1. Number of Speakers:
* English: With over 1.5 billion speakers worldwide, English is arguably the most spoken language, with significant use in international communication, business, and media.
* Mandarin Chinese: With over 1 billion speakers, primarily in China, Mandarin is the most spoken language in terms of native speakers.
* Hindi: With over 600 million speakers, primarily in India, Hindi is the third most spoken language globally.
2. International Communication:
* English: Dominates global communication, particularly in science, technology, business, and international organizations.
* French: Historically influential, French remains important in diplomacy, international law, and parts of Africa.
* Spanish: The second most spoken language in the US and widely used in Latin America and parts of Europe.
3. Internet:
* English: The dominant language on the internet, with the majority of websites and content being in English.
* Chinese: Growing internet presence, particularly in China and other East Asian countries.
4. Regional Influence:
* Arabic: Widely spoken in the Middle East and North Africa.
* Russian: Significant influence in Eastern Europe and parts of Central Asia.
* Portuguese: Predominant in Brazil and parts of Africa.
* Spanish: Dominant in Latin America and parts of Spain.
Therefore, it's not accurate to pinpoint a single "common language" but rather to consider these languages based on various factors like speaker population, global influence, and specific contexts.
Remember, language use is constantly evolving, and the prominence of various languages will likely shift over time.