Here are some of the factors that make it tricky:
* Number of speakers:
* Native speakers: This measures how many people speak a language as their first language. Mandarin Chinese has the largest number of native speakers, followed by Hindi, Spanish, English, and Bengali.
* Total speakers: This includes native and non-native speakers. English is the language with the largest number of total speakers, followed by Mandarin Chinese and Hindi.
* Official language status: Some languages are official in many countries, while others are not. This can influence how widely a language is used.
* International usage: Some languages, like English, are widely used in international business, education, and media.
Ultimately, there's no single answer to "what is the most spoken language." It depends on how you define "most spoken."