What Is the Difference Between a Language and a Dialect?

We often talk about languages, particularly in the translation industry, but we rarely step back and think about the fundamental concept of language. For example, what is the difference between dialect and standard language? A surprisingly challenging question once you get into the details, but one worth looking into if you harbor any interest in language or dialect.

The consensus on the difference between a language and a dialect is that a dialect is a subcategory or variation of a language. However, as some notable literature argues, this distinction dissolves when comparing German dialects and Dutch and Afrikaans side-by-side. These languages share enough similarities for us to consider them dialects of the same language, reflecting the sociopolitical context between them.

Moreover, one thing we discovered over the past decade of work as a translation company is that people who translate for a living are often fascinated by the concept of language itself. So, let's indulge that passion by looking at the differences between languages and dialects. 

What Is a Language?

A language is a structured system of communication made up of spoken, written, or signed words governed by grammar and rules. It is used by people to express thoughts, share information, and build connections within a society. Examples include English, Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin.

Languages usually have formal rules, official status, and written standards. They are taught in schools, used in legal documents, and recognized across nations. In short, a language is not just a way to talk—it is a foundation of culture and identity.

What Is a Dialect? 

A dialect is a regional or social variety of a language. It has its own pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, but it is still related to and mutually understandable with other dialects of the same language.

For example, the way English is spoken in Texas sounds different from how it’s spoken in London or Sydney. These are dialects of the English language. They may sound different, but people can usually understand each other without needing translation.

Dialects reflect local identity, community, and culture. They are often used in everyday conversation, storytelling, and regional media.

Dialect vs. Language – Examples and Key Differences

It’s often difficult to clearly define the difference between a language and a dialect because the two overlap in many ways. 

A language is usually official, written, and used in formal settings, while a dialect is a regional or social variation with its own style but less recognition. Still, politics, culture, and history often play a bigger role in these labels than actual linguistic differences.

This confusion is why people often ask, “What is the difference between dialect and language?” The answer isn’t always straightforward—especially when some dialects are treated as languages, and vice versa. That’s where the following real-world examples help us explore the blurred boundaries more clearly.

4 Differences Between Language and Dialect

Spanish and Portuguese are widely seen as distinct languages, yet a Portuguese speaker can often read a Spanish newspaper with little trouble. 

While using professional language translation services is still important for accuracy in business, a surprising level of mutual intelligibility between these two tongues allows for casual understanding. This real-world overlap shows just how complex it is to define the difference between a language and a dialect.

The difference between a language and a dialect isn’t as clear as many think. While some use mutual intelligibility, language groups, or cultural identity as indicators, each factor has exceptions. Below are four key areas often used to compare dialect vs language, along with why they can be misleading.

1. Mutual Intelligibility

What is mutual intelligibility? It's when speakers of different speech forms can understand each other without needing translation. At first glance, this might seem like a clear way to define the difference between a language and a dialect—but it’s more complicated than it appears.

We consider the variations of English spoken around the globe as mutually intelligible dialects. An English speaker from the Southern region of the United States might say ‘howdy’ where an Australian says ‘g’day’ and a Brit says ‘hello,’ but all three can converse, despite their dialects vs language variations and accents.

However, mutual intelligibility can apply to entire languages as well. Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians can converse fairly easily despite each speaking a different language, raising questions about the language vs dialect classification. So, should we, therefore, reclassify them as dialects instead of languages?

And what about Chinese speech forms? Should Mandarin and Cantonese be called languages or dialects? Though often described as dialects of Chinese, they are not mutually intelligible, highlighting the complex dialect and language difference. They share a writing system, but spoken communication between them is as difficult as it is between English and Portuguese.

Read more: Asian Languages

2. Language Groups 

Spanish and Portuguese are often thought of as closely related—and they are, as both stem from Latin—but they are not dialects of the same language. Their independent evolution highlights the difference between dialect and language, shaped by unique cultural and historical paths. With over 500 million Spanish speakers and 258 million Portuguese speakers, each holds its status as a standalone language.

Despite their shared roots, Spanish and Portuguese are not easily interchangeable. Mutual intelligibility between them is around 50% to 60%, a prime example of the difference between language and dialect being more than just vocabulary. These differences in grammar and pronunciation show that even closely related languages can defy easy classification in the language and dialect spectrum.

Other Romance languages like French, Italian, and Romanian further complicate the dialect vs language debate. Each has its own rules, official status, and literature. While they share a common origin, they are distinctly separate languages, not dialects.

3. Cultural Considerations 

We discover enormous cultural implications when considering the differences in a common language. For example, English is spoken by over 380 million people, but that doesn't guarantee cultural closeness. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that only 66% of Americans feel close to others in their own country—illustrating that language and dialect do not ensure shared cultural identity.

Speaking the same language doesn’t always equate to cultural alignment. The GLOBE Project highlights how Scandinavian countries, despite having different languages, maintain strong cultural bonds—challenging the idea that a shared language equals shared identity. These findings further blur the difference between a dialect and a language when culture enters the equation.

4. Standardized Languages

National standards often arise from one dominant dialect, creating a unique challenge in defining the difference between a dialect and a language. In Vietnam, for example, education is delivered in the Hanoian dialect, even though the country features wide regional variation. The selected dialect becomes the national standard, but it doesn’t make other dialects less valid.

The same thing happens in England, where Standard English comes from the South East dialect, and in Russia, where the Moscow dialect defines Standard Russian. These examples show that language and dialect are shaped by politics and power, not just by grammar. 

Even with a standard, over 40% of Germans still speak local dialects at home, proving how strong and complex the difference between a dialect and a language really is.

Even with an official standard, people maintain their linguistic heritage. This proves that the difference between a language and a dialect can’t always be enforced from above. Instead, it's a living reflection of how people speak, identify, and connect.

Examples of Dialects and How They Develop

Some linguists believe all languages descend from one original human language. If we adopt this view, we can consider every language on the planet a dialect of this initial tongue (you can read more on the origins of language by clicking the link below). But, how have we ended up with so many different languages and dialects today? Between 6,500 and 7,000 languages remain in use around the world, and countless more dialects. Why do they all sound so different?

Geographic Dialects

The most cited reason for this phenomenon is geographical isolation. Over time, communities that speak the same language but remain separated from each other will develop their own speech patterns and accents, as well as their own words. The variants of Portuguese spoken in the ‘new’ and ‘old’ worlds provide excellent examples of this process. Both began with the same mother tongue, yet Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese sound different from each other, much like the Spanish spoken in Spain and that spoken in Latin America.

Arabic delivers another fascinating example of linguistic divergence. Modern Standard Arabic derives from the Quran, written between 609 and 632 CE. This form of Arabic allows speakers from different parts of the Arab world to communicate. It’s necessary because the dialects of Arabic spoken in different countries are not always mutually intelligible. Again, both geography and history bear some responsibility for the development of Arab dialects

Social Dialects

Dialects can also relate to social class, like London’s Cockney dialect. A Cockney is traditionally considered to be a native of East London who was born within earshot of the Bow Bells of St. Mary-le-Bow Church in the city’s Cheapside area. The term then came to incorporate all English spoken within London’s East End and, later, the city’s entire working class.

Examples of the connections between dialects, social class, and educational levels, exist all around the globe. These connections prove more noticeable in large, urban areas, while rural areas tend to exhibit less diversity in the range of dialects in use. The exceptions make the study of languages and dialects an exciting adventure.

Read more: What Are the World’s Oldest Languages?

Accent – Its Relationship With Dialect and Language

Regarding linguistic variation, we should take a quick detour to consider accents. Accents affect the way we pronounce words in a language. They can vary widely within a country but, as a general rule, an accent relates to pronunciation only. When different regions use different words to describe the same thing, we can see them as using different dialects, rather than different accents.

The Geordie dialect in England offers insight into accent phenomena. Geordies hail from the Newcastle and Tyneside area of North East England. They enjoy notability for their distinctive speech patterns – as highlighted by pop star Cheryl Cole, whose Geordie accent is so strong that she was dropped as a judge from the US version of The X Factor due to her colleagues’ inability to understand her.

However, the Geordie way of speaking amounts to more than a regional accent. It stands as a distinctive dialect within the English language, with a lot of  its own words. ‘Scran, canny, breeks, wazzock, clart’ – all of these words comprise part of the Geordie dialect. They mean ‘something to eat,’ ‘good,’ ‘trousers,’ ‘imbecile,’ and ‘to mess about,’ respectively. The dialect also has its own variant of the verb ‘to go’ – ‘gan.’

Dialect and Professional Translation 

Dialects generate fascination and frustration for professional translators. When dealing with written documents, the standardized form of a language usually takes precedence over the other dialect, mirroring the translator’s formal education in that language. However, contemporary translation needs often shift to reflect modern methods of presenting information, such as video.

With video translation, a translator may face any number of regional dialects. These can differ significantly from the standardized version of the language that they learned in school and spoke while growing up. As we stressed above, dialects are not accents, but branches of languages with distinctive terminology.

An English-to-Spanish translator, for example, might feel entirely comfortable translating formal business documents until an explainer video that features a Geordie or Cockney spokesperson describing how to operate a product.

Most translators enter the profession due to a love of languages. In fact, Tomedes’ research has found that 50% of freelance translators cite this as their primary motivation for doing what they do, followed by flexible working hours at 23%, money at 16%, and circumstances at 11%. Many translators delight in the intricacies of different dialects due to their novel terminology and distinctive speech patterns.

However, a fascination with languages does not mean that a translator faced with a video translation and a tight deadline has the time to digest a wealth of new words and meanings. As such, dialects have the potential to frustrate and disrupt workflow! 

FAQs

How do bilingual individuals navigate between dialects and languages in their daily communication?

Bilinguals often switch seamlessly between languages and dialects based on context, audience, and topic. This skill, known as code-switching, allows them to communicate effectively in diverse settings, often blending elements from multiple languages to convey nuanced meanings.

How does technology, like translation software, handle the nuances between dialects and languages?

Translation technology is constantly improving but can struggle with the subtleties of dialects. Advanced AI and machine learning help, but human oversight often remains necessary to capture cultural and contextual nuances.

Can a dialect influence the development of a language it's related to?

Absolutely. Dialects can contribute slang, idioms, and new expressions to the standard language, enriching its vocabulary and reflecting cultural trends and changes within the speaking community.

Final Thoughts

We set out to answer the question of what the difference is between a language and a dialect. It now seems clear that no easy answer exists due to blurred boundaries between the two. Some ‘languages’ might appear more like ‘dialects,’ while some dialects seem like distinct languages in their own right. Perhaps we can settle for saying that a dialect is a regional variation of a language while acknowledging that this is an incredibly simplistic way to view a debate that incorporates everything from geography and history to socioeconomic status!

Do you agree? What other insights can you share to help define the differences between a language and a dialect? We would love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to leave a comment below.