Language vs Dialect: What’s the Difference?

“A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.” — Linguist Max Weinreich

You're certainly familiar with the concept of a language, but the distinction between a language and a dialect might be less clear.

Essentially, a language is a system of communication possessing its own distinct grammar and vocabulary, frequently acknowledged as having a unique cultural or national identity. A dialect, conversely, is a variation of a language used in a particular area or by a specific social group, mainly differing in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, yet remaining mutually understandable with the primary language of that region.

With that foundation, let's explore three primary ways a language differs from a dialect, and also clarify how a dialect is not the same as an accent.

The Main Differences Between Languages and Dialects

To be direct: despite the definitions we've provided, there is no universally accepted distinction between a language and a dialect. Both are communication systems used by native speakers and each can be viewed as a complete form of communication.

It's easy to want simple comparisons, but in the field of linguistics, some ideas are more complex than they initially appear.

1. Languages Have a Country, While Dialects Are Regional

Merriam-Webster defines “Language” as “the words, their pronunciation and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community.”

“Dialect” is defined as “a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.”

You may observe that these definitions are quite similar. However, it is often emphasized that languages are tied to a nation, whereas dialects are considered regional and typically spoken by smaller populations.

Every country typically has at least one official language utilized in government documents and proceedings.

While many stop at this point, we can delve further for greater linguistic precision.

A dialect gains the status of a language through official decree—when a state grants a particular spoken system the standing of an official language. In essence, a language is recognized as such because it has received state approval.

For instance, when the Philippines selected one of its eight major dialects to become the official language, it was not by chance that Tagalog was chosen.

Even though a large portion of the population at the time had limited proficiency in Tagalog/Filipino, this did not deter the country's leaders in the capital, who were fluent Tagalog speakers, from establishing it as the national language.

Since languages are technically dialects, there are many instances where speakers of different languages can understand each other without difficulty.

Consider the mutual intelligibility among the official languages of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Imagine this common scenario:

Joke: A Dane, a Swede, and a Norwegian enter a bar…

Punchline: And they converse without any trouble

This is accurate. Most Scandinavians can communicate with each other without needing interpreters!

Officially, they are speaking three separate languages (Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian), but one could argue they are actually using three closely related dialects that likely originated from a shared ancestral tongue.

2. Languages Have Standard Written Forms, While Dialects Are Mostly Oral

Languages typically possess standardized grammar rules and a rich body of literature. They exist not merely as oral traditions but also in written form.

Dialects, in contrast, are more commonly spoken than written. When they are written, it is usually not for official or national purposes.

Although an existing body of literature can influence the choice of an "official language," the relationship also works in reverse.

Designating a dialect as an official language has a self-reinforcing effect, motivating authors to produce works in that language. Because the state has endorsed a specific language for official use, all government business will be conducted in it.

This creates a momentum, leading to an ever-growing collection of literature in that language, thereby strengthening its position.

3. Languages Are Qualitatively Different from Dialects

Some argue that languages are intrinsically more refined or complex than dialects.

However, if you measure complexity by the difficulty or intricacy of the language, then Archi—a dialect spoken in a mountainous part of Russia—would make studying French seem elementary.

Archi contains a vast number of phonemes (sounds) and so many verb forms that a single verb can theoretically take around 1,502,839 different forms.

Conversely, if you believe a language's elegance lies in its simplicity, then it would be challenging to justify the everyday use of complex languages like Mandarin Chinese, Hungarian, or Thai.

For example, Chinese uses over 50,000 characters. It is also a tonal language. This means a single syllable such as "ma," depending on its pronunciation, can mean "mother," "horse," or something else entirely.

So, who can definitively determine what constitutes a beautiful language? Let's also remember that many dialects possess qualities just as valuable as those of officially recognized languages.

What’s the Difference Between a Dialect and an Accent?

While on this topic, you might be curious about the distinction between a dialect and an accent. Many people confuse the two and use the terms synonymously. The good news is that the difference here is much more distinct:

An accent is a specific part of a dialect.

While dialects encompass all facets of language—grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation—an accent relates specifically to the last part.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an accent is “a way of speaking typical of a particular group of people and especially of the natives or residents of a region.”

Accents are fascinating to study because they group speakers according to their geographical origins. Identical words and sentences can sound very different when spoken by individuals from different areas.

Just within English, there is a wide array of accents. For example, an American might struggle to understand someone from Scotland, even though they are both speaking English.

These accents themselves have regional variations. American accents, for instance, include Deep Southern, Texan, New York, Boston, Californian, and many others.

An intriguing aspect is that most speakers consider their own accent to be the "correct" way to pronounce words. This is a common human tendency.

While a person's accent can carry social, economic, or geopolitical implications, all accents are linguistically equal. Everyone has an accent. And every accent has its own beauty.

You can gain a better understanding and hear different accents by watching media created by native speakers. One effective method is using a language learning platform like Lingflix.

If you wish to explore the topic of languages versus dialects further, consider listening to this informative TED talk:

So now we understand: the line between languages and dialects is not clear-cut, and an accent is actually a component of a dialect.

Now you have the knowledge to explain this difference to others who might be unsure—and perhaps even participate in discussions with seasoned linguists!