St. Kitts' Languages

Travelers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other English-speaking nations will have no problem communicating in St. Kitts and Nevis: The official language of the islands is English.

St. Kitts and Nevis were owned by the British until 1983, and left behind an English-speaking tradition, though the accent on the island can be influenced by a heavy West Indian inflection. A patois of Caribbean English, or Lesser Caribbean Creole, with a reduced set of pronouns and unique phrases, is also spoken. Although the language and inflection will be hard to understand for some, English-speaking travelers will have no trouble making their way throughout the islands, where literacy rates are above 98 percent.

A common language offers visitors to St. Kitts and Nevis a unique opportunity to learn more about local people and culture.