Daily Facts - Day #27: Usage of TOP 10 content languages
First of all, let's see the numbers ...
Here are the percentages of websites using various content languages (provided by W3Techs):
1. English = 53.8%
2. German = 6.1%
3. Russian = 6.0%
4. Spanish = 4.9%
5. French = 4.0%
6. Japanese = 3.5%
7. Portuguese = 2.9%
8. Italian = 2.4%
9. Persian = 2.0%
10. Polish = 1.8%
OK. So ... The 1st position isn't a big surprise ... But everything else was a surprise to me ...
More German than Russian?
Persian and Polish in top 10?
Chinese or Arabic not included in top 10?
Your thoughts?
Recent Comments
34
With translators becoming more accurate language is not as important as it once was.
Derek
I would like to have one of my websites to be bi-lingual.If a customer in Spain or Mexico opens my website promoting WA he would see a button saying for Spanish click here.But I assume that the website theme would have to allow this. But if the customer is directed to the WA sign-in page and if that page can not be shown in Spanish the whole exercise is worthless.I think I will stick with English for the time being.
Well, as far as I know WA is not a multilingual site ... So yes, English is a must ... So, yes, is probably pointless to create a multilingual site for promoting WA
Surprising not to see the Chinese languages.
Thought Spanish would be higher than Russian.
Very interesting, thanks!
Great Know My hosting business over a hundred languages
I am going to purchase one of those robots from Japan that can speak over 200 languages. So I do not have to learn them.
Wow that’s amazing. Must admit I thought American would be in the top ten! But seriously, some surprising results there. Thanks
Justin
Thanks Carlos!
Well ... There are not too many options here ... You can use a translation plugin, or you'll have to actually translate your content creating different versions for different languages
Some networks feature offers translated for foreign language markets... Then there are translation services for example on Fiverr : https://www.fiverr.com
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Very interesting...yes, why isn't China in there, with their enormous population? The more German than Russian does not surprise me. A lot of Europeans learn German, and even though Russia is huge, it is kinda like Alaska -- lots of land and not as many people.
What is your native tongue, Zed?
We who speak English often don't realize how lucky we are and how incredibly lazy we are when it comes to language. We just figure everyone else can learn to understand us. What a negative view that is! That is one advantage you folk from other places have over us, because you are forced to learn other languages.
I think Lucinda has a point, though...if we all spoke the same language, maybe we wouldn't disagree so much.
CCL
You are right Fran.. As usual ...
I'm Hungarian ...
This time Lucinda might be wrong ... a bit ... Please tell her the story of the Tower of Babel ...
You always have a good answer.
Ahh, Hungarian...that explains the name. Maybe your name should be "Goulash" instead of "Salat".
In fact, that would be GULYÁS ...
And the Hungarian language is on the 19th place with 0,5%
Oh, good, I've learned my first Hungarian word...and a very nice one, at that! Thanks, Zed.
:)
Just to chime in, it's the case that English is likely to become the global language; there's just too much momentum in that direction. Working in the TEFL business (teaching English as a foreign language), one knows that China, ten years ago, was the worst place to make money teaching. Now it's one of the best. The most populous country in the world wants their children to be able to speak English and now their parents can afford to pay for it -- more and more.
I don't think it's negative to view this situation realistically. Certainly the Chinese are hopping on board the train and happily paying for it. English is the language of commerce and that's how it is, whether we native speakers are lucky or not.
To make another point, translation programs can't get the job done because English is too nuanced. My students beyond beginner levels are discouraged from using online translators and instead encouraged to use an English language dictionary. Cheers all :)