The official language is English, and this is the first language of the vast majority of the population. Distinct regional accents and dialects exist in different parts of the country.

Welsh is the second official language, spoken by about a quarter of the population of Wales. In the Scottish Highlands and Islands, around 60,000 people speak a Scottish form of gaelic.

There are numerous languages spoken by ethnic minority groups, including Chinese dialects, Hindi, Urdu and Gujerati.