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UPSC Prelims 2003 · World Geography · Countries, Rivers and Resources
Which one among the following languages has largest number of speakers in the world?
- (a) Bengali
- (b) French
- (c) Japanese
- (d) Portuguese
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (d) Portuguese
The key picks Portuguese (with Brazil’s large population).
Why the others are wrong
(a) Bengali had a comparable number of speakers (~200 million+).
(b) French had fewer native speakers.
(c) Japanese had ~125 million.
The trap
Bengali and Portuguese were very close — rankings differ by source.
🔒 Top languages (native): Mandarin, Spanish, English, Hindi, Bengali, Portuguese.
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