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Language Code Converter - ISO 639 & BCP 47 Tool

Convert between ISO 639, BCP 47, and locale codes for international language standards. Ideal for developers in India working on localisation.

Popular Languages

Supported Standards

  • • ISO 639-1: 2-letter codes (en, hi, zh)
  • • ISO 639-2: 3-letter codes (eng, hin, zho)
  • • BCP 47: Locale tags (en-IN, hi-IN)
  • • Names: English language names
Enter a language code or name to see conversion results...
Input Type
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Matches Found
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Why Use Be Converter?

Standard Compliant

Supports ISO 639-1, ISO 639-2, and BCP 47 international standards for language identification and localisation.

Smart Search

Automatically detects input type and provides intelligent suggestions for partial matches.

Comprehensive Database

Includes 200+ languages with regional variants, scripts, and alternative names.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between ISO 639-1 and ISO 639-2?
ISO 639-1 uses 2-letter codes (like 'en' for English or 'hi' for Hindi) and covers about 180 languages. ISO 639-2 uses 3-letter codes (like 'eng' for English or 'hin' for Hindi) and covers over 400 languages, including more regional and historical languages.
What is BCP 47 and when should I use it?
BCP 47 (Best Current Practice 47) defines language tags that can include language, script, region, and variant information (like 'en-IN' for Indian English or 'hi-IN' for Hindi). Use it for web applications, APIs, and systems that need to distinguish between regional variants.
How do I handle Chinese language variants?
Chinese has several variants: 'zh' (generic Chinese), 'zh-CN' (Simplified Chinese, China), 'zh-TW' (Traditional Chinese, Taiwan), 'zh-Hans' (Simplified script), and 'zh-Hant' (Traditional script). Choose based on your specific needs.
Can I convert between different language code standards?
Yes! This tool can convert between ISO 639-1, ISO 639-2, BCP 47, and language names. Simply enter any format and select your desired output format to see all available conversions.
Are regional dialects supported?
The tool includes major regional variants and dialects that have official language codes. For example, 'en-IN' (Indian English) and 'en-GB' (British English) are both supported with their distinct codes and names.

Language Code Standards Guide

Web Development Usage

  • • lang="en" - HTML lang attribute
  • • Accept-Language: en-US - HTTP headers
  • • hreflang="en-GB" - SEO alternate links
  • • locale: "zh-CN" - JavaScript Intl API

Common Language Patterns

  • • Language only: en, hi, zh, ta
  • • Language + Region: en-IN, hi-IN, ta-IN
  • • Language + Script: zh-Hans, zh-Hant
  • • Full format: zh-Hans-CN, sr-Latn-RS

Best Practice: Always use the most specific language code that fits your needs. For local applications in India, start with 2-letter ISO 639-1 codes and add region qualifiers (e.g., '-IN') when necessary to distinguish between variants.

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