Languages
Khmer is the official language of Cambodia. The Cambodian language is derived from the Mon-Khmer (Austro-Asiatic) language family. Khmer is renowned for possessing one of the largest sets of alphabets; it consists of 33 consonants, 23 vowels and 12 independent vowels.
While tourists may wish to learn a few spoken phrases before or when visiting Cambodia, English is widely spoken and understood. French and Mandarin are also spoken frequently in the country; most elderly Cambodians speak French and many people in the Khmer-Chinese population speak Mandarin.
Cambodia's official language is Cambodian, or Khmer. This language belongs to the Mon-Khmer (Austro-Asiatic) language family and is relatively confusing and difficult for Westerners to manage.
French had been the second most popular language until the 1990s, when English made an introduction. Vietnamese and South Chinese dialects are other languages spoken.