Parisian French · Standard French
The Paris-area standard of European French. Carried nationally by education and broadcasting; the reference point for most French taught abroad.
Métis French
Also known as: Mitchif Français, Prairie French
The French variety of the Métis Nation of the Canadian Prairies. Distinct from Quebec and Acadian French; not to be confused with Michif, the mixed Cree-French language of the same communities.
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Métis French?
Métis French is a dialect of the French language.
Where is Métis French spoken?
Métis French is primarily spoken in Canada.
Which region is Métis French associated with?
Métis French is part of the North America region on DialectAtlas.
Is Métis French known by other names?
Yes — Métis French is also referred to as Mitchif Français, Prairie French.
What are the other dialects of French?
French also includes Metropolitan French, Meridional French, Belgian French, Swiss French, Quebec French, Acadian French, Maghrebi French, West African French, Cajun French, Franco-Ontarian. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other French dialects
See on the atlas →Southern French · Français méridional
The southern French of Marseille, Toulouse, and the broader Occitan-speaking belt. Marked by realisation of mute vowels and a distinct intonation contour.
Français de Belgique
The French of Wallonia and Brussels. Maintains a number of vocabulary and number forms (septante, nonante) that the Paris standard has dropped.
Romand French · Suisse romand
The French of western Switzerland. Like Belgian French, retains older numerals (septante, huitante, nonante) and shows long contact with German-Swiss varieties.
Québécois · Joual
The dominant French variety of Canada. Strongly distinct from European French in vowel realisation, lexicon, and the colloquial Joual register.
The French of the Maritime provinces, especially New Brunswick. Preserves several 17th-century features lost in both Quebec and Metropolitan French.
The French of North Africa, used as a second language across Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. Marked by code-switching with Maghrebi Arabic and Berber.
The French of Francophone West Africa — used in administration, education, and media. Strong contact features from Wolof, Bambara, and other regional languages.
Louisiana French · Français cadien
The French of the Cajun communities of southern Louisiana, descended from 18th-century Acadian settlers expelled from the Maritimes. Endangered, with active revitalisation through CODOFIL and the Louisiana French immersion programme.
Ontario French · Français ontarien
The French of the historic Francophone communities of Ontario, especially around Sudbury, Ottawa, and the Northern shore. Closely related to Quebec French but with stronger English contact features.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →446 km away
A highly divergent Siouan language of the upper Missouri River, latterly spoken on the Fort Berthold reservation in North Dakota. Died with Edwin Benson in 2016, after Indrek Park's multi-year documentation with him; heritage teaching continues within the MHA Nation.
472 km away
The eastern Siouan language closely related to Lakota. Spoken by the Santee, Sisseton-Wahpeton, and Yankton communities across Minnesota, the Dakotas, and southern Manitoba.
651 km away
The Cree of the Hudson Bay lowlands across northern Manitoba and Ontario. Distinguished from Plains Cree by the use of /n/ where Plains Cree has /j/.
711 km away
The westernmost Cree variety, spoken across Saskatchewan and Alberta. The most populous Cree dialect and the basis of much published Cree literature.
855 km away
A Plains Algonquian language of the Northern and Southern Cheyenne tribes, in Montana and Oklahoma. Around 1,700 speakers; subject of substantial linguistic documentation since the 19th century.
869 km away
A Western Siouan language spoken across the Sioux nations of the Great Plains, with major communities at Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Standing Rock. Distinct from Dakota in core vocabulary and pronouns.