Ambihtlicu sprǣc is sum þing þæt man giefþ ānfealdlice mǣðe in þǣm landum, cynerīcu, and ōðrum landmearcum. Is þurh getācnunge sēo sprǣc gebrȳced in sumum landes legislative þingum, þēah sēo lagu in manigum þēodum beþearf þæt lēodƿeardes geƿritu bēoþ ācenned on ōðrum sprǣcum ēac.

Ambihtlīce recognized sprǣca are often mistaken for official languages. Hūru, sprǣc, þe ambihtlīce oncnāƿen fram þǣm lande is, gelǣred in scōlum, and gebrȳced in ambihtlicum ǣrendum nis ānunga ambihtlicu sprǣc. Tō bisene, Ladin and Sardinisc in Italie and Mirandese in Portugal are only officially recognized minority languages, not official languages in the strict sense.

Half þāra lēodmearca in þǣre ƿorlude habbaþ ambihtlica sprǣca. Suma habbaþ ānlīce āne ambihtlice sprǣce, sƿā Albania, Francland, oþþe Liþuania, þēah in eallum þissum landum þǣr sind ōðra inlendisca sprǣca gesprecen ēac. Sume habbaþ mā þonne āne ambihtlice sprǣce, sƿā Afghanistan, Belarus, Belgice, Bolifia, Canada, Æriþrea, Finnland, Indea, Paraguay, Sūðaffrica, and Sƿissland.

In sumum landscipum, sƿā Irace, Italie, Russlande and Spēonlande, is þǣr ambihtlicu sprǣc for þǣm landscipe, ac ōðra sprǣca sind samambihtlica in sumum hefigum foldum. Sumu land, sƿā Australia, Sƿēoland, Tufalu, and þā Geānlǣhtan Rīcu næbbaþ ambihtlica sprǣca.

Þā ambihtlican sprǣca sumra fyrnlandbūenda, typically Frencisc oþþe Englisc, ne sind þā ambihtlican sprǣca oþþe sēo ƿīdlīcoste gesprocene sprǣc.

In contrast, as a consequence of nationalism, Īrisc is Īrlandes cyneƿīsan "þēodlice sprǣc" and hire forme ambihtlice sprǣc, although it is spoken by only a small fraction of its people. English, which is spoken by the majority, is described only as the second official language (Constitution of Ireland, Article 8).

In sumum lēodmearcum, the issue of which language is to be used in what context is a major political issue.

• Getalu ambihtlicra sprǣca