Two most spoken languages of Bhutan are Dzongkha and Nepali. Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan, is spoken in most parts of Bhutan, while Nepali is mainly used by the people of southern region, for most of them have their roots Nepal. Other languages and/or dialects spoken in Bhutan are Assamese, Limbu, Santali, Sherpa, Assamese, Gurung, Western Gurung and Eastern Magar.

Dzongkha and English

Dzongkha is an offshoot of Tibetan language. Meaning of Dzongkha is the language spoken in the Dzong. It does match to Tibetan in some ways, but uses different style of scripting. Most people related to tourism industry can understand and speak English. In schools too, English is used to teach subjects such as mathematics, science and geography. Several local dilects are used in central and eastern parts of Bhutan. Study of Dzongkha is compulsory in all schools of Bhutan. The number of dialects listed in Bhutan is 24. All of these dialects are living.

Many sounds in Dzongkha language do not have a match in the English language. It is difficult to write the exact pronunciation in English. But most consonants in Dzongkha language are pronounced in same manner as in English.