Kai–Souk languages

The Kai–Souk languages are a language family comprising approximately 138 million native speakers ca. 2020, a branch of the larger Austroasiatic language family. Spoken primarily in Mainland Southeast Asia (Indochina), isolated pockets of Kai–Souk-speaking communities are found in Southern China, the Tibetan Plateau, Borneo and Panao.

Over one-third of all native speakers of Kai–Souk languages speak its most spoken language, Souk as their mother tongue, with the family's second most spoken member, Ben, having just under 40% the native speakers of Souk; the two languages are also the only languages in their family with official recognition, as the two official languages of Kaibesia. Kai–Souk languages are tonal, with the sole exception Souk, which instead features a simplified system of pitch-accent.

List of languages
Below is a list of living languages of the Kai–Souk family, in descending order of estimated number of native speakers ca. 2020, which is specified.


 * 1) Souk (55.4 million)
 * 2) Ben (22.1 million)
 * 3) Mae (15.5 million)
 * 4) Mao (11.3 million)
 * 5) Cantean (10.5 million)
 * 6) Khai (5.4 million)
 * 7) Halmanese (4.8 million)
 * 8) Ular (4.4 million)
 * 9) Umnan (2.8 million)
 * 10) Kheam (1.8 million)
 * 11) Malonese (1.5 million)
 * 12) Baronese (1.4 million)
 * 13) Aemean (1.1 million)