Contrary to popular belief, Romance languages don’t have anything to do with candlelit dinners or dramatic love poems (though you’ll find plenty of these in Spanish and French).
The name actually comes from the Latin word rōmānicus — meaning “of Rome” — and describes a family of languages that all grew out of Latin. Today, that family stretches from Spanish in Mexico, to Portuguese in Brazil, to French in West Africa – connecting more than a billion speakers across the globe.
So what exactly counts as a Romance language, how did they develop and what do they have in common? Let’s take a closer look.
Fast Facts About the Romance Languages
- Number of languages: ~44 recognized (Ethnologue)
- Most spoken: Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian
- Total speakers: ~1.2 billion worldwide
- Origin: Descended from Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire
- Regions: Europe, the Americas, parts of Africa and Asia
- Why “Romance”? From rōmānicus (Latin for “Roman”)
What Are Romance Languages?
Romance languages are a subgroup of the Indo-European family, united by their descent from Latin. They share certain features — like gendered nouns, verb conjugations, and lots of shared vocabulary — but each has evolved in its own direction.
A modern list of Romance languages:
You’re probably already familiar with the following, most widely-spoken Romance languages:
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- French
- Italian
- Romanian
But did you know there are also dozens of regional or minority varieties out there? These include Catalan, Galician, Occitan, Romansh, Sardinian, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Asturian, Corsican, Aragonese and Ladino.
Origins and Development of Romance Languages
Beginning in the Latin Era
The common ancestor of all Romance languages is Vulgar Latin — no, not “crass” Latin, but the everyday speech (vulgus = “common people”) used across the Roman Empire.
When the empire collapsed in the 5th century CE, communities became linguistically isolated. Over centuries, their local Latin dialects diverged into distinct languages.
Spread Through Colonization
From the 15th century onward, Spanish, Portuguese and French spread worldwide through colonial expansion. That’s why you’ll hear Romance languages not just in Europe but across Latin America, the Caribbean, parts of Africa and even Asia (e.g., French in Vietnam).
The Most Common Romance Languages
- Spanish: ~485 million native speakers (Mexico, Spain, much of Latin America).
- Portuguese: ~230 million (Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique).
- French: ~80 million native speakers, but ~300 million total including second-language speakers (France, Canada, West Africa, the Caribbean).
- Italian: ~67 million, mostly in Italy and Switzerland, plus diaspora communities.
- Romanian: ~24 million in Romania and Moldova.
In total, about 1.2 billion people speak a Romance language today – that’s roughly one in seven people worldwide!
Globalization and migration keep reshaping usage. For example, Spanish is one of the fastest-growing languages in the United States, while French remains influential as a diplomatic and cultural language.
At a Glance: Similarities and Differences Between Romance Languages
| Category | Similarities | Differences |
| Grammar | All Romance languages use gendered nouns (masculine and feminine), verb conjugations that change with person and tense, and articles placed before nouns. For example, Spanish el libro and French le livre both mean “the book.” | Some Romance languages allow subject pronouns to be dropped, such as Spanish (Hablo español = “I speak Spanish”), while others, like French, usually require them (Je parle français = “I speak French”). |
| Vocabulary | Romance languages share thousands of cognates thanks to their common Latin roots. For example, Spanish familia, French famille, and Portuguese família all mean “family.” | Vocabulary has drifted over time, creating so-called false friends. For example, Spanish embarazada means “pregnant,” not “embarrassed.” Italian fattoria means “farm,” not “factory.” French librairie means “bookstore,” not “library.” Portuguese pasta means “folder” or “briefcase,” not “pasta.” Romanian actual means “current,” not “actual/real.” |
| Pronunciation and Sound | Romance languages tend to favor vowel-rich syllables, which gives them a more melodic quality compared to languages like English or German. Italian in particular is often described as sing-song because most words end in vowels. | Each language has developed its own characteristic sounds. French is known for its nasal vowels, as in vin (“wine”). Italian is famous for its rhythmic clarity, as in andiamo! (“let’s go!”). Portuguese has distinctive nasal diphthongs, as in pão (“bread”). Romanian has Slavic-influenced sounds that set it apart from the rest of the family. |
| Regional Influence | All Romance languages evolved from Vulgar Latin, spreading from the Roman Empire across Europe and later to the Americas, Africa, and parts of Asia. | Local influences shaped each language’s vocabulary. For example, Spanish absorbed many Arabic words such as azúcar (“sugar”), while Romanian borrowed more from Slavic languages, as in prieten (“friend”). |
Learning Romance Languages
Compared to Germanic or Slavic languages, Romance languages tend to be easier for English speakers to pick up, thanks to shared Latin roots in English vocabulary. Here are a few things to consider when learning a romance language:
Why It’s Worth It
- High global utility: Spanish and French are top world languages
- Gateway effect: Once you know one, the others come easier
- Cultural access: You get to enjoy literature, film and music in their original forms
Resources
- Apps: Babbel’s interactive courses cover Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and more.
- Media immersion: TV shows, films, music and podcasts are rich in slang and modern usage.
- Communities: Language exchange groups and online forums.
Tips for Pronunciation and Grammar
- Focus on cognates — they’re a quick vocabulary booster.
- Learn gender and article rules early, as they’re foundational.
- Practice listening across dialects – e.g., European vs. Latin American Spanish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Romance languages are there?
There are around 44 recognized Romance languages, depending on how you count dialects.
Which languages are considered Romance languages?
The five major ones are Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and Romanian. Others include Catalan, Galician, Occitan, Romansh and Sardinian.
Are Romance languages similar to each other?
Yes – they share core grammar and vocabulary, but mutual intelligibility varies. Spanish and Portuguese are closer; French is further apart.
Final Thoughts
Despite the name, the Romance languages aren’t about love stories – though they’ve produced some of the world’s most famous ones. They’re about history, culture and the everyday speech of more than a billion people.
And learning one can open the door to all the others. Spanish could lead you to learning Portuguese, Italian to French, and so on. Before long, you may find yourself understanding whole conversations across borders.
So whether your motivation is travel, career or simply curiosity, studying a Romance language is a practical choice (with a little poetry built in).