By Sakshi Sah
Published Apr 28, 2025

Hindustan Times
Trending

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Who holds the record for speaking the most languages?

Find out who holds the record for speaking the most languages.

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There are thousands of languages. But who holds the record for speaking the most?

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It depends on what you mean by “speaking” a language- Does knowing a few words count, or full fluency?

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According to BBC, Ziad Fazah, born in Liberia and raised in Beirut, claims to speak 59 languages.

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Ziad was tested on Spanish TV- but it wasn’t clear how fluent he was in all of them.

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Cardinal Mezzofanti, born in 1774, spoke 38 languages and 40 dialects.

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Al-Farabi, a scholar from the 10th century, was said to know 70 languages.

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Hans Conon von der Gabelentz, from Germany, published studies on 80 languages.

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But the top spot may go to Sir John Bowring, who reportedly knew 200 languages and could speak 100 of them.

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