx|Tewe (Manyika)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| 14,000,000 (2010–2023)|| Official in [[Zimbabwe]]
Recognized minority in [[Mozambique]]
|-
|[[Shwai language|Shwai]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,500 (1989)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/shw/ Shwai] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Sighu language|Sighu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,000 (1990)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sxe/ Sigu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Gabon]]
|-
|[[Simaa language|Simaa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|17,000 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sie/ Simaa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Sinyar language|Sinyar]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|33,000 (2023)<ref>[[ethnologue:sys|Sinyar]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Siwu language|Siwu]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|27,000 (2003)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/akp/ Siwu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]]
|-
| [[Somali language|Somali]] || [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] || 21,937,940<ref name="eth">{{cite web | title = Somali | publisher = [[SIL International]]|year = 2024 | url = https://www.ethnologue.com/language/som/ | access-date = 5 February 2024}}</ref> 
| 24,000,000 (2019–2024)|| Official in [[Somalia]], [[Djibouti]], [[Ethiopia]], and [[Kenya]]
Recognized minority in [[Kenya]]
|-
|[[Soninke language|Soninke]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,300,000 (2017–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:snk|Soninke]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

</ref>
| -
|Official in [[Mauritania]], [[Mali]], [[Senegal]] and [[The Gambia]]
Native to [[Burkina Faso]], [[The Gambia|Gambia]], [[Ghana]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Guinea]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Mali]], [[Mauritania]], [[Senegal]]
|-
|[[Soli language|Soli]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|34,000 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sby/ Soli] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Sotho language|Sotho]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,600,000 (2001–2011)<ref name="Sotho"/>
| -
|Native to [[Lesotho]], [[South Africa]], and [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|[[South Banda language|South Banda]]
|[[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
|200,000 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lnl/ South Central Banda] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/lna/ Langbashe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]] and [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Southeast Ijo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|72,000 (1977)<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ijo, Southeast |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ijs/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605004227/https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ijs/ |archive-date=5 June 2019 |access-date=2025-03-06 |work=Ethnologue |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Southern Birifor language|Southern Birifor]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|190,000 (2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:biv|Southern Birifor]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]] and [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Suba language|Suba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|140,000 (2009)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sxb/ Suba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Kenya]]
|-
|[[Suba-Simbiti language|Suba-Simbiti]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|110,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ssc/ Suba-Simbiti] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Tanzania]]
|-
|[[Sucite language|Sucite]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|38,000 (1999–2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sep/ Siccité] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Suku language|Suku]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|50,000 (1980)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sub/ Suku] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Sukur language|Sukur]]
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|15,000 (1992)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/syk/ Sukur] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Supyire language|Supyire]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|460,000 (1996–2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/spp/ Supyire] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mali]]
|-
|[[Sumayela Ndebele language|Sumayela Ndebele]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown but extant<ref>Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180203191542/http://goto.glocalnet.net/mahopapers/nuglonline.pdf New Updated Guthrie List Online]

</ref><ref>Skhosana, Philemon Buti (2009). ''[https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/28563/Complete.pdf?sequence=8 The Linguistic Relationship between Southern and Northern Ndebele]'' (PDF) (DLitt thesis). University of Pretoria. [[Hdl (identifier)|hdl]]:[[hdl:2263/28563|2263/28563]]</ref><ref>[http://www.northernndebele.com/ "SiNdebele saseNyakatho"]. Northern Ndebele. 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2019-09-30.</ref><ref>[http://www.salanguages.com/northernndebele/index.htm "South African Languages | Northern Ndebele"]. Salanguages.com. Retrieved 2019-09-30.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Susu language|Susu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,400,000 (2017–2019)<ref>[[ethnologue:sus|Susu]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Guinea]], [[Sierra Leone]], and [[Guinea Bissau]]
|-
|[[Suwu language|Suwu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|"few" (2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/szv/ Suwu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Spanish language|Spanish]] || [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] || 1,100,000 (2018)<ref>{{cite web|title=Spanish|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/spa|publisher=Ethnologue|access-date=10 January 2018}}</ref> 
| 636,000,000 (2025)|| [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Spain]] ([[Ceuta]], [[Melilla]], [[Canary Islands]]), still marginally spoken in [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]], recognized in [[Morocco]]
|-
|[[Songhoyboro Ciine]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|946,000 (2014)<ref>{{Cite web |title=L'aménagement: linguistique dans le monde |url=https://www.axl.cefan.ulaval.ca/afrique/niger.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224161306/https://www.axl.cefan.ulaval.ca/afrique/niger.htm |archive-date=Feb 24, 2021 |access-date=}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Niger]]
|-
| [[Southern Ndebele language|Southern Ndebele]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] ||  1,100,000 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nbl/ Ndebele] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Surbakhal language|Surbakhal]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|7,900 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/sbj/ Surbakhal] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]]
|-
|[[Syer-Tenyer language|Syer-Tenyer]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|30,000 (1991)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/kza Syer-Tenyer] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022) (Paywalled)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
| [[Swahili language|Swahili]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 5,300,000 (2019–2023)<ref>[[ethnologue:swa|Swahili]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:swc|Congo Swahili]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:swh|Coastal Swahili]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:ymk|Makwe (?)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:wmw|Mwani (?)]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
|97,300,000 (2019–2023)
| Official in [[Tanzania]], [[Kenya]], [[Uganda]], [[Rwanda]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] 
|-
| [[Swazi language|Swazi]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) ||2,300,000 (2013–2019)<ref>[[ethnologue:ssw|Swazi]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[South Africa]], [[Swaziland]]
|-
|[[Taa language|Taa]]
|[[Tuu languages|Tuu]]
|2,500 (2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/19/language/nmn/ Taa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (19th ed., 2016)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Botswana]] and [[Namibia]]
|-
|[[Tadaksahak]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|170,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:dsq|Tadaksahak]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mali]] and [[Niger]]
|-
|[[Tagdal language|Tagdal]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|65,000 (2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:tda|Tagdal]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Niger]]
|-
|[[Tagoi language|Tagoi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|29,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:tag|Tagoi]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Tagwana language|Tagwana]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|140,000 (1993)
| -
|Native to [[Ivory Coast]]
|-
|[[Talodi language|Talodi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,500 (1989)
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Talni language|Talni]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|100,000 (estimated) (2015)<ref>[http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/cr_files/2015-014_tqi.pdf ISO change request]</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Ghana]]
|-
| [[tamil language|Tamil]] || [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian]] ||  
| -|| Native to [[Mauritius]]
|-
|[[Tasawaq language|Tasawaq]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|21,000 (2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:twq|Tasawaq]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Niger]]
|-
|[[Teda language|Teda]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|130,000 (2020–2024)<ref>[[ethnologue:tuq|Teda]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]], [[Libya]], and [[Niger]]
|-
|[[Tegali language|Tegali]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|110,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:ras|Tegali]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Tegem language|Tegem]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,100 (1984)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/none Tegem] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Telugu language|Telugu]]
|[[Dravidian languages|Dravidian]]
|
| -
|Native to [[Mauritius]]
|-
|[[Tembo (Kitembo) language|Tembo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|150,000 (1994)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tbt/ Tembo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Tetela language|Tetela]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|760,000 (1991)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tll/ Tetela] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/hba/ Hamba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
| [[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]] || [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] || 9,700,000 (2022)<ref>{{Cite web |year=2024 |title=Tigrigna |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/tir |website=Ethnologue |edition=27th}}</ref>
| -|| Official in [[Eritrea]] and [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Tikar language|Tikar]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|110,000 (2005)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tik/ Tikar] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Tiro language|Tiro]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|34,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:tic|Tiro]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Tima language|Tima]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,300 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tms/ Tima] language at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Tiv language|Tiv]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|5,200,000 (2024)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/tiv Tiv] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Tocho language|Tocho]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,700 (2013)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/taz/ Tocho] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Tondi Songway Kiini]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|3,000 (1998)<ref>[[Tondi Songway Kiini]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mali]]
|-
| [[Tonga language (Zambia and Zimbabwe)|Tonga]]|| [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)|| 1,500,000 (2001–2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/toi/ Tonga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/dov/ Dombe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[Zimbabwe]]
Recognized minority in [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Tonga language (Mozambique)|Tonga]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|330,000 (2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:toh|Tonga]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mozambique]]
|-
|[[Tonga language (Malawi)|Tonga]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|165,000 (2018)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/23/language/tog/ Tonga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (23th ed., 2020) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Recognized minority language in [[Malawi]]
|-
|[[Totela language|Totela]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,220 (2010)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ttl/ Totela] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Tsamai language|Tsamai]] 
|[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
|18,000 (2007)<ref>[[ethnologue:tsb|Tsamai]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ethiopia]]
|-
|[[Tsotsitaal and Camtho]], aka [[Iscamtho]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|500,000 (estimated)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/fly/ Tsotsitaal] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/19/language/cmt/ Camtho] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (19th ed., 2016)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[South Africa]]
|-
| [[Luba-Kasai language|Tshiluba]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 6,300,000 (1991)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/lua|title=Luba-Kasai|website=Ethnologue}}</ref> 
| -|| National language of [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
| [[Tsonga language|Tsonga or Xitsonga]]|| [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 3,700,000 (2006–2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tso/ Tsonga] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[South Africa]] and [[Zimbabwe]]
Recognized minority in [[Mozambique]]

Native to [[Eswatini]], [[Mozambique]], [[South Africa]], and [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
| [[Venda language|Tshivenda]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 1,300,000 (2011)<ref name="TshiVenda">[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/ven/ TshiVenda] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref> 
| -|| Official in [[South Africa]] and [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|[[Tswa language|Tswa]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,200,000 (2006)<ref>[[Tswa language|Tswa]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Mozambique]]
|-
| [[Tswana language|Tswana]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 5,800,000 (2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tsn|title=Tswana|date=19 November 2019}}</ref> 
| -|| Official in [[Botswana]], [[South Africa]], [[Zimbabwe]]
Recognized minority in [[Namibia]]
Native to [[Botswana]] and [[South Africa]]
|-
|[[Tulishi language|Tulishi]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]

|2,500 (2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/tey/ Tulishi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Tumbuka language|Tumbuka]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|7,100,000 (2024)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chitumbuka,Citumbuka,Tamboka,Tambuka,Tumboka,Tumbuka to English dictionary . |url=https://lughayangu.com/index.php/tumbuka |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Lughayangu}}</ref>
| -
|Recognized minority language in [[Malawi]], [[Tanzania]], [[Zambia]]
|-
|[[Tumtum language|Tumtum]]
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|17,000 (2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:tbr|Tumtum]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
| [[Twi language|Twi]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 630,000{{Citation needed|reason=Where does this number come from? How are we sure this number reflects Twi and not all Akan speakers? What year is the data from?|date=March 2025}}
| -|| Regional language in [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Tyap]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|875,000 (2020)<ref>[[ethnologue:kcg|Tyap]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Uduk language|Uduk]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|22,000{{Date missing|date=March 2025}} (presumably after 2005)<ref>[[Uduk language|Uduk]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (17th ed., 2013)

</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]] and [[South Sudan]]
|-
| [[Umbundu]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 7,000,000 (2018)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/umb Umbundu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -|| Official in [[Angola]]
|-
| [[Venda language|Venda]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) ||1,300,000 (2011)<ref name="TshiVenda"/>
| -
|Official in [[South Africa]], [[Zimbabwe]]
Native to [[South Africa]], [[Mozambique]], and [[Zimbabwe]]
|-
|[[Vengo language|Vengo]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|27,000 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bav/ Vengo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Viemo language|Viemo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,000 (1995)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/vig/ Viemo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Burkina Faso]]
|-
|[[Viti language|Viti]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown (one village)<ref>[[ethnologue:vit|"Viti".]] ''Ethnologue''. Retrieved 2017-08-12.</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Vori language|Vori]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|3,000 (2016)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/sde Vori] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|Voro
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|Unknown
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Wannu language|Wannu]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|a few thousand (1998)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/16/show_language/jub Wannu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (16th ed., 2009)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Wali language (Gur)|Wali]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|85,000 (2013)<ref>[[Wali language (Gur)|Wali]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Ghana]]
|-
|[[Wali language (Sudan)|Wali]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|9,000 (2007)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/wll Wali] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Wapan language|Wapan]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|100,000 (1994)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/juk/ Wapan] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Weh language|Weh]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|8,000 (1993)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/weh/ Weh] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Werni language|Werni]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,100 (1956)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/wrn/ Werni] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[West Banda language|West Banda]]
|[[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
|7,500 (1982–1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bbp/ West Banda] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]] and [[South Sudan]]
|-
| [[Wolof language|Wolof]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) ||7,100,000 (2020–2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:wol|Wolof]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)

[[ethnologue:wof|Gambian Wolof]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
|18,000,000 (2022–2023)
| Lingua franca in [[Senegal]]
|-
|[[Wongo language|Wongo]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|13,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/won/ Wongo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Wushi language|Wushi]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|27,000 (2008)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/bav/ Vengo] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nsc/ Nshi (?)] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and possibly [[Nigeria]]
|-
| [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 7,600,000 (2013)<ref name="ReferenceA"/> 
| 11,000,000 (2002)|| Official in [[South Africa]], [[Zimbabwe]]
Recognized minority in [[Botswana]]
Native to [[South Africa]] and [[Lesotho]]
|-
|[[Yamba language|Yamba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|80,000 (2000)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/yam/ Yamba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]] and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Yangere language|Yangere]] 
|[[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
|27,000 (1996)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/yaj/ Yangere] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]]
|-
|[[Yalunka language|Yalunka]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|181,000 (2002–2017)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/yal Yalunka] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Guinea]]
|-
|[[Yela-Kela language|Yela-Kela]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|213,000 Kela (1972–1977)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/kel/ Kela] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/yel/ Yela] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|-
|[[Yemba language|Yemba]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|500,000 estimated (2023)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/ybb Yemba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
|[[Yeyi language|Yeyi]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|55,000 (2001)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/yey/ Yeyi] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Namibia]] and [[Botswana]]
|-
|[[Yobe language|Yobe]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|22,000 (1991–2012)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/soy/ Miyobe] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Benin]] and [[Togo]]
|-
| [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 45,000,000 (2021)<ref name="ReferenceA"/> 
| 50,000,000|| [[Nigeria]], [[Benin]], [[Togo]]
|-
|[[Yulu language|Yulu]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|13,000 (1987–2011)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/yul/ Yulu] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Central African Republic]], [[Democratic Republic of Congo]], [[South Sudan]], and [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Zaghawa language|Zaghawa]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|450,000 (2019–2022)<ref>[[ethnologue:zag|Zaghawa]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Chad]] and [[Sudan]]
|-
|[[Zande language|Zande]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|1,800,000 (1996–2017)<ref>[[ethnologue:zne|Zande]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Central African Republic]], and [[South Sudan]]
|-
|[[Zarma language|Zarma]] 
|[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] (Probable)
|6,000,000 (2021)<ref>[[ethnologue:dje|Zarma]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (26th ed., 2023)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Niger]], [[Mali]], [[Burkina Faso]], and [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Zemba language|Zemba]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|25,000 (2011–2016)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/25/language/dhm Zemba] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (25th ed., 2022)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Angola]] and [[Namibia]]
|-
|[[Zhire language|Zhire]]
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|11,000 to 15,000 (2021)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Muniru |first=John |last2=Decker |first2=Kendall D. |last3=Dabet |first3=Julius |last4=Abraham |first4=Benard |last5=Innocent |first5=Jonah |title=A Sociolinguistic Profile of the Zhire [zhi] Language of Kaduna State, Nigeria |url=https://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/88036 |access-date= |work=SIL International Publications}}</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Nigeria]]
|-
|[[Zhoa language|Zhoa]] 
|[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable)
|2,000 (1995)<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/zhw/ Zhoa] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)</ref>
| -
|Native to [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Zulu language|Zulu]] || [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] (Probable) || 12,000,000 (2013–2017)<ref name=":4">[[ethnologue:zul|Zulu]] at ''[[Ethnologue]]'' (27th ed., 2024)</ref>
| 28,000,000|| [[South Africa]]
|}

===By region===

Below is a list of the major languages of Africa by region, family and total number of [[primary language]] speakers in millions.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-valign:top"
|- valign="top"
|
;North Africa
*[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
**[[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
***[[Arabic]]: 200
**[[Berber languages|Berber]]: 30–40
***[[Kabyle language|Kabyle]]
***[[Atlas languages|Atlas]]
***[[Tuareg languages|Tuareg]]
***[[Zenaga language|Zenaga]]
*[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
**[[Nubian language|Nubian]]: 5+<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.secid.org/usefsociety/pdf/nubian.pdf |title=Memories of Utopia- Infoshop, World Bank |access-date=14 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406044519/http://www.secid.org/usefsociety/pdf/nubian.pdf |archive-date=6 April 2012 |last=Mannan |first=Nuraddin |quote=There is no exact census for the Nubian population but some researchers estimate their number in Sudan for about 5 millions and about three millions in Egypt. |date=2006-05-31}}</ref>
**[[Fur language|Fur]]: 5+<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=http://www.sudantribune.com/CORRECTION-Census-shows-South,30867|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224151231/http://www.sudantribune.com/CORRECTION-Census-shows-South,30867|archive-date=24 December 2010|title=CORRECTION: Census shows South Sudan population at 8.2 million: report – Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan|website=www.sudantribune.com|access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unsudanig.org/docs/darfur_fact_sheet_v22_5.pdf|title=unsudanig.org|access-date=10 April 2018|archive-date=12 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112100144/http://www.unsudanig.org/docs/darfur_fact_sheet_v22_5.pdf}}</ref><ref>[http://www.darfurcentre.ch/images/00_DRDC_documents/DRDC_Reports_Briefing_Papers/DRDC_Report_on_the_5th_Population_Census_in_Sudan.pdf DRDC Report on the 5th Population Census in Sudan] darfurcentre.ch {{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
**[[Zaghawa language|Zaghawa]]<ref name="John A. Shoup 2011 p. 333">{{cite book |first=John A. |last=Shoup |title=Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East |year=2011 |page=333 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-59884-363-7 |quote=The Zaghawa is one of the major divisions of the Beri peoples who live in western Sudan and eastern Chad, and their language, also called Zaghawa, belongs to the Saharan branch of the Nilo-Saharan language group.}}</ref>
**[[Masalit language|Masalit]]
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]
**[[Kordofanian languages]]
***[[Nuba]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sudan/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
|
;Central Africa
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
**[[Lingala]]<ref name="ReferenceC">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/congo-democratic-republic-of-the/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Kinyarwanda]]:12<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/rwanda/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Kongo language|Kongo]]:5+<ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref name="cia.gov1">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/angola/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/congo-republic-of-the/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Tshiluba language|Tshiluba]]<ref name="ReferenceC"/>
**[[Kirundi]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burundi/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
|
;Eastern Africa
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]:
**[[Swahili language|Swahili]]: 5–10
**[[Gikuyu language|Gikuyu]]: 8+<ref name="cia.gov2">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kenya/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Ganda language|Ganda]]:6<ref name="cia.gov3">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uganda/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Luhya languages|Luhya]]: 6+<ref name="cia.gov2"/>
*[[Austronesian language|Austronesian]]
**[[Malagasy language|Malagasy]]: 20+<ref name="auto"/>
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], [[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
**[[Gbaya languages|Gbaya]]:2<ref name="cia.gov4">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/central-african-republic/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Banda languages|Banda]]:1–2<ref name="cia.gov4"/>
**[[Zande language|Zande]]<ref name="cia.gov5">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/south-sudan/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
*[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
**[[Kanuri language|Kanuri]]:10<ref name="cia.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nigeria/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="cia.gov6">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/chad/ |title=The World Factbook |date=22 September 2021 }}</ref>
**[[Luo languages|Luo]]:5+<ref name="cia.gov2"/><ref name="cia.gov3"/>
**[[Sara languages|Sara]]:3–4<ref name="cia.gov6"/><ref name="cia.gov4"/>
**[[Kalenjin language|Kalenjin]]:6+<ref name="cia.gov2"/>
**[[Dinka language|Dinka]]<ref name="cia.gov5"/>
**[[Nuer language|Nuer]]<ref name="cia.gov5"/>
**[[Shilluk language|Shilluk]]<ref name="cia.gov5"/>
**[[Maasai language|Maasai]]:1–2<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.knbs.or.ke/censusethnic.php |title=Welcome to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics |access-date=28 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121153548/http://www.knbs.or.ke/censusethnic.php |archive-date=21 November 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thelanguagejournal.com/2012/04/maasai-of-kenya-and-tanzania.html |title=The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania |first=Dine |last=Racoma |website=The Language Journal |date=2012-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428023726/http://www.thelanguagejournal.com/2012/04/maasai-of-kenya-and-tanzania.html |archive-date=2012-04-28}}</ref>
*[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
**[[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
***[[Amharic]]: 20+
***[[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]]: 5
**[[Cushitic languages|Cushitic]]
***[[Somali language|Somali]]: 10–15
***[[Oromo language|Oromo]]: 30–35
*[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]: 1<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.csa.gov.et/pdf/Cen2007_firstdraft.pdf |title=Summary and Statistical Report of the 2007 Population and Housing Census: Population Size by Age and Sex |access-date=29 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214221803/http://www.csa.gov.et/pdf/Cen2007_firstdraft.pdf |archive-date=14 February 2012 |publisher=Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia |date=December 2008 |location=Addis Ababa}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/eritrea/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Gumuz language|Gumuz]]
**[[Anuak language|Anuak]]
**[[Kunama language|Kunama]]
**[[Nara language|Nara]]
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]: 1<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.somraf.org/research%20Matrerials/joint%20british%20danish%20dutch%20fact%20finding%20mission%20in%20Nairobi%20-%202001.pdf |title=Report on minority groups in Somalia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021044246/http://www.somraf.org/research%20Matrerials/joint%20british%20danish%20dutch%20fact%20finding%20mission%20in%20Nairobi%20-%202001.pdf |archive-date=21 October 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/somalia/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Zigula language|Zigula]]
|
;Southern Africa
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
**[[Zulu language|Zulu]]: 10<ref name=G>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/south-africa/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Xhosa language|Xhosa]]: 8<ref name=G/>
**[[Chokwe language|Chokwe]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Akindipe |first1=Tola |last2=Kakaula |first2=Geofrey |last3=Joné |first3=Alcino |title=Learn Chokwe Language |url=http://chokwe.mofeko.com/ |website=Learn Chokwe (Mofeko)}}</ref>
**[[Shona language|Shona]]: 7
**[[Sotho language|Sotho]]: 5
**[[Tsonga language|Tsonga]]: 12
**[[Tswana language|Tswana]]: 4<ref name="G"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/botswana/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Umbundu language|Umbundu]]: 4<ref name="cia.gov1"/>
**[[Northern Sotho language|Sepedi]]: 4<ref name=G/>
**[[Chichewa language|Chichewa]]: 8<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malawi/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/zambia/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Makua language|Makua]]: 8<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mozambique/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
*[[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]]
**[[Germanic languages|Germanic]]
***[[Afrikaans]]: 7
***[[English language|English]]: 5
**[[Romance languages|Romance]]
***[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: 14
|
;West Africa
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]
**[[Benue–Congo]]
***[[Ibibio language|Ibibio]] (Nigeria): 7<ref name="cia.gov"/>
**[[Volta–Niger]]
***[[Igbo language|Igbo]] (Nigeria): 30–35<ref name="cia.gov"/>
***[[Yoruba language|Yoruba]]: 40<ref name="cia.gov"/>
**[[Kwa languages|Kwa]]:
***[[Akan language|Akan]] (Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire): 11
**[[Gur languages|Gur]]
***[[More language|More]]: 5
**[[Senegambian languages|Senegambian]]
***[[Fula language|Fula]] (West Africa): 40<ref name="cia.gov"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="cia.gov7">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/senegal/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="cia.gov8">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/gambia-the/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cameroon/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
***[[Wolof language|Wolof]]: 8<ref name="cia.gov7"/><ref name="cia.gov8"/>
*[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
**[[Chadic languages|Chadic]]
***[[Hausa language|Hausa]]: 50<ref name="cia.gov"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/>
*[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
**[[Saharan languages|Saharan]]
***[[Kanuri language|Kanuri]]: 10<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="cia.gov6"/>
***[[Songhai language|Songhai]]:5<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mali/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
***[[Zarma language|Zarma]]:5<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="ReferenceB"/>
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Africa|Language}}

===General===
* [[Writing systems of Africa]]
* ''[[Journal of West African Languages]]''
* [[List of extinct languages of Africa]]

===Works===
* ''[[Polyglotta Africana]]''
* ''[[The Languages of Africa]]''

===Classifiers===
* [[Karl Richard Lepsius|Karl Lepsius]]
* [[Lionel Bender]]
* [[Wilhelm Bleek]]
* [[Christopher Ehret]]
* [[Carl Meinhof]]
* [[Diedrich Hermann Westermann|Diedrich Westermann]]
* [[Joseph Greenberg]]

===Colonial and migratory influences===
<!-- most of these with reciprocal "see also" entries; see talk page for motivation --> 
* [[Arabization]]
* [[Asian Africans]]
* [[Dutch Language Union]]
* [[French West Africa]]
* [[German colonization of Africa]]
* [[Islamization of Egypt]]
* [[Italian East Africa]] — including [[Italian Ethiopia]]
* [[Italian Libya|Italian North Africa]]
* [[North African Arabs]]
* [[Maghrebi Arabic]] — via [[Muslim conquest of the Maghreb]]
* [[Portuguese language in Africa]] — predominant in [[Portuguese-speaking African countries]]
* [[Spanish Guinea]] — presently Equatorial Guinea
* [[Spanish West Africa]]
* [[Plazas de soberanía|Spanish North Africa]]
* [[West African Pidgin English]]
* [[White Africans of European ancestry]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
*{{cite book |last=Childs |first=George Tucker |year=2003 |title=An Introduction to African Languages |location=Amsterdam |publisher=John Benjamin |oclc=52766015 |isbn=9781588114211}}
*{{cite conference |last=Chimhundu |first=Herbert |year=2002 |title=Language Policies in Africa |conference=Intergovernmental Conference on Language Policies in Africa |edition=Revised |publisher=UNESCO |location=Harare |url=https://ich.unesco.org/doc/src/00245-EN.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516203511/https://ich.unesco.org/doc/src/00245-EN.pdf |archive-date=2017-05-16}}
*{{cite book |author-link=Robert Needham Cust |last=Cust |first=Robert Needham |year=1883 |title=Modern Languages of Africa}}
*{{cite book |editor-last=Ellis |editor-first=Stephen |year=1996 |title=Africa Now: People, Policies, and Institutions |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS) |isbn=9780435089870}}
*{{cite book |last=Elugbe |first=Ben | year=1998 |chapter=Cross-border and major languages of Africa |editor-first=K. |editor-last=Legère |title=Cross-border Languages: Reports and Studies, Regional Workshop on Cross-Border Languages, National Institute for Educational Development (NIED), Okahandja, 23–27 September 1996 |location=Windhoek |publisher=Gamsberg Macmillan}}
* Ethnologue.com's [http://www.ethnologue.com/country_index.asp?place=Africa Africa]: A listing of African languages and language families.
* {{cite thesis |last=Gerlach |first=Linda |title=Phonetic and phonological description of the Nǃaqriaxe variety of ǂʼAmkoe and the impact of language contact |type=PhD dissertation |publisher=Humboldt University |year=2015 |location=Berlin}}
*{{cite encyclopedia |last=Greenberg |first=Joseph H. |year=1983 |title=Some areal characteristics of African languages |editor-first=Ivan R. |editor-last=Dihoff |encyclopedia=Current Approaches to African Linguistics |series=Publications in African Languages and Linguistics |volume=1 |location=Dordrecht |publisher=Foris |pages=3–21}}
*{{cite book |last=Greenberg |first=Joseph H. |year=1966 |title=[[The Languages of Africa]] |edition=2nd |location=Bloomington |publisher=Indiana University}}
*{{cite book |editor-last1=Heine |editor-first1=Bernd |editor-last2=Nurse |editor-first2=Derek |year=2000 |title=African Languages: An Introduction |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}
*{{cite book |editor-last1=Webb |editor-first1=Vic |editor2=Kembo-Sure |year=1998 |title=African Voices: An Introduction to the Languages and Linguistics of Africa |location=Cape Town |publisher=Oxford University Press Southern Africa}}
*{{cite journal| last=Westphal |first=E.O.J. |year=1963 |title=The Linguistic Prehistory of Southern Africa: Bush, Kwadi, Hottentot, and Bantu Linguistic Relationships |journal=Africa |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=237–265 |doi=10.2307/1157418|jstor=1157418 |s2cid=143635864 }}

==External links==
*[http://www.mofeko.com/ one of the largest online resources for African languages] at Mofeko
*[http://kasahorow.org African language resources for children] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150803022422/http://www.kasahorow.org/ |date=3 August 2015 }}
*[http://www.africanlanguages.com/ Web resources for African languages]
*[http://www.muturzikin.com/carteafrique.htm Linguistic maps of Africa from Muturzikin.com]
*[http://www.ilissafrica.de/en/als/iliss-advanced.html?query=&tt=&kw=&sbj=0700300&geo=&res=3020&search=1 Online Dictionaries], [http://www.ilissafrica.de/en/als/iliss-advanced.html?query=&tt=&kw=&sbj=0700300&geo=&res=6082&search=1 e-books] and other [http://www.ilissafrica.de/en/als/iliss-advanced.html?query=&tt=&kw=&sbj=0700300&geo=&res=6170&search=1 online fulltexts] in or on African languages

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