How many languages are spoken in Philadelphia? Many.

English might be the official language of the United States, but in multicultural Philadelphia it is hardly the only one spoken.

In a city where 15.7% of the population is foreign-born, a reader asked Curious Philly, The Inquirer’s forum for questions about the city and region: How many languages are spoken in Philadelphia?

It’s hard to get a precise language count.

Philadelphians reported speaking 41 languages or language groups, according to the most recent American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau, which counts some similar languages — for example, Swahili or other languages of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa — together in its tally.

The Office of Immigrant Affairs runs a database that tracks city departments’ requests for translations and interpretations, and recorded requests for 119 languages since 2022.

Spanish, Chinese (including Mandarin and Cantonese), Russian, Arabic, and Vietnamese are the most-spoken languages in Philadelphia, after English, according to the census. Navajo and Persian (including Farsi and Dari) are among the least-spoken.

The most-requested translations and interpretations are for Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin), Haitian-French Creole, and French, according to the city dashboard.

“Language cannot be an afterthought,” Amy Eusebio, the former director of Philadelphia’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, told The Inquirer before her departure in January.

Iran native Aydin Rahmaniseifi, 39, knows the feeling of speaking a language not many Philadelphians do all too well.

The civil engineer moved to Philly in 2023, after his wife got a job at a local university.

“You walk like a child,” said Rahmaniseifi, whose native language is Farsi. “You don’t know anything. You needed the basic and very important information about life.”

Navigating public transportation turned out to be one of his first challenges.

Rahmaniseifi considers Philadelphia to have a “strong transportation system.” But not fully knowing English, the signs didn’t have enough symbols to be helpful, he said. Simple tasks like finding the eastbound or westbound train were difficult.

Transportation isn’t the only place where language barriers are a hassle.

Having left Guinea‘s political instability in 2024, Bouba Carbah, 25, arrived in Philly bilingual in French and Fulani, but not knowing English.

“A friend said Philly is really helpful for study. I like study, that’s my dream. I want to be a doctor,” Carbah said.

Having earned a nursing certification his home country, he struggled with the paperwork in a language he was trying to learn while working on understanding how the education and housing systems work.

Despite the difficulty, he has tried to find some grace for himself.

“I think in my head, this will make me strong [because] now I know how to do something for myself … It’s not easy."

Within months of their arrival, both Rahmaniseifi and Carbah found their way to the Welcoming Center, a nonprofit dedicated to helping immigrants integrate into the Philadelphia area.

Both called the center life-changing.

Rahmaniseifi views it as a space to find community, a feeling of belonging he feared wouldn’t be within reach, not knowing many people in the local Iranian community.

Neither Rahmaniseifi nor Carbah knew that the city offered access to language services.

Philadelphia is the largest city in the country to be a Certified Welcoming city, a recognition warranted by the nonprofit Welcoming America to cities committed to including immigrants in everyday life.

Experiencing Philly in one‘s own language is not a perk — at least when it comes to city services. It is a right stipulated through a city ordinance.

While the Office of Immigrant Affairs doesn’t have on- call translators, city departments can call for contracted translation assistance, Eusebio said.

Her former office has “I speak” cards, so non-English speakers can print them and show the city worker in what language they need assistance.

“Not speaking English should not be a reason why you don’t get a city service,” said Eusebio.

However, some who don’t speak English seem to fall through the cracks.

A Spanish speaking family who lost their home after the Northeast Philadelphia plane crash struggled to access city-provided aid due to a language barrier.

Last year, the beloved South Philadelphia restaurant Alma del Mar shut down following multiple crimes, and language barriers with the Department of License and Inspections and police.

Owners of businesses like Alma del Mar would dial 911, only to be placed on hold until someone who spoke Spanish could come to the phone — sometimes waiting hours and still not receiving assistance, Juan Carlos Romero, president of the Association of Mexican Business Owners of Philadelphia, said at the time.

Anyone who experiences or witnesses lack of language assistance cooperation can file a Language Access grievance form at the Office of Immigrant Affairs.

But the office doesn’t have the authority to discipline a department that’s not providing the required access, Eusebio said. It has, however, worked on retraining workers.

“We need to know so that we can help address it, because what we want is a city in which people feel welcomed,” Eusebio added.

In a city where immigrants have accounted for most of the population growth in recent years, the Latino population is the fastest-growing demographic, and a rising share of residents speak more than one language; the Office of Immigrant Affairs has also worked building on relationships with immigrant leaders and organizations.

That was a hard job for a department that had six workers — before Eusebio‘s exit.

“I would absolutely argue that we‘re an under-resourced team,” she said.

Rahmaniseifi and Carbah have found solace in the Free Library’s English classes and the Welcoming Center, and hope to one day give back to the city that welcomed them.

In the meantime, Rahmaniseifi said, it might be helpful if the Office of Immigrant Affairs promoted programs and its language services at famous Philly places, commonly visited by new arrivals, or pointed new Philadelphians to the Welcoming Center.

“Everything changed to me [there] because now I know about my life in Philadelphia … and I can help others,” Carbah said.

Staff writer Lizzie Mulvey contributed to this article.