# English in the Commonwealth of Nations

The use of the English language in current and former countries of the Commonwealth was largely inherited from British colonisation, with some exceptions. English forms part of the Commonwealth's common culture and serves as the medium of inter-Commonwealth relations.
Commonwealth English refers to English as practised in the Commonwealth; the term is most often interchangeable with British English, but is also used to distinguish between British English and that in the rest of the Commonwealth. English in the Commonwealth is diverse, and many regions have developed their own local varieties of the language. The official status of English varies; in Bangaldesh, it lacks any but is widely used, and likewise in Cyprus, it is not official but is used as the lingua franca.
Written English in current and former Commonwealth countries generally favours British English spelling as opposed to that of American English, with some exceptions, particularly in Canada, where there are strong influences from neighbouring American English.

## Native varieties

Southern Hemisphere native varieties of English began to develop during the 18th century, with the colonisation of Australasia and South Africa. Australian English and New Zealand English are closely related to each other and share some similarities with South African English. Nonetheless, South African English has unique influences from indigenous African languages, and Dutch influences inherited alongside the evolution of Afrikaans.
Canadian English contains elements of British English and American English, as well as many Canadianisms 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.
In many Commonwealth countries, a relatively small native English-speaking minority exists amongst a larger population who speak it as a second language; Anglo-Indians speak English as their mother tongue, but it is not the first language of most Indians.

### Africa

In addition to South Africa, other African Commonwealth countries have native English varieties. A community of native English speakers exists in Zimbabwe; the country's dialect bears features of British English, South African English and other Southern Hemisphere Commonwealth English varieties. Also in Southern Africa with historical influence from South Africa, Namibia and Botswana have their own dialects, with smaller native English-speaking populations. The same is true of Kenya and Uganda in East Africa.

### Caribbean

Caribbean English is drawn from British English and West African languages. It is influenced by constant contact with English-based Creoles. There is considerable influence from Hindustani and other South Asian languages in countries with language Indian populations, including Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana. Jamaican English and Barbadian English bear influences of Irish English.

## Non-native varieties

Second-language varieties of English in Africa and Asia 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 as New Englishes (McArthur, p. 36); most of them inherited non-rhoticity from Southern British English.

### Africa

Several dialects of West African English exist, with considerable regional variation, though there is a set of common tendencies of pronunciation. Nigerian and Ghanaian English are the varieties with the largest number of speakers; English also holds official or national status in Sierra Leone, Cameroon’s Anglophone provinces, the Gambia, and Saint Helena, a British territory. It also holds official status in Liberia, which is not a Commonwealth country but rather has a history connected to the United States of America.
English varieties are also spoken in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Prior to Togo's admission at the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert 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 the Anglophone world.

### Asia
#### Hong Kong

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.

#### Indian subcontinent

English was introduced to the subcontinent by the British Raj. India has the largest English-speaking population in the Commonwealth, although comparatively very few speakers of Indian English are first-language speakers. The same is true of English spoken in other parts of South Asia, including Pakistani English, Sri Lankan English, Bangladeshi English and Myanmar English; though Myanmar is not a Commonwealth country, English is the mother tongue of the Anglo-Burmese population. South Asian English is fairly homogeneous across the subcontinent, though there are some differences based on various regional factors.

#### Malay Archipelago

Southeast Asian English includes Singapore English, Malaysian English, and Brunei 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 of the Philippines) and globalisation. It has interacted with diverse local ecologies, shaping its form, function and status in the region.