Turkey Language: What Do They Speak in Turkey?
The official language of Turkey is Turkish. In Turkish, the country is called Türkiye. Turkish is used in government, education, media and everyday life across the country.
🗣️ Language at a Glance
About the Turkish Language
Turkic speakers brought the language to Anatolia with the Seljuk conquests of the 11th century. Ottoman Turkish became saturated with Arabic and Persian vocabulary, so the republican language reform of the 1920s and 1930s replaced thousands of loanwords with revived or newly coined Turkic ones, transforming the language within a single generation. Today Turkish is official in Turkey and Cyprus. Turkish is the largest member of the Turkic family, a chain of related languages stretching from the Balkans through Central Asia to Siberia. Azerbaijani is close enough to be largely mutually intelligible, with Turkmen, Uzbek, Kazakh and Kyrgyz progressively further away. Despite centuries of borrowing, Turkish is unrelated to Arabic or Persian.
The Latin alphabet (Turkish variant): How Turkish is Written
Turkish has been written in a 29-letter Latin alphabet since 1928, when the young republic swapped the Ottoman Arabic script for Latin in one of the fastest writing reforms in history. Special letters include ç, ş, ğ (the soft g, which lengthens the previous vowel) and the celebrated dotless ı, a separate letter from dotted i. Spelling is fully phonetic: words are pronounced exactly as written.
Is Turkish a Tonal Language?
No, Turkish is not a tonal language. Its melody comes instead from vowel harmony: the vowels in every suffix shift to match the vowels of the word they attach to, giving words an internally consistent sound.
🗨️ Useful Turkish Phrases
A few everyday phrases in Turkish, written in a simple romanized pronunciation so you can read them aloud. Tones and exact sounds vary by region, so treat these as a starting point.
How Hard is Turkish to Learn?
Turkish is agglutinative: suffix stacks onto suffix, so evlerinizden means from your houses in one word. The US Foreign Service Institute allots it around 1,100 class hours, mostly for the unfamiliar vocabulary and verb-final word order. In exchange the language is remarkably tidy: no grammatical gender, virtually no irregular verbs and perfectly regular spelling.
Language Tips for Visitors to Turkey
The official language of Turkey is Turkish, which may be unfamiliar to many international travellers. While English speakers can often be found in larger cities and tourist-heavy areas, it is advisable to learn a few basic phrases before your trip. Locals greatly appreciate any effort to use the local language, even if imperfect. Simple greetings, thank-yous and asking for directions in Turkish will go a long way. The country is officially known as Türkiye in Turkish, and the international dialling code is +90.
🌍 Other Countries Where Turkish is Spoken
Turkish is not exclusive to Turkey; it is also spoken in these countries:
Frequently Asked Questions about Language in Turkey
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language of Turkey is Turkish.
Is English spoken in Turkey?
English is not an official language in Turkey. The main language is Turkish. English may be spoken in tourist areas.
What is Turkey called in its own language?
Turkey is called "Türkiye" in Turkish.
What writing system does Turkish use?
Turkish is written in the Latin alphabet (Turkish variant). Turkish has been written in a 29-letter Latin alphabet since 1928, when the young republic swapped the Ottoman Arabic script for Latin in one of the fastest writing reforms in history. Special letters include ç, ş, ğ (the soft g, which lengthens the previous vowel) and the celebrated dotless ı, a separate letter from dotted i. Spelling is fully phonetic: words are pronounced exactly as written.
Is Turkish a tonal language?
No, Turkish is not a tonal language. Its melody comes instead from vowel harmony: the vowels in every suffix shift to match the vowels of the word they attach to, giving words an internally consistent sound.
How do you say hello in Turkish?
"Hello" in Turkish is "merhaba (MEHR-hah-bah)".
Is Turkish hard to learn?
Turkish is agglutinative: suffix stacks onto suffix, so evlerinizden means from your houses in one word. The US Foreign Service Institute allots it around 1,100 class hours, mostly for the unfamiliar vocabulary and verb-final word order. In exchange the language is remarkably tidy: no grammatical gender, virtually no irregular verbs and perfectly regular spelling.
How many official languages does Turkey have?
Turkey has one official language: Turkish.
Do I need to speak Turkish to visit Turkey?
It is not required but learning basic phrases in Turkish is strongly recommended and appreciated.
What is the calling code for Turkey?
The international dialling code for Turkey is +90.
What is the population of Turkey?
Turkey has a population of approximately 85.3M, all of whom use Turkish as the official language.