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What rank does French have among the most spoken languages in the world?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: 4th. French is the 4th most spoken language in the world. More than 396 million people speak it. It is spoken on all 5 continents. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Patrimoine français : la langue française dans le monde” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “Patrimoine français : la langue française dans le monde” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ 1stLa 1ère placeFrench is far from first place.
- ✗ 2ndLa 2ème placeFrench is behind three other languages.
- ✓ 4thLa 4ème placeCorrect answer. French is the 4th most spoken language in the world. More than 396 million people speak it. It is spoken on all 5 continents.
- ✗ 10thLa 10ème placeFrench ranks higher than that.
What the source says
« Le français est la 4ème langue la plus parlée au monde avec plus de 396 millions de locuteurs. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Quelle place le français occupe-t-il parmi les langues les plus parlées dans le monde ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR). The Ministry's wording: “Quel est le classement de la langue française parmi les langues les plus parlées dans le monde ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Patrimoine français : la langue française dans le monde” (French).
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