The Shan language is related to the Thai language and is commonly called Tai Shan. It is spoken in Northeast Myanmar and in pockets in Thailand. It has 5 tones and is a part of the Thai languages group, which span from Northern Myanmar on the west through Southern China on the north, and Laos on the east.

Studies of the Shan people are complicated by the civil war within Myanmar and anti-immigration laws in Thailand. The number of Shan speakers is not known, in part because the Shan population is unknown. Estimates range from 4 million to 30 million, though it is likely that the true number of Shan is somewhere around 6 million, with the vast majority speaking the Shan language. Many Shan speak local dialects as well as the language of their trading partners. Few can read or write in Shan script.