What Language Do They Speak in Lesotho?

Official languages of Lesotho Sotho, English

Facts last checked 9 October 2026.

Lesotho has 2 official languages: Sotho, English. Sotho is also an official language in 1 other country worldwide.

Learn some Sotho before you go

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The essentials for ordering food, asking directions and being polite.

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Languages of Lesotho at a glance

Official languages	Sotho, English
Number of official languages	2
Countries on this site where Sotho is official	2
People (demonym)	Mosotho
Capital	Maseru
Internet domain	.ls

Other countries where Sotho is official

Sotho is also an official language in 1 other country covered here:

Zimbabwe

Languages of neighbouring countries

South Africa	Zulu, Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa

Lesotho in context

Lesotho covers 30,355 km², making it the 137th largest of the 196 countries on this site.
Its population density of about 70 people per km² ranks 117th of 196 (1st = most crowded).
It shares a land border with 1 country: South Africa.
Lesotho is landlocked, with no direct coastline.
With 2,116,427 people, Lesotho holds about 2.4% of the population of Southern Africa.
With 2 official languages, Lesotho has more than most countries on this site.
Traffic drives on the left, and calendars start the week on Monday.
Lesotho is a member state of the United Nations.

Languages in Lesotho — FAQ