The Sylheti language is spoken by millions across Bangladesh, India, and diaspora communities worldwide. However, it remains one of the least understood and most underrepresented languages in South Asia. Often mistaken for a dialect of Bengali, Sylheti is, in fact, a unique language with its history, grammar, and culture.
If you’re curious about endangered languages or have roots in the Sylhet region, this is your time to start your Sylheti language learning. Whether you’re reconnecting with your heritage or exploring linguistic diversity, learning Sylheti is more accessible than ever.
Where is the Sylheti Language Spoken Today?
The Sylheti language is spoken in the Sylhet Division of northeastern Bangladesh. This is a region which is known for its strong culture and strong sense of its identity. In Bangladesh, Sylheti is the language spoken by millions who can use it at home, in markets and informal settings. However, on the contrary, Standard Bengali is more popular in education and government.
Outside of Bangladesh, the Sylheti language is also known to have been spoken in northeastern India. This includes Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya, where people have lived for generations with this language.
The language is also most visible in the United Kingdom. In cities such as London, Birmingham and Tower Hamlets, there are Sylheti-speaking communities. A substantial portion of the British Bangladeshi population originates from Sylhet, making the UK one of the most important hubs for Sylheti language learning and preservation outside South Asia.
Sylheti vs Bengali: Dialect or Distinct Language?
One of the most significant questions in South Asian linguistics is whether the Sylheti language is a dialect of Bengali or a language. The two may potentially appear related, as they share geographic proximity and the same vocabulary. However, the differences are bigger than they appear.
Sylheti features distinct sounds that are absent in Standard Bengali, which may also include implosive consonants. The pronunciation of many words is markedly different. This can make mutual intelligibility difficult, especially for Bengali speakers who are unfamiliar with Sylheti.
Historical Roots and Writing System
The Sylheti language was historically written using its script, Sylheti Nagri. This further supports the case for its classification as a separate language. While the script is nearly extinct, its legacy reflects a unique linguistic identity that predates modern national boundaries.
Why It Matters for Sylheti Language Learning
If you’re someone who wants to learn Sylheti, the differences are more than academic; they can have real consequences, too.
You would need materials that reflect the language’s unique characteristics. This is instead of relying on the Bengali-based resources, which don’t align with spoken reality.
The Cultural Heart of the Sylheti Language
The Sylheti language is more than just about communication; it also carries heritage, oral tradition and identity. There are roots to the history of the Sylhet region. The language has carried generations of poetry.
Oral Traditions and Storytelling
For centuries, Sylheti have thrived through oral storytelling. Folk tales, songs (locally as Baul and Bhatiali), and religious chants. These oral traditions continue to preserve language but also include the values, humour, and wisdom.
Language and Identity
Whether in Bangladesh or the diaspora, the Sylheti language remains an identity for many. It’s often the first language learnt at home, the language of emotion, and a symbol of belonging, especially for those navigating dual identities.
Impact on Sylheti Language Learning
The cultural depth of Sylheti adds meaning to language learning efforts. For the heritage speakers who want to connect with their roots, learning Sylheti isn’t just about vocabulary. It is about reclaiming a part of themselves and capturing that.
Why the Sylheti Language Is Endangered
The Sylheti language is considered endangered due to a range of factors which have impacted the language. This is due to a lack of official recognition, social perceptions and more people shifting towards standard Bengali.
Although the language may be somewhat popular within informal speech, it is excluded from education, formal documentation and mainstream media. This includes the factors that contribute to its endangerment.
Lack of Institutional Recognition
One of the main challenges which is against the Sylheti is the lack of its official status. Sylheti is often viewed as a dialect of Bengali, rather than being a distinct language. This could have serious consequences for the language. This is because Sylheti is not taught in schools or used in exams or within the government.
Despite many children growing up learning Bengali in schools and other academic settings, they would speak Sylheti at home. Although this helps more people, especially teens, be bilingual, it doesn’t help the problem of Sylheti becoming an endangered language.
Diaspora and Language Shift
In countries such as the UK, where large Sylheti communities exist, the language continues to change across generations. The first-generation immigrants typically speak Sylheti fluently, but their children and grandchildren typically grow up speaking English and, frequently, standard Bengali.
Stigmatism
Another key issue is stigma. Sylheti is sometimes viewed as less “prestigious” than standard Bengali. This perception can lead speakers to downplay their identity, avoid using Sylheti in public, or even discourage their children from learning it.
This internalised language shame is common among many minority language groups and poses a significant barrier to revitalisation.
Low Visibility
Although things are slowly changing, Sylheti remains underrepresented. There are few high-quality digital resources, language courses, or learning apps dedicated specifically to Sylheti.
This invisibility reinforces the idea that Sylheti is “less worthy” of study than other languages, however, this is something that we’re aiming to change with the endangered language campaign.
How to Preserve the Sylheti Language?
Although the Sylheti language faces many challenges, as discussed, it is far from being a lost cause completely. There are still millions who speak it every day at home, in markets, mosques, temples, and WhatsApp groups. What is currently needed is an effort to save the language.
Continue to Speak The Language
The simplest and most powerful step is to keep speaking Sylheti. This could be whether you’re at home, with children, in public, or online. Don’t be afraid to speak Sylheti where it feels natural.
Don’t be afraid to speak Sylheti where it feels natural; the more you use it, the more comfortable you will become. Encourage others around you, friends, relatives, and community members, to engage in conversations in Sylheti as well. This not only strengthens your skills but also fosters a sense of community and cultural pride.
Teach the Next Generation
When you want to keep a language in the sphere, intergenerational transmission is crucial. If you’re a parent or a carer and speak the Sylheti language, make it a part of your children’s lives daily.
Ensure that you tell stories, sing lullabies, explain recipes and share your family history in this new language. This will also enable your children to have additional skills in learning languages. Even if your children also speak English or even Bengali, giving them the ability to speak Sylheti will give them access to this identity and community.
Support This Media
With media, this also helps preservation, and this is important for visibility. If you’re learning or wanting to help the preservation of the language, you should seek and support content on YouTube, TikTok, the radio, podcasts or even short films. You should encourage content creators to use the language or consider incorporating the language into your work.
Even better, create content for learners: subtitles, translations, audio lessons, or children’s stories. Every effort counts.
Develop Learning Resources
One of the major gaps in Sylheti preservation is the lack of accessible, high-quality learning materials. You can help by creating or contributing to dictionaries, language apps, community-led classes, or YouTube tutorials. Even small resources — like a vocabulary list shared in a Facebook group — can have ripple effects.
Technology also plays a role. Projects like keyboard development, spellcheckers, or text-to-speech tools in Sylheti can bring the language into the digital age.
Recognise Sylheti as a Language in Its Own Right
Preserving Sylheti requires changing how it’s seen — not as a “broken Bengali” or “just a dialect”, but as a language with its history, phonetics, grammar, and culture. Whether you’re an academic, a teacher, or simply a speaker, using the term language rather than dialect can be a small but powerful act of validation.
It’s also worth supporting movements that campaign for official recognition or increased academic study of Sylheti, both in Bangladesh and the diaspora.
Getting Started with Sylheti Language Learning
Whether you’re aiming to reconnect with your heritage, explore the diversity of languages, or want to support underrepresented and endangered languages, there are many ways when you want to get started with Sylheti language learning.
Start With What You Know
If you already know and speak standard Bengali, there may be similarities that you notice, but ensure you assume the full mutual intelligibility. The Sylheti language has its phonetic quirks, verb forms and different vocabulary. Some examples of this may include:
- The Bengali word for water is pani; in Sylheti, it’s often hoir or hoiror.
- Sylheti features unique sounds like implosive consonants (rare in Bengali),
- Verb endings and sentence structure diverge, especially in casual speech.
As an English speaker with no prior knowledge of South Asian languages, this can begin with basic conversational phrases such as greetings, numbers, family terms, and common questions. If you’re learning 20–30 core expressions, this can make a difference in building confidence.
Use Multimedia to Immerse Yourself
There’s no substitute for exposure. Even if you don’t understand everything at first, immersing yourself in authentic Sylheti speech will train your ear and build intuition over time. Regardless of how you like to immerse yourself in another language, there are many ways you can do this, this may include:
- YouTube: Channels like Sylheti Hub or Sylheti Kitchen offer spoken content with natural pronunciation.
- TikTok & Instagram: Diaspora creators often post skits, family moments, and humour in Sylheti — raw, relatable, and perfect for learners.
- Songs & music: Try listening to Baul, Bhatiali, or Sufi-inspired Sylheti folk songs. These are typically slow-paced, poetic, and emotionally rich — ideal for language and culture learning.
- Subtitles: If you’re watching Bengali TV shows or films, add Sylheti subtitles if available. As an alternative, you could also listen to Sylheti dialogue, which often appears in regional dramas.
Use Language Learners Hub (and Create What Doesn’t Exist)
The lack of formal resources is a challenge but also an opportunity. We’re committed to filling the gap with free and accessible materials tailored to Sylheti language learning as well as other endangered languages, especially for:
- Heritage learners who heard Sylheti at home but never learnt to speak it.
- Language enthusiasts are interested in lesser-known languages.
- Diaspora communities preserving linguistic identity.
Now more than ever, preserving the Sylheti language depends on those willing to learn it, speak it, and share it with those who also want to engage with the language and share it. Every conversation, every resource, and every learner makes a difference.
Ready to get started with Sylheti language learning? Explore free tools, community resources, and beginner guides, or sign up for our newsletter to join a growing network of language lovers and heritage speakers working to keep the Sylheti language alive.