The Hmong people speak the Hmong language, which is part of the West Hmongic branch of the Hmongic languages within the Hmong-Mien language family. It is a tonal language with about 4.5 million speakers primarily in Southwestern China, northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and among diaspora communities such as in the United States
. The language consists of a dialect continuum with major dialects including Hmong Daw (White Hmong) and Mong Njua (Green Hmong), named after traditional clothing colors worn by women in these groups. These dialects are largely mutually intelligible but differ in pronunciation and vocabulary. The Dananshan dialect forms the basis of the standard language in China, while Hmong Daw and Mong Leng are more common in Laos and the U.S.
. Hmong is a tonal language with 7 or 8 distinct tones that change the meaning of words, which are mostly monosyllabic. The language uses several writing systems, including the Romanized Popular Alphabet (RPA), Pahawh Hmong, and Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong scripts
. In summary, the Hmong speak the Hmong language, a tonal, monosyllabic language with several dialects spoken across Southeast Asia and by Hmong diaspora communities worldwide
