The use of theEnglish language in current and formercountries ofthe Commonwealth was largely inherited fromBritish colonisation, with some exceptions. English forms part of the Commonwealth'scommon culture and serves as the medium of inter-Commonwealth relations.^[1][2]

Commonwealth Englishrefers to English as practised in the Commonwealth; the term is most often interchangeable withBritish English, but is also used to distinguish between British English and that in the rest of the Commonwealth.^[3] English in the Commonwealth is diverse, and many regions have developed their own local varieties of the language. Theofficial status of English varies; inBangladesh, it lacks any but is widely used, and likewise inCyprus, it is not official but is used as thelingua franca.^[4][5]

Written English in current and former Commonwealth countries generally favours British English spelling as opposed to that ofAmerican English,^[6] with some exceptions, particularly in Canada, where there are strong influences from neighbouring American English.^[7]

Southern Hemisphere native varieties of English began to develop during the 18th century, with the colonisation of Australasia and South Africa.Australian English andNew Zealand English are closely related to each other and share some similarities withSouth African English. Nonetheless, South African English has unique influences from indigenous African languages, andDutch influences inherited alongside the evolution ofAfrikaans, while New Zealand English has a lot of influences from theMāori language.^[8][9]

Canadian English contains elements ofBritish English andAmerican English, as well as manyCanadianisms and some French influences. It is the product of several waves of immigration and settlement, from Britain, Ireland, France, the United States, and around the world, over a period of more than two centuries.^[10][11]

In many Commonwealth countries, there exists a relatively small native Anglophone minority amongst a larger population who speak English as a second language;Anglo-Indians speak English as their mother tongue, but it is not the first language of most Indians.^[12][13]

In addition to South Africa, a number of Commonwealth countries in Africa have native varieties of English. A community of native English speakers exists inZimbabwe; the country's dialect bears features of British English, South African English and other Southern Hemisphere varieties of Commonwealth English.^[14][15] Also inSouthern Africa and with historical influence from South Africa,Namibia andBotswana have their own dialects,^[16][17] with smaller native English-speaking populations.^[18][19] The same is true ofKenya andUganda inEast Africa.^[20][21]

Caribbean English is drawn from British English and West African languages. It is influenced by constant contact with English-basedCreoles. There is considerable influence fromHindustani and other South Asian languages in countries with language Indian populations, includingTrinidad and Tobago, andGuyana.Jamaican English andBarbadian English bear influences ofIrish English.^[22]

Second-language varieties of English inAfrica andAsia have often undergone "indigenisation"; that is, each English-speaking community has developed (or is in the process of developing) its own standards of usage, often under the influence of local languages. These dialects are sometimes referred to asNew Englishes (McArthur, p. 36); most of them inheritednon-rhoticity from Southern British English.

Several dialects ofWest African English exist, with considerable regional variation, though there is a set of common tendencies of pronunciation.Nigerian andGhanaian English are the varieties with the largest number of speakers; English also holds official or national status inSierra Leone,Cameroon’s Anglophone provinces,the Gambia, andSaint Helena, a British territory. It also holds official status inLiberia, which is not a Commonwealth country but rather has a history connected to theUnited States of America.^[23][24]

National varieties of English are also spoken in Kenya, Uganda, andTanzania.^[20][21][25]

Prior toTogo's admission at the2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Togolese Foreign MinisterRobert Dussey said that he expected Commonwealth membership to provide opportunities for Togolese citizens to learn English, and remarked that the country sought closer ties with theAnglophone world.^[26]

Hong Kong ceased to be part of the Commonwealth by virtue of being a British territory in 1997. Nonetheless,the English language there still enjoys official status.^[27]

English was introduced tothe subcontinent by theBritish Raj.India has the largest English-speaking population in the Commonwealth, although comparatively very few speakers ofIndian English are first-language speakers.^[28][29] The same is true of English spoken in other parts ofSouth Asia, includingPakistani English,^[30]Sri Lankan English,^[31]Bangladeshi English^[32] andMyanmar English; though Myanmar is not a Commonwealth country, English is the mother tongue of theAnglo-Burmese population.^[33]South Asian English is fairly homogeneous across the subcontinent, though there are some differences based on various regional factors.^[34]

Southeast Asian English includesSingapore English,Malaysian English, andBrunei English as well as other varieties in non-Commonwealth countries; it is not only the result of British colonisation but also American colonisation (as in the case ofthe Philippines) and globalisation. It has interacted with diverse local ecologies, shaping its form, function and status in the region.^[35]

• British English
• English-speaking world
• American English
• EF English Proficiency Index

Other languages:

• Community of Portuguese Language Countries
• Dutch Language Union
• Francophonie
• Latin Union

• Dialects of English
• Symbols of the Commonwealth of Nations

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