The Last Whisper: 5 Critically Endangered Languages With Only One Living Speaker

The question of "what is the least spoken language in the world" does not have a single, static answer, but rather a tragic list of languages clinging to existence by a single thread: one fluent speaker. As of late 2025, the title is shared by several "singleton languages," each representing a complete, unique worldview on the brink of permanent silence. These critically endangered languages are not just curiosities; they are linguistic treasures whose imminent extinction highlights a global cultural crisis driven by factors like colonization, economic pressure, and cultural assimilation.

The latest data from linguistic organizations like UNESCO and Ethnologue consistently points to a handful of indigenous languages where the speaker count has dwindled to one or two, making them the most endangered voices on Earth. This article dives deep into the stories of these last speakers, their cultural heritage, and the desperate language revitalization efforts underway to save these ancient tongues from complete language death.

The Singleton Languages: A List of One

The designation of a language with only one living fluent speaker is a grim milestone known as a "singleton language." The following three languages are the most prominent and heartbreaking examples, each hanging on through the memory and dedication of a single individual.

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1. Taushiro (Peru)

• Speaker Count: 1 fluent speaker.
• Location: The Peruvian Amazon, near the Tigre River.
• Last Speaker: Amadeo García García.
• Language Family: Considered a language isolate, meaning it has no demonstrable genetic relationship to any other known language.

Taushiro, also known as Pinche or Pinchi, is perhaps the most famous example of a singleton language. Amadeo García García is the sole remaining person who can speak the language fluently, a living library of a culture that has been decimated by disease and displacement over the last century.

His story is a poignant one, as he lives surrounded by people who speak Spanish or other dominant regional languages, leaving him with no one for daily conversation in his mother tongue. The Peruvian Ministry of Culture has recognized the urgency, initiating documentation projects to record the language before it is lost forever.

2. N|uu (South Africa)

• Speaker Count: 1 fluent speaker (though a few semi-speakers exist).
• Location: The Southern Kalahari Desert, South Africa.
• Last Speaker: Ouma Katrina Esau (born 1933).
• Language Family: Part of the Khoi-San language group, famous for its distinctive clicking sounds (represented by the pipe symbol |).

N|uu is not only critically endangered but is also considered one of the oldest indigenous languages of Southern Africa, with a history spanning over 20,000 years. The last fluent speaker, Ouma Katrina Esau (affectionately called "Ouma," meaning grandmother), has taken on the monumental task of preserving it.

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After the death of her sister in 2021, Ouma Katrina became the singular custodian of the language. She has been hailed as a Living Human Treasure for her tireless language revitalization efforts, including running a small school from her home to teach N|uu to children in her community, battling the effects of historical oppression and cultural assimilation that led to the decline.

3. Tanema (Solomon Islands)

• Speaker Count: 1 fluent speaker.
• Location: Vanikoro Island, in the easternmost province of the Solomon Islands.
• Last Speaker: Lainol Nalo.
• Language Family: An Austronesian language of the Oceanic branch.

In the remote Pacific, the Tanema language faces the same fate. Lainol Nalo is the only person who speaks Tanema fluently, a situation exacerbated by the shift of the local population to the dominant regional language, Teanu.

The pressure of language shift in small island communities, often due to natural disasters or the need for a common tongue for trade and education, rapidly pushes out minority languages. The loss of Tanema would mean the loss of a specific cultural lens through which the island's history and environment are understood.

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The Immediate Next: Languages with Two or Fewer Speakers

Just a step above the singleton languages are those with a minuscule handful of speakers, often elderly, meaning the language is still classified as moribund—it is certain to die out without immediate, drastic intervention. These languages are in an equally precarious position.

4. Lemerig (Vanuatu)

• Speaker Count: 2 fluent speakers (or 2-3).
• Location: Vanua Lava, one of the Banks Islands in northern Vanuatu.
• Language Family: An Oceanic language.

Lemerig, also called Sasar, is a poignant example of rapid language death in the linguistically rich Pacific. The number of speakers has dropped to just two or three individuals, making it one of the most critically endangered languages listed in the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.

The small population base and the influence of larger regional languages, like the lingua franca Bislama, have accelerated its decline. Documenting Lemerig is a race against time, with linguists working to record its unique grammar and vocabulary before its final two speakers pass away.

5. Ongota (Ethiopia)

• Speaker Count: Estimated to be fewer than 10 (possibly only 12 elderly speakers as of 2012).
• Location: A small village on the west bank of the Weyt'o River in southwestern Ethiopia.
• Alternate Name: Birale.

Ongota, or Birale, presents a slightly different, though equally dire, case. While the ethnic population is larger, the number of people who actually speak the language has been consistently reported as extremely low, primarily elderly individuals who have shifted to speaking Tsamai.

It is another potential language isolate, and its classification remains debated, making its survival even more crucial for linguistic science. The shift to Tsamai is a clear case of language shift driven by the economic and social necessity of communicating with neighboring, more dominant groups.

The Causes of Language Extinction and the Fight to Save Them

The decline of these languages is rarely a natural event; it is a direct result of social and historical pressures. The primary driver is language shift, a process where a community adopts a dominant language, often for economic opportunity or to avoid the language stigma associated with their indigenous tongue.

Key factors contributing to this mass language extinction include:

• Colonization and Cultural Assimilation: Historical policies that actively suppressed native languages in schools and public life, forcing indigenous peoples to adopt the colonizer's language.
• Economic Pressure and Migration: Younger generations move to cities for employment, adopting the dominant language (like Spanish in Peru or Afrikaans/English in South Africa) and failing to pass on their native tongue.
• Lack of Written History: Many of these languages, like Ongota, are purely oral, making documentation and preservation efforts challenging once the last speakers are gone.

Despite the overwhelming odds, the stories of the last speakers are not just about loss, but also about resilience. Language revitalization efforts are gaining global momentum. Ouma Katrina Esau's dedication to teaching N|uu to children in her community is a beacon of hope, demonstrating that even a single person can spark a movement.

Linguists and organizations like UNESCO are working to create comprehensive dictionaries, grammar guides, and digital recordings—a process called language documentation—to preserve the knowledge embedded in these voices. While the future of Taushiro, N|uu, and Tanema remains uncertain, the global effort to recognize and record these languages ensures that, even if they fall silent, their unique stories will not be entirely forgotten.