D&D Languages: Every Standard and Rare Language in 5e
D&D 5e (2024) has 19 languages: 10 standard languages such as Common, Elvish, Dwarvish and Draconic, and 9 rare ones such as Abyssal, Infernal, Deep Speech and Thieves' Cant. A new 2024 character knows Common plus two standard languages. In the 2014 rules, your race and background set your languages instead.
What are the standard languages in D&D 5e?
Standard languages are the ones spoken widely across the world, by the peoples your character is most likely to grow up near. In the 2024 rules any character can pick from this list at level 1. If you're building a character right now, the character generator handles this step for you.
| Language | Typical speakers | Script (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Common | Humans and most travelers, traders and city folk | Common |
| Common Sign Language | Anyone; new in 2024 | – |
| Draconic | Dragons, dragonborn, kobolds | Draconic |
| Dwarvish | Dwarves | Dwarvish |
| Elvish | Elves | Elvish |
| Giant | Giants, ogres | Dwarvish |
| Gnomish | Gnomes | Dwarvish |
| Goblin | Goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears | Dwarvish |
| Halfling | Halflings | Common |
| Orc | Orcs | Dwarvish |
The 2014 rules called this list "standard" too, but it had eight entries: Common Sign Language didn't exist, and Draconic was on the exotic list. The script column comes from the 2014 Player's Handbook; the 2024 rules don't assign scripts, so treat it as flavor.
What are the rare languages in 5e?
Rare languages (called "exotic" in 2014) belong to otherworldly creatures, hidden societies or secret groups. You usually get one through a class feature, a feat, or a good story reason your DM signs off on.
| Language | Typical speakers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Abyssal | Demons | Useful against cults and in chaotic planar games |
| Celestial | Angels and other celestials | Good flavor for aasimar and clerics |
| Deep Speech | Aberrations: mind flayers, beholders, aboleths | No written form in 2014 |
| Druidic | Druids only | Secret; every Druid knows it |
| Infernal | Devils | Fiend warlocks and tieflings often learn it |
| Primordial | Elementals | Includes the Aquan, Auran, Ignan and Terran dialects, which are mutually understood |
| Sylvan | Fey: dryads, satyrs, pixies | Great in forest and Feywild campaigns |
| Thieves' Cant | Rogues and criminal guilds | Secret; every Rogue knows it |
| Undercommon | Underdark traders, drow, duergar | Essential in Underdark campaigns |
How many languages does your character know?
2024 rules
Every character knows Common plus two standard languages of your choice. Your species and background no longer grant languages. Classes add a few on top:
- Rogue: Thieves' Cant plus one more language at level 1.
- Druid: Druidic at level 1.
- Ranger: two languages from the Deft Explorer feature at level 2.
A level 2 Ranger therefore knows five languages: Common, two standard picks and two more from Deft Explorer.
2014 rules
Your race sets your base languages (a 2014 elf knows Common and Elvish; a human knows Common and one extra), and many backgrounds add one or two. A 2014 high elf sage ends up with five: Common, Elvish, one from the High Elf trait and two from the Sage background.
Which languages should you pick?
Pick for the campaign, not the character sheet. Ask your DM what kind of adventure it is and who you're likely to meet. A good default spread:
| Campaign type | Best picks | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Classic dungeon crawl | Goblin, Draconic | Goblins and kobolds show up early and often, and talking beats fighting |
| Wilderness or frontier | Giant, Sylvan, Elvish | Ogres, giants, fey and elves rule the wild places |
| Underdark | Undercommon, Dwarvish | Almost every trader and guard down there speaks Undercommon |
| Dragon-themed | Draconic | Dragons, cultists and kobolds; Draconic is standard in 2024, so it costs nothing extra |
| Fiends and planes | Infernal, Abyssal, Celestial | Read the contract before you sign it |
| Big cities | Common Sign Language, Halfling, Dwarvish | Silent signals for heists, plus the merchant classes |
Split languages across the party. Four players who all took Elvish wasted three picks. One person speaking Goblin is enough to interrogate the prisoner.
Can magic let you understand any language?
- Comprehend Languages: a level 1 ritual. For an hour you understand any spoken language you hear and any written text you touch, but you can't speak it.
- Tongues: a level 3 spell. For an hour you understand every spoken language and every creature that knows a language understands you.
- Telepathy: some creatures and features let you talk mind to mind without sharing a language at all.
Casting a ritual takes 10 extra minutes, so Comprehend Languages is great for reading the inscription on a tomb and poor for a tense conversation with a hobgoblin captain.
How do DMs use languages at the table?
Languages pay off when they open information nobody else has. A few ways to make them matter:
- Overheard plans: the bandits argue in Goblin about where the boss sleeps. Only the player who speaks it hears this.
- Inscriptions and letters: a coded note in Thieves' Cant or a warning carved in Dwarvish gives one player the spotlight.
- Negotiation: speaking a creature's own tongue is a fair reason to give a bonus or advantage on an Influence check. Ogres take offers better in Giant.
- NPC flavor: when you make a quick NPC with the NPC generator, decide which language they use first. It changes how the scene plays.
Languages pair naturally with social skills; see D&D skills for Persuasion, Deception and Insight.
FAQ
How many languages do you start with in D&D 5e?
In the 2024 rules, every character knows Common plus two languages of their choice from the standard list. Some classes add more, such as Thieves' Cant for Rogues and Druidic for Druids. In the 2014 rules the number depends on your race and background, usually two to four.
Can you pick a rare language at level 1?
Not by default in 2024: the two starting picks come from the standard list. Rare languages come from class features, feats or your DM's permission. A warlock whose patron is a fiend asking for Infernal is a reasonable request.
What is the most useful language in D&D?
After Common, it depends on the campaign. Draconic, Goblin and Giant cover a lot of common foes in a typical campaign. For an Underdark game take Undercommon; for a planar or fiend-heavy game take Abyssal or Infernal.
Is Draconic a standard or exotic language?
In the 2024 rules Draconic is a standard language anyone can start with. In the 2014 rules it was an exotic language.
How do you learn a new language in 5e?
Through features and feats (the 2014 Linguist feat grants three), through downtime training if your DM allows it, or temporarily with magic such as Comprehend Languages and Tongues.
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Contains content from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.