Leslie Massey
There is no language called Austrian, but the official language of Austria is German, which is spoken by 98% of the population. The German spoken in Austria is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is the unofficial native language of Austria and is considered the de facto national language. The variety of German used in Austria is called Austrian German and has some phonological and vocabulary differences from standard German. In addition to German, Austria is home to several other regional, secondary, and minority languages.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language | Austrian German, German |
| Lingua franca | German |
| De facto first language | German |
| Main dialect outside Vorarlberg | Austro-Bavarian |
| Main dialect in Vorarlberg | Alemannic |
| Minority languages | Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Roma, Turkish, French |
| Second most spoken language | English |
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What You'll Learn
Official language of Austria
There is no language called Austrian. The official language of Austria is German, which is used by the government, in the media, and in schools and universities. It is the de facto first language of the country, with 97% to 98% of Austrians speaking it and 93% calling it their mother tongue. Austrian German is a version of German that is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect, which is native to the region and has distinct northern and southern branches. Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg and is spoken by more than 8 million people in Austria, making it the de facto main language of Austria.
In Vorarlberg, the main dialect is Alemannic, or Swiss German, which is very difficult for German speakers to understand. It is spoken by about 300,000 people. The Alemannic dialect is also spoken in some areas of Tyrol's Reutte District.
In addition to German and the two main dialects, several minority languages are spoken in Austria, some of which have official status. These include Hungarian, Croatian, Slovenian, Czech, Slovak, and Romanian. English is also widely spoken in Austria, with approximately 40% of the population speaking it.
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Austrian German
In addition to Austro-Bavarian, other dialects spoken in Austria include Alemannic, a group of Upper German dialects spoken in the western state of Vorarlberg and influenced by German Swiss dialects. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic dialect, which is also spoken in northern Switzerland and parts of southern Alsace, France. It is very difficult for most German speakers to understand.
Austria's dialects follow a continuum, with the German dialects spoken in the country sharing characteristics with dialects from the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, as well as Eastern Switzerland. Except for Vorarlberg, all Austrian states speak the Bavarian dialect or a variant of it. The Bavarian dialect is particularly prominent in rural areas of Bavaria, where it is still the mother tongue for many people.
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Austro-Bavarian
There is no language called Austrian. The official language of Austria is German, which is also the lingua franca and de facto first language. Nearly all Austrians speak German and it is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. However, the German spoken in Austria, Austrian German, is different from German as it is spoken in Germany and is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect.
In addition to German and Austro-Bavarian, several other languages are spoken in Austria. Alemannic, a group of Upper German dialects, is the main dialect in the western state of Vorarlberg and is spoken by about 300,000 people. Minority languages include Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, and Roma.
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Minority languages
There is no language called Austrian. The official language of Austria is German, which is the first language of 97-98% of the population. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect, which is native to the region and has distinct branches in the northern and southern parts of the country. Austro-Bavarian differs greatly from Standard German and is very difficult for German speakers from other regions to understand.
Austria also has several minority languages, some of which have official status. These include:
- Hungarian: Hungarian is recognised as a minority language and has traditionally held an important position in Austria due to the historical ties between the two countries. It is now spoken by around 1,000 people in Burgenland.
- Slovenian: In 2001, Slovene was used by 12,686 Austrians as vernacular, and it is reported that 0.3% of Austrians can speak it. It is an official language in Austrian Carinthia. Carinthian Slovenes are recognised as a minority and have enjoyed special rights and affirmative action following the Austrian State Treaty of 1955.
- Burgenland Croatian: This is an official language in Austrian Burgenland, spoken by 2.5% of Austrians. Burgenland Croats are recognised as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty of 1955. Burgenland Croatian combines features from the Chakavian, Shtokavian and Kajkavian dialects.
- Czech
- Slovak
- Roma
- Turkish: Turkish is the second-largest minority language, spoken by 2.3% of the population.
- Romanian: In 2021, there were an estimated 18,800 Romanian speakers in Austria.
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Dialects
There is no language called Austrian. Instead, the official language of Austria is German, which is the first language of 97-98% of the population. Austrian German, also known as Austrian Standard German, Standard Austrian German, Austrian High German, or simply Austrian, is a variety of Standard German that is written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. It is distinct from the German spoken in Germany and Switzerland, with numerous words and idioms borrowed from Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, or South Slavic languages.
Austria's dialects follow a continuum, with German dialects in Austria sharing characteristics with dialects in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, as well as Eastern Switzerland. Except for Vorarlberg, all Austrian states speak the Bavarian dialect or a variant thereof. Seven million Austrians speak a central or southern Bavarian dialect or a colloquial language influenced by these dialects. The north-eastern parts of Austria (including Vienna) speak Central Austro-Bavarian dialects, while the southern parts speak Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects. Austro-Bavarian has no official orthography, but there are literary efforts, especially in poems, to depict the sound of the pronunciation in the spelling.
In addition to Bavarian dialects, Alemannic dialects are spoken in Vorarlberg and parts of Tyrol. This dialect group is the same as that spoken in Northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. To most German speakers, it is very difficult to understand. Alemannic is a group of Upper German dialects with more German Swiss influences. It is spoken by about 300,000 people.
In addition to German and its dialects, several minority languages are spoken in Austria, some of which have official status. These include Burgenland Croatian, Slovene, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and Romanian.
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Frequently asked questions
German is the official language of Austria. However, Austrian German is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is considered the unofficial native language of Austria.
German is the most widely spoken language in Austria, with almost all of the population (98%) speaking it.
Apart from German, other widely spoken languages in Austria include English (40%), French (7%), Italian, Turkish, Croatian, Slovenian, and Hungarian.
No, there is no language called Austrian. However, Austrian German is the official language of Austria, and it has some differences from standard German.
Austria has various dialects, including Austro-Bavarian, Alemannic (spoken in Vorarlberg and Tyrol), and several minority dialects like Burgenland Croatian and Slovene.
