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By number of native speakers

This is a list of the top ten families with wide recognition as phylogenetic units, in terms of numbers of native speakers, listed with their core geographic areals.

1. Indo-European languages (Europe, Southwest to South Asia)
2. Sino-Tibetan languages (East Asia)
3. Niger-Congo languages (Sub-Saharan Africa)
4. Afro-Asiatic languages (North Africa to Horn of Africa, Southwest Asia)
5. Austronesian languages (Oceania, Madagascar, Southeast Asia)
6. Dravidian languages (South Asia)
7. Altaic languages (Central Asia, phylogenetic unity uncertain)
8. Austro-Asiatic languages (Southeast Asia)
9. Tai-Kadai languages (Southeast Asia)
10. Uralic languages (Northern Asia to Northern Europe)

If the Altaic grouping is rejected, Turkic and Japonic should be counted as major language families instead. The families listed above account for more than 99% of total world population.

Phyla with wide geographical distributions historically but comparatively few contemporary speakers include Eskimo-Aleut, Na-Dené, Algic and Nilo-Saharan.

By variety

According to the numbers in Ethnologue, the largest language families in terms of number of languages are:

1. Niger-Congo (1,514 languages)
2. Austronesian (1,268 languages)
3. Trans-New Guinea (564 languages) (validity disputed)
4. Indo-European (449 languages)
5. Sino-Tibetan (403 languages)
6. Afro-Asiatic (375 languages)
7. Nilo-Saharan (204 languages)
8. Pama-Nyungan (178 languages) (validity disputed)
9. Oto-Manguean (174 languages) (number disputed; Lyle Campbell includes only 27)
10. Austro-Asiatic (169 languages)
11. Sepik-Ramu (100 languages) (validity disputed)
12. Tai-Kadai (76 languages)
13. Tupi (76 languages)
14. Dravidian (73 languages)
15. Mayan (69 languages)

Language families

In the following, each "bulleted" item is a known or suspected language family. The geographic headings over them are meant solely as a tool for grouping families into collections more comprehensible than an unstructured list of the dozen or two of independent families. Geographic relationship is convenient for that purpose, but these headings are not a suggestion of any "super-families" phylogenetically relating the families named.

Africa and Southwest Asia

1. Afro-Asiatic languages (formerly Hamito-Semitic)
2. Niger-Congo languages (sometimes Niger-Kordofanian)
3. Nilo-Saharan languages
4. Khoe languages (part of the Khoisan proposal)
5. Tuu languages (part of Khoisan)
6. Juu-ǂHoan languages (part of Khoisan)

Europe and North, West and South Asia

1. Indo-European languages
2. Tyrsenian languages
3. Dravidian languages
4. Northwest Caucasian languages (often included in North Caucasian)
5. Northeast Caucasian languages (often included in North Caucasian)
6. Hurro-Urartian languages (extinct, perhaps related to Northeast Caucasian)
7. South Caucasian languages
8. Turkic languages
9. Mongolic languages
10. Tungusic languages
11. Uralic languages
12. Yukaghir languages
13. Chukotko-Kamchatkan languages
14. Dené-Yeniseian languages

East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific

1. Andamanese languages (perhaps two families)
2. Austro-Asiatic languages
3. Austronesian languages
4. Hmong-Mien languages
5. Japonic languages
6. Sino-Tibetan languages
7. Tai-Kadai languages

New Guinea and neighboring islands

1. Baining languages
2. Border languages
3. Central Solomons languages
4. East Bird's Head-Sentani languages
5. Eastern Trans-Fly languages (one in Australia)
6. East Geelvink Bay languages
7. Kazukuru languages
8. Lakes Plain languages (upper Mamberamo River)
9. Left May-Kwomtari languages
10. Mairasi languages
11. Nimboran languages
12. North Bougainville languages
13. Piawi languages
14. Ramu-Lower Sepik languages
15. Senagi languages
16. Sepik languages
17. Skou languages
18. South Bougainville languages
19. South-Central Papuan languages
20. Tor-Kwerba languages
21. Torricelli languages
22. West New Britain languages
23. West Papuan languages
24. Yuat languages

Australia

1. Bunaban languages
2. Daly languages
3. Limilngan languages
4. Djeragan languages
5. Nyulnyulan languages
6. Wororan languages
7. Mindi languages
8. Arnhem Land languages (3 families and 2 isolates)
9. Gunwinyguan languages
10. Pama-Nyungan languages

North America

1. Algic languages (incl. Algonquian languages) (29)
2. Alsean languages (2)
3. Caddoan languages (5)
4. Chimakuan languages (2)
5. Chinookan languages (3)
6. Chumashan languages (6)
7. Comecrudan languages (3)
8. Coosan languages (2)
9. Dené-Yeniseian languages (40 in North America, 1 in Asia)
10. Eskimo-Aleut languages (7)
11. Guaicuruan languages (a.k.a. Waikurian) (8)
12. Iroquoian languages (11)
13. Kalapuyan languages (3)
14. Kiowa-Tanoan languages (7)
15. Maiduan languages (4)
16. Mayan languages (North & Central America) (31)
17. Mixe-Zoquean languages (North America) (19)
18. Muskogean languages (6)
19. Oto-Manguean languages (North & Central America) (27)
20. Palaihnihan languages (2)
21. Plateau Penutian languages (a.k.a. Shahapwailutan) (4)
22. Pomoan languages (7)
23. Salishan languages (23)
24. Shastan languages (4)
25. Siouan languages (16)
26. Tequistlatecan languages (3)
27. Totonacan languages (2)
28. Tsimshian languages (2)
29. Utian languages (12)
30. Uto-Aztecan languages (31)
31. Wakashan languages (6)
32. Wintuan languages (4)
33. Yokutsan languages (3)
34. Yukian languages (2)
35. Yuman-Cochimí languages (11)

Central America and South America

1. Alacalufan languages (South America) (2)
2. Algic languages (North & Central America) (29)
3. Arauan languages (South America) (8)
4. Araucanian languages (South America) (2)
5. Arawakan languages (South America & Caribbean) (73)
6. Arutani-Sape languages (South America) (2)
7. Aymaran languages (South America) (3)
8. Barbacoan languages (South America) (7)
9. Cahuapanan languages (South America) (2)
10. Carib languages (South America) (29)
11. Chapacura-Wanham languages (South America) (5)
12. Chibchan languages (Central & South America) (22)
13. Choco languages (South America) (10)
14. Chon languages (South America) (2)
15. Comecrudan languages (North & Central America) (3)
16. Guaicuruan languages (a.k.a. Waikurian) (8)
17. Harakmbet languages (South America) (2)
18. Ge languages (South America) (13)
19. Jicaquean languages (Central America)
20. Jivaroan languages (South America) (4)
21. Katukinan languages (South America) (3)
22. Lencan languages (Central America)
23. Lule-Vilela languages (South America) (1)
24. Macro-Ge languages (South America) (32)
25. Maku languages (South America) (6)
26. Mascoian languages (South America) (5)
27. Mashakalian languages (South America)
28. Mataco-Guaicuru languages (South America) (11)
29. Mayan languages (North & Central America) (31)
30. Misumalpan languages (Central America) (9)
31. Mosetenan languages (South America) (1)
32. Mura languages (South America) (1)
33. Nambiquaran languages (South America) (5)
34. Oto-Manguean languages (North & Central America) (27)
35. Paezan languages (South America) (1)
36. Panoan languages (South America) (30)
37. Peba-Yaguan languages (South America) (2)
38. Quechuan languages (South America) (46)
39. Salivan languages (South America) (2)
40. Tacanan languages (South America) (6)
41. Tequistlatecan languages (Central America) (3)
42. Tucanoan languages (South America) (25)
43. Tupi languages (South America) (70)
44. Uru-Chipaya languages (South America) (2)
45. Uto-Aztecan languages (North & Central America) (31)
46. Witotoan languages (South America) (6)
47. Xincan languages (Central America)
48. Yanomam languages (South America) (4)
49. Yuman-Cochimi languages (North & Central America) (11)
50. Zamucoan languages (South America) (2)
51. Zaparoan languages (South America) (7)