Eastern Canadian Inuktitut
The Inuit language of Nunavut and Nunavik. The largest Eastern Canadian Inuit variety and one of Nunavut's official languages, written in the Inuktitut syllabary.
Kalaallisut
Also known as: West Greenlandic, Greenlandic
The West Greenlandic standard and the official language of Greenland. The most-spoken Inuit variety, with continuous use in education, literature, and media.
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Kalaallisut?
Kalaallisut is a dialect of the Inuktitut language.
Where is Kalaallisut spoken?
Kalaallisut is primarily spoken in Greenland.
Which region is Kalaallisut associated with?
Kalaallisut is part of the North America region on DialectAtlas.
Is Kalaallisut known by other names?
Yes — Kalaallisut is also referred to as West Greenlandic, Greenlandic.
What are the other dialects of Inuktitut?
Inuktitut also includes Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, Tunumiisut, Inuktun. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other Inuktitut dialects
See on the atlas →Western Canadian Inuit
The Inuit language of the Inuvialuit communities of the western Canadian Arctic. Smaller than Inuktitut and historically split between three sub-varieties: Sallirmiutun, Uummarmiutun, and Kangiryuarmiutun.
East Greenlandic
The Inuit language of east Greenland, centred on Tasiilaq. So divergent from West Greenlandic in pronunciation and lexicon that the two are barely mutually intelligible; often classified as a separate language.
Polar Eskimo · Avanersuarmiutut
The Inuit language of north-western Greenland around Qaanaaq, the world's northernmost Indigenous language community. Linguistically closer to Canadian Inuktitut than to Kalaallisut.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →26 km away
The Danish of Greenland, co-official with Kalaallisut. Used widely in administration and education; carries some contact features from Kalaallisut.
682 km away
The Inuit language of east Greenland, centred on Tasiilaq. So divergent from West Greenlandic in pronunciation and lexicon that the two are barely mutually intelligible; often classified as a separate language.
818 km away
The Inuit language of Nunavut and Nunavik. The largest Eastern Canadian Inuit variety and one of Nunavut's official languages, written in the Inuktitut syllabary.
1,431 km away
The most conservative living North Germanic language, retaining a complex inflectional system close to Old Norse. Modern Icelanders can still read 13th-century sagas with limited difficulty.
1,597 km away
The Inuit language of north-western Greenland around Qaanaaq, the world's northernmost Indigenous language community. Linguistically closer to Canadian Inuktitut than to Kalaallisut.
1,849 km away
The most distinctive variety of Canadian English, descended from 17th- and 18th-century West Country and Hiberno-English settlers. Strongly divergent from mainland Canadian English in vowels and grammar.