The Indian states and languages topic is useful for school assignments, general knowledge, quizzes and competitive-exam revision. India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories, and its linguistic diversity includes languages from several language families. The list below is a practical GK reference, not an exhaustive list of every language spoken in each state.
28 Indian States and Major Languages
The table gives major languages commonly spoken or strongly associated with each state. Because India is multilingual, a state may have several significant languages in addition to the ones shown here. The language column should therefore be used as a GK reference rather than an exhaustive census list.
| State | Major Languages Commonly Spoken or Associated | Useful GK Note |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Telugu, Urdu, English | Telugu is the principal regional language; Urdu is also widely used in several communities. |
| Arunachal Pradesh | English, Hindi, Nyishi, Adi and other tribal languages | The state has many indigenous languages and speech communities; English is important for official use. |
| Assam | Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Hindi | Assamese, Bengali and Bodo are important languages in different parts of the state. |
| Bihar | Hindi, Urdu, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magahi | Maithili is an Eighth Schedule language; Bhojpuri and Magahi are widely spoken regional languages. |
| Chhattisgarh | Hindi, Chhattisgarhi, Gondi, Halbi | Chhattisgarhi is a major regional language, alongside Hindi and several tribal languages. |
| Goa | Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, English | Konkani is the principal regional language and is included in the Eighth Schedule. |
| Gujarat | Gujarati, Hindi, Sindhi, Urdu | Gujarati is the principal regional language; Sindhi is also represented in the state. |
| Haryana | Hindi, Punjabi, Haryanvi | Hindi is widely used; Haryanvi is a major regional speech variety and Punjabi is also spoken. |
| Himachal Pradesh | Hindi, Pahari varieties, Punjabi | Hindi is widely used, while several Pahari varieties are spoken across the hill districts. |
| Jharkhand | Hindi, Santali, Bengali, Mundari, Ho, Kurukh | The state has substantial linguistic diversity, including several Adivasi languages. |
| Karnataka | Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Urdu, Kodava | Kannada is the principal regional language; Tulu and Kodava are important regional languages. |
| Kerala | Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Tulu | Malayalam is the principal regional language, with Tamil and Kannada spoken especially near neighbouring-state borders. |
| Madhya Pradesh | Hindi, Marathi, Bhili, Gondi | Hindi is widely used; Bhili and Gondi are important among several regional and tribal communities. |
| Maharashtra | Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Konkani | Marathi is the principal regional language; major urban centres are strongly multilingual. |
| Manipur | Meitei (Manipuri), English, Tangkhul, Thadou and other tribal languages | Meitei is the major language of the Imphal Valley; the hills have many tribal languages. |
| Meghalaya | Khasi, Garo, English, Bengali | Khasi and Garo are major indigenous languages, while English has an important official and educational role. |
| Mizoram | Mizo, English, Lai, Hmar | Mizo is the principal language of everyday communication for much of the population. |
| Nagaland | English, Nagamese, Ao, Angami, Sumi and other Naga languages | Nagaland is highly multilingual; English and Nagamese are important common languages. |
| Odisha | Odia, Sambalpuri, Santali, Kui, Telugu | Odia is the principal regional language; several tribal and neighbouring-state languages are also spoken. |
| Punjab | Punjabi, Hindi, English | Punjabi is the principal regional language and is written mainly in the Gurmukhi script. |
| Rajasthan | Hindi, Rajasthani varieties, Urdu, Punjabi | Marwari, Mewari, Dhundhari and other Rajasthani varieties are widely spoken. |
| Sikkim | Nepali, Sikkimese (Bhutia), Lepcha, English | Nepali is widely spoken; Bhutia and Lepcha are important indigenous languages. |
| Tamil Nadu | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu | Tamil is the principal regional language and is one of the 22 Eighth Schedule languages. |
| Telangana | Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, Lambadi | Telugu and Urdu are especially important in the state's linguistic landscape. |
| Tripura | Bengali, Kokborok, Hindi, English | Bengali and Kokborok are major languages associated with the state's communities. |
| Uttar Pradesh | Hindi, Urdu, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Braj | Hindi is widely used, while Awadhi, Bhojpuri and Braj are major regional varieties. |
| Uttarakhand | Hindi, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Jaunsari | Garhwali and Kumaoni are important regional languages of the hill areas. |
| West Bengal | Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Santali, Urdu | Bengali is the principal regional language; Nepali is important in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills. |
How to Read the State-Language List
Major language vs official language
These terms should not be treated as interchangeable. A major language is a language with a substantial or important speech community in a state. An official language is a language adopted by a state through its legal and administrative framework. Article 345 of the Constitution allows a state legislature to adopt one or more languages in use in the state, or Hindi, for official purposes. Therefore, the languages commonly spoken in a state can be more numerous than its official language or languages.
Scheduled language vs state language
The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution lists 22 languages. Being included in the Eighth Schedule does not mean that the language is the sole official language of a particular state. State-level language arrangements are governed separately.
Why one language appears in multiple states
Languages do not follow modern political boundaries. Hindi varieties, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Punjabi, Nepali, Urdu, Santali and many other languages are spoken across more than one state or Union Territory. Migration and long-standing cultural connections also contribute to multilingual cities.
Major Language Families in India
Indian languages belong to several language families. For GK preparation, the most useful distinction is between the Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Austroasiatic and Tibeto-Burman groups.
| Language Family | Examples in India | Broad Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Indo-Aryan | Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Odia, Nepali, Konkani, Maithili, Urdu | Large parts of northern, western, eastern and northeastern India |
| Dravidian | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tulu, Gondi, Kurukh | Southern and parts of central and eastern India |
| Austroasiatic | Santali, Mundari, Ho, Khasi | Parts of eastern, central and northeastern India |
| Tibeto-Burman | Several languages of the Himalayan and northeastern regions, including Bodo and many Naga languages | Primarily the Northeast and Himalayan areas |
22 Languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution
The Constitution's Eighth Schedule currently recognises 22 languages. The official Department of Official Language lists Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Maithili, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. These are constitutional scheduled languages; this category is different from the official-language arrangements of individual states.
| No. | Scheduled Language | Common Script(s) for GK Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assamese | Assamese script |
| 2 | Bengali | Bengali script |
| 3 | Bodo | Devanagari |
| 4 | Dogri | Devanagari |
| 5 | Gujarati | Gujarati |
| 6 | Hindi | Devanagari |
| 7 | Kannada | Kannada |
| 8 | Kashmiri | Perso-Arabic and Devanagari |
| 9 | Konkani | Devanagari and other regional scripts |
| 10 | Maithili | Devanagari |
| 11 | Malayalam | Malayalam |
| 12 | Manipuri | Meitei Mayek and Bengali script |
| 13 | Marathi | Devanagari |
| 14 | Nepali | Devanagari |
| 15 | Odia | Odia |
| 16 | Punjabi | Gurmukhi |
| 17 | Sanskrit | Devanagari and other historical/traditional scripts |
| 18 | Santali | Ol Chiki and other scripts |
| 19 | Sindhi | Perso-Arabic and Devanagari |
| 20 | Tamil | Tamil |
| 21 | Telugu | Telugu |
| 22 | Urdu | Perso-Arabic Nastaliq |
Common Indian Language Scripts
A language and a script are different concepts. A language is a system of communication, while a script is a writing system used to represent it. This distinction is useful in GK questions because some languages can be written in more than one script.
| Script | Languages Commonly Associated |
|---|---|
| Devanagari | Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Sanskrit, Bodo, Maithili and Dogri |
| Bengali-Assamese script family | Bengali and Assamese |
| Gujarati | Gujarati |
| Gurmukhi | Punjabi |
| Kannada | Kannada |
| Malayalam | Malayalam |
| Odia | Odia |
| Tamil | Tamil |
| Telugu | Telugu |
| Perso-Arabic | Urdu and also used for Kashmiri and Sindhi in relevant contexts |
| Ol Chiki | Santali |
Important GK Facts About Indian States and Languages
- India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories.
- The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution contains 22 languages.
- Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language of the Union under Article 343; English may also continue to be used for official Union purposes under the Official Languages Act.
- India does not have a single language that is the official language of every state.
- State legislatures can adopt one or more languages in use in the state, or Hindi, for specified official purposes under Article 345.
- Punjabi is commonly associated with the Gurmukhi script in India.
- Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Sanskrit, Maithili, Dogri and Bodo are commonly written in Devanagari in their standard Indian forms.
- Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati and Odia each have distinctive scripts commonly used for the respective languages.
- Many Indian states are multilingual, especially those in the Northeast and states with large urban and migrant populations.
- The Census of India 2011 recorded mother-tongue information at India, state, district, tahsil and town levels, demonstrating the depth of India's linguistic diversity.
One-Minute Revision: States and Languages
| Region | Easy Language Associations to Remember |
|---|---|
| South India | Tamil Nadu–Tamil; Kerala–Malayalam; Karnataka–Kannada; Andhra Pradesh–Telugu; Telangana–Telugu and Urdu |
| West India | Gujarat–Gujarati; Maharashtra–Marathi; Goa–Konkani |
| North India | Punjab–Punjabi; Haryana–Hindi; Rajasthan–Hindi and Rajasthani varieties; Uttar Pradesh–Hindi and Urdu |
| East India | West Bengal–Bengali; Odisha–Odia; Bihar–Hindi, Maithili and Bhojpuri; Jharkhand–Hindi and several Adivasi languages |
| Northeast India | Assam–Assamese; Tripura–Bengali and Kokborok; Meghalaya–Khasi and Garo; Mizoram–Mizo; Nagaland–English, Nagamese and Naga languages |
| Himalayan region | Sikkim–Nepali, Bhutia and Lepcha; Uttarakhand–Hindi, Garhwali and Kumaoni; Himachal Pradesh–Hindi and Pahari varieties |
How to Prepare Indian States and Languages for GK
For quick revision, avoid trying to memorise every language spoken in every state at once. Start with the principal language associations, then learn the 22 Eighth Schedule languages separately. Finally, revise language families and scripts. This three-step method helps prevent confusion between state, language, script and constitutional schedule.
- Step 1: Learn the 28 states with one or two major language associations each.
- Step 2: Memorise the 22 Eighth Schedule languages.
- Step 3: Group languages by family: Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Austroasiatic and Tibeto-Burman.
- Step 4: Practise script-based questions such as Hindi–Devanagari and Punjabi–Gurmukhi.
- Step 5: Recheck official-language questions against current government or constitutional sources when the exact legal status matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many languages are included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
The Eighth Schedule currently includes 22 languages.
Are the 22 scheduled languages the official languages of all Indian states?
No. The Eighth Schedule is a constitutional list of languages. Individual states have their own official-language arrangements, and the languages commonly spoken in a state can be more numerous.
Which language is mainly spoken in Tamil Nadu?
Tamil is the principal regional language of Tamil Nadu. Other languages, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Urdu, are also spoken by different communities.
Which language is mainly associated with Karnataka?
Kannada is the principal regional language of Karnataka. Tulu, Konkani, Urdu and Kodava are among the other languages spoken in the state.
Which states are mainly associated with Telugu?
Telugu is principally associated with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while Telugu-speaking communities are also found in several other parts of India.
Which script is used for Hindi?
Hindi is normally written in the Devanagari script in India.
Which script is used for Punjabi in India?
Punjabi is commonly written in the Gurmukhi script in India.
Why do some states have many languages?
India has long-standing regional, tribal and cultural communities, and languages frequently cross present-day state boundaries. Migration and urbanisation also contribute to multilingual populations.
Is this list of Indian state languages exhaustive?
No. It is a practical GK list of major languages commonly spoken or associated with each state. India has many additional regional, tribal and minority languages.
Where can I verify official language information?
For constitutional and Union-level language information, refer to the Department of Official Language and the Constitution of India. For population and mother-tongue data, refer to Census of India tables.
Related General Knowledge Guides
Continue your revision with the General Knowledge guides, including Indian States and Capitals, National Symbols of India, Union Territories of India, Important Rivers in India and Important Lakes in India.