According to the 2010 Malaysian Census, up to 63.9% of Penang's Chinese population spoke Hokkien as their mother tongue.
This figure likely included those with Peranakan ancestry.
The second largest Chinese linguistic group in Penang was the Teochews, constituting 17.8% of Penang's Chinese community, followed by the Cantonese at 8.3%.
There were also smaller Hakka and Hainanese communities throughout Penang.

The resulting ubiquitous use of Hokkien has made Penang Hokkien the lingua franca among Penangites.
Penang Hokkien, which originated from a subdialect of Zhengzhou Hokkien, incorporated several Malay and English terms over the centuries, eventually evolving into a distinct Hokkien dialect used mainly in northern Malaysia.
 Uniquely for Penang, this localised Hokkien creole is spoken by many Penangites regardless of race for daily communication, so much so that even local police officers also take courses in Penang Hokkien.
More recently, Penang Hokkien has also been popularised in mass media, particularly through books, dictionaries and movies, due in part to the desire to maintain the dialect's relevance in the face of increasing influence of Mandarin and English amongst the younger generations.

Besides Penang Hokkien and Mandarin, the latter of which has been used as a medium of instruction in Chinese schools in Penang, Cantonese, Teochew and Hakka are spoken by smaller numbers of Chinese as well.
In general, these communities arrived in Penang after the Hokkiens had already established themselves within the colony in the early 19th century.
The Cantonese and Hakka communities, in particular, would go on to predominate parts of George Town towards the end of the 19th century, while a significant number of Teochews were also employed in the agricultural industries within the then Province Wellesley (now Seberang Perai).
To this day, many of the Teochews continue to reside in the towns of Seberang Perai, such as Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam and Batu Kawan.

In addition, all Penangites are conversant with Malay, the national language of Malaysia, as the language is made compulsory in all schools in Penang.
A legacy of British rule is the existence of several English and missionary schools throughout Penang, which also contributes to the relatively high level of English proficiency among Penangites.
According to the 2010 Malaysian Census, up to 63.9% of Penang's Chinese population spoke Hokkien as their mother tongue. This figure likely included those with Peranakan ancestry. The second largest Chinese linguistic group in Penang was the Teochews, constituting 17.8% of Penang's Chinese community, followed by the Cantonese at 8.3%. There were also smaller Hakka and Hainanese communities throughout Penang. 
The resulting ubiquitous use of Hokkien has made Penang Hokkien the lingua franca among Penangites. Penang Hokkien, which originated from a subdialect of Zhengzhou Hokkien, incorporated several Malay and English terms over the centuries, eventually evolving into a distinct Hokkien dialect used mainly in northern Malaysia.  Uniquely for Penang, this localised Hokkien creole is spoken by many Penangites regardless of race for daily communication, so much so that even local police officers also take courses in Penang Hokkien. More recently, Penang Hokkien has also been popularised in mass media, particularly through books, dictionaries and movies, due in part to the desire to maintain the dialect's relevance in the face of increasing influence of Mandarin and English amongst the younger generations.
Besides Penang Hokkien and Mandarin, the latter of which has been used as a medium of instruction in Chinese schools in Penang, Cantonese, Teochew and Hakka are spoken by smaller numbers of Chinese as well. In general, these communities arrived in Penang after the Hokkiens had already established themselves within the colony in the early 19th century. The Cantonese and Hakka communities, in particular, would go on to predominate parts of George Town towards the end of the 19th century, while a significant number of Teochews were also employed in the agricultural industries within the then Province Wellesley (now Seberang Perai). To this day, many of the Teochews continue to reside in the towns of Seberang Perai, such as Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam and Batu Kawan.
In addition, all Penangites are conversant with Malay, the national language of Malaysia, as the language is made compulsory in all schools in Penang. A legacy of British rule is the existence of several English and missionary schools throughout Penang, which also contributes to the relatively high level of English proficiency among Penangites.
Penangite Chinese