West Central German

West Central German (Westmitteldeutsch) belongs to the Central, High German dialect family of German. It includes the following sub-families:
 * Central Franconian (Mittelfränkisch)
 * Ripuarian (Ripuarisch), spoken in North Rhine-Westphalia (including Kölsch) and German-speaking Belgium and a small edge of the south of the Dutch province of Limbourg.
 * Moselle Franconian (Moselfränkisch; francique luxembourgeois) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and France
 * Luxembourgish (Luxemburgisch; Lëtzebuergesch; francique luxembourgeois or luxembourgeois) in Luxembourg, Belgium and France
 * Hunsrik (Riograndenser Hunsrückisch), spoken in Brazil and derived from the Hunsrückisch dialect of Moselle Franconian
 * Rhine Franconian (Rheinfränkisch; francique rhénan)
 * Palatinate Franconian (Pfälzisch; francique palatin), spoken in Rhineland-Palatinate
 * Lorraine Franconian (Lothringisch; francique lorrain) in the French region of Lorraine
 * Bukovina German (Bukowinadeutsch) in Bukovina (extinct)
 * Pennsylvania German (Pennsylvaniadeutsch) in historical communities in North America, especially Pennsylvania
 * Hessian (Hessisch) in Hesse and the Rhenish Hesse region of Rhineland-Palatinate
 * North Hessian (Nordhessisch)
 * Central Hessian (Mittelhessisch)
 * East Hessian (Osthessisch)
 * South Hessian (Südhessisch)

On the southern and southeastern edges, West Central German varieties border on an area often considered a transitional area between Central German and Upper German, comprising the dialect groups South Franconian German and East Franconian German (popularly called Franconian because dialects of this sub-family are spoken all over Franconia).

West Central German was spoken in several settlements throughout America, for example in the Amana Colonies.