Official Languages of the Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories (NWT) is the only political region in Canada which recognizes 11 ofﬁcial languages.

Of these, nine are Indigenous and belong to three different language families: Dene, Inuit, and Cree. Indigenous languages are most frequently spoken in smaller communities throughout the Northwest Territories.

The Inuit languages recognized in the NWT are Inuvialuktun, Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut. In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, 20% of the Inuvialuit population speak either Inuvialuktun or Inuinnaqtun. The majority of people that speak Inuktitut in the NWT live in Yellowknife.

A small number of people, living mostly in the Fort Smith and Hay River area, speak Cree. Their language belongs to a different linguistic group, the Algonquian family.

Approximately 3% of the population states that French is their ﬁrst language. The use of French and English is more common in Yellowknife and the regional centres.

Say “Hello, my name is...” in the official languages

Official Language	Traditional Name	Communities Where Spoken	One land, many voices	Welcome	Thank You	Active Offer Message
Chipewyan	Dëne Sųłıné Yatıé	Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, Ndilo, Detah, Łutselk’e	Ɂį̀aghe ní dëne yatı łą.	Márcı ją nuwe ghą núhdël	Mársı	Ɂerıhtł’ís Dëne Sųłıné yatı t’a huts’elkër xa beyáyatı theɂą ɂat’e, nuwe ts’ën yółtı.
Cree	Nēhiyawēwin	Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Hay River	Mamawi kitaskenaw, mihcet pīhtākosowkina.	Tawaw	Kinanāskomitin	Kīspin ki nitawihtīn ē nīhīyawihk ōma ācimōwin, tipwāsinān.
English	English	All Communities	One land, many voices.	Welcome	Thank you	If you would like this information in another official language, call us.
French	Français	Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Inuvik	Un territoire aux voix multiples.	Bienvenue	Merci	Si vous voulez ces informations en français, contactez-nous.
Gwich’in	Dinjii Zhu’ Ginjik	Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, Inuvik, Aklavik	Nan ıhłak, dııdeezhuu leıı.	Shòh hàh aanàii	Hąį’	Jii gwandak izhii ginjìk vat’atr’ijąhch’uu zhit yinohthan jì’, diits’àt ginohkhìi.
Inuinnaqtun	Inuinnaqtun	Ulukhaktok	Atauhiq nuna, uqauhiriaktuq.	Quana qaigaffi	Quana	Hapkua titiqqat pijumagupkit Inuinnaqtun, uvaptinnut hivajarlutit.
Inuktitut	ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ	Yellowknife	ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓄᓇ, ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ ᓂᐲᑦ.	ᑐᖓᓱᒋᑦ	ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ (Qujannamiik)	ᑕᒃᑯᐊ ᑎᑎᖅᑲᐃᑦ ᐱᔪᒪᒍᕕᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᓕᖅᓯᒪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᕐᑳᓚᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑎᑦ.
Inuvialuktun	Inuvialuktun	Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik, Paulatuk	Atausiq nuna, inugiaktut uqallausiit.	Quvianaqtusi qaigapsi	Quyanainni	Uvanittuaq ilitchurisukupku Inuvialuktun, ququaqluta.
North Slavey	Sahtúot’ı̨nę Yatı̨́	Colville Lake, Délı̨ne, Tulita, Fort Good Hope	Ne łée, kede łǫ.	Máhsı hejǫ raxets’é ráwǝdǝ	Máhsi	K’áhshó got’ı̨ne xǝdǝ k’é hederı ɂedı̨htl’é yerınıwę nı́dé dúle.
South Slavey	Dene Zhatıé	Wrigley, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River, Trout Lake, Nahanni Butte, Fort Liard, Fort Providence, Kakisa, Hay River	Ndeh łíé, zhahtıé łǫ.	Máhsı ejǫh nahxe tah anet’ı̨	Máhsı	Edı gondı dehgáh got’ı̨e zhatı˛e k’ę́ę́ edatł’éh enahddhę nıde naxets’ę́ edahłí.
Tłı̨chǫ	Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì	Behchokǫ̀, Whatı̀, Gametı̀, Wekweètı̀, Detah, Ndilo.	Gonè ı̨hłè, go yatı nełǫ.	Sı̨nà, jǫ naxıghaèhda	Mahsı̀	Tłı̨chǫ yatı k’ę̀ę̀. Dı wegodı newǫ dè, gots’o gonede.