Louisiana French (French: français de la Louisiane, Louisiana Creole: françé la lwizyàn) refers to the group of French dialects spoken in the U.S. state of Louisiana and formerly elsewhere in colonial Lower Louisiana. It comprises several distinct varieties. Figures from the United States Census report that roughly 3.5% of Louisianans over the age of 5 reported speaking French or a French-based creole in their homes. 7% of the population of the state understands and/or speaks French.