Tongues spell icon: two speech bubbles in conversation
Icon by Lorc, CC BY 3.0

Tongues 5e spell

3rd-level divination · 2024 version below

Casting time
1 action
Range
Touch
Components
V, M (A small clay model of a ziggurat)
Duration
1 hour
School
Divination
Level
3

This spell grants the creature you touch the ability to understand any spoken language it hears. Moreover, when the target speaks, any creature that knows at least one language and can hear the target understands what it says.

Classes that can cast Tongues

ClassFirst availableSpellcasting ability
Bard spells5th character levelCharisma
Cleric spells5th character levelWisdom
Sorcerer spells5th character levelCharisma
Warlock spells5th character levelCharisma
Wizard spells5th character levelIntelligence

Tongues in the 2024 rules

The 2024 Player’s Handbook revised many spells, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new text. What changed from the 2014 version above:

Same level, casting time, range, components, duration and dice; the text is reworded for the 2024 rules glossary.

Casting time
Action
Range
Touch
Components
V, M (a miniature ziggurat)
Duration
1 hour
School
Divination
Level
3
Classes
Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

This spell grants the creature you touch the ability to understand any spoken or signed language that it hears or sees. Moreover, when the target communicates by speaking or signing, any creature that knows at least one language can understand it if that creature can hear the speech or see the signing.

2024 version from the SRD 5.2. Most tables settle on one edition, so check which one yours uses.

Other 3rd-level divination spells

Browse: all 3rd-level spells · divination spells