diff --git a/src/_wordlists.js b/src/_wordlists.js
index 9f2f8b2..134cc71 100644
--- a/src/_wordlists.js
+++ b/src/_wordlists.js
@@ -3,49 +3,28 @@ Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
 // browserify by default only pulls in files that are hard coded in requires
 // In order of last to first in this file, the default wordlist will be chosen
 // based on what is present. (Bundles may remove wordlists they don't need)
+const wordlistFilenames = [
+    'chinese_simplified',
+    'chinese_traditional',
+    'korean',
+    'french',
+    'italian',
+    'spanish',
+    'japanese',
+    'english',
+];
 const wordlists = {};
 exports.wordlists = wordlists;
 let _default;
 exports._default = _default;
-try {
-    exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/chinese_simplified.json');
-    wordlists.chinese_simplified = _default;
-}
-catch (err) { }
-try {
-    exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/chinese_traditional.json');
-    wordlists.chinese_traditional = _default;
-}
-catch (err) { }
-try {
-    exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/korean.json');
-    wordlists.korean = _default;
-}
-catch (err) { }
-try {
-    exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/french.json');
-    wordlists.french = _default;
-}
-catch (err) { }
-try {
-    exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/italian.json');
-    wordlists.italian = _default;
-}
-catch (err) { }
-try {
-    exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/spanish.json');
-    wordlists.spanish = _default;
-}
-catch (err) { }
-try {
-    exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/japanese.json');
-    wordlists.japanese = _default;
-    wordlists.JA = _default;
-}
-catch (err) { }
-try {
-    exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/english.json');
-    wordlists.english = _default;
-    wordlists.EN = _default;
-}
-catch (err) { }
+wordlistFilenames.forEach(lang => {
+    try {
+        exports._default = _default = require('./wordlists/' + lang + '.json');
+        wordlists[lang] = _default;
+        if (lang === 'japanese')
+            wordlists.JA = _default;
+        if (lang === 'english')
+            wordlists.EN = _default;
+    }
+    catch (err) { }
+});
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 51aa2dd..e244341 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -152,7 +152,19 @@ function setDefaultWordlist(language) {
     const result = _wordlists_1.wordlists[language];
     if (result)
         DEFAULT_WORDLIST = result;
+    else
+        throw new Error('Could not find wordlist for language "' + language + '"');
 }
 exports.setDefaultWordlist = setDefaultWordlist;
+function getDefaultWordlist() {
+    if (!DEFAULT_WORDLIST)
+        throw new Error('No Default Wordlist set');
+    return Object.keys(_wordlists_1.wordlists).filter(lang => {
+        if (lang === 'JA' || lang === 'EN')
+            return false;
+        return _wordlists_1.wordlists[lang].every((word, index) => word === DEFAULT_WORDLIST[index]);
+    })[0];
+}
+exports.getDefaultWordlist = getDefaultWordlist;
 var _wordlists_2 = require("./_wordlists");
 exports.wordlists = _wordlists_2.wordlists;
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index bb8058d..005c0d2 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -34,6 +34,46 @@ vectors.english.forEach(function (v, i) { testVector('English', undefined, 'TREZ
 vectors.japanese.forEach(function (v, i) { testVector('Japanese', WORDLISTS.japanese, '㍍ガバヴァぱばぐゞちぢ十人十色', v, i) })
 vectors.custom.forEach(function (v, i) { testVector('Custom', WORDLISTS.custom, undefined, v, i) })
 
+test('getDefaultWordlist returns "english"', function (t) {
+  t.plan(1)
+  const english = bip39.getDefaultWordlist()
+  t.equal(english, 'english')
+  // TODO: Test that Error throws when called if no wordlists are compiled with bip39
+})
+
+test('setDefaultWordlist changes default wordlist', function (t) {
+  t.plan(4)
+  const english = bip39.getDefaultWordlist()
+  t.equal(english, 'english')
+
+  bip39.setDefaultWordlist('italian')
+
+  const italian = bip39.getDefaultWordlist()
+  t.equal(italian, 'italian')
+
+  const phraseItalian = bip39.entropyToMnemonic('00000000000000000000000000000000')
+  t.equal(phraseItalian.slice(0, 5), 'abaco')
+
+  bip39.setDefaultWordlist('english')
+
+  const phraseEnglish = bip39.entropyToMnemonic('00000000000000000000000000000000')
+  t.equal(phraseEnglish.slice(0, 7), 'abandon')
+})
+
+test('setDefaultWordlist throws on unknown wordlist', function (t) {
+  t.plan(2)
+  const english = bip39.getDefaultWordlist()
+  t.equal(english, 'english')
+
+  try {
+    bip39.setDefaultWordlist('abcdefghijklmnop')
+  } catch (error) {
+    t.equal(error.message, 'Could not find wordlist for language "abcdefghijklmnop"')
+    return
+  }
+  t.assert(false)
+})
+
 test('invalid entropy', function (t) {
   t.plan(3)
 
diff --git a/ts_src/_wordlists.ts b/ts_src/_wordlists.ts
index 746467d..242533d 100644
--- a/ts_src/_wordlists.ts
+++ b/ts_src/_wordlists.ts
@@ -1,42 +1,26 @@
 // browserify by default only pulls in files that are hard coded in requires
 // In order of last to first in this file, the default wordlist will be chosen
 // based on what is present. (Bundles may remove wordlists they don't need)
+const wordlistFilenames: string[] = [
+  'chinese_simplified',
+  'chinese_traditional',
+  'korean',
+  'french',
+  'italian',
+  'spanish',
+  'japanese',
+  'english', // Last language available in list will be the default.
+];
 const wordlists: { [index: string]: string[] } = {};
 let _default: string[] | undefined;
-try {
-  _default = require('./wordlists/chinese_simplified.json');
-  wordlists.chinese_simplified = _default as string[];
-} catch (err) {}
-try {
-  _default = require('./wordlists/chinese_traditional.json');
-  wordlists.chinese_traditional = _default as string[];
-} catch (err) {}
-try {
-  _default = require('./wordlists/korean.json');
-  wordlists.korean = _default as string[];
-} catch (err) {}
-try {
-  _default = require('./wordlists/french.json');
-  wordlists.french = _default as string[];
-} catch (err) {}
-try {
-  _default = require('./wordlists/italian.json');
-  wordlists.italian = _default as string[];
-} catch (err) {}
-try {
-  _default = require('./wordlists/spanish.json');
-  wordlists.spanish = _default as string[];
-} catch (err) {}
-try {
-  _default = require('./wordlists/japanese.json');
-  wordlists.japanese = _default as string[];
-  wordlists.JA = _default as string[];
-} catch (err) {}
-try {
-  _default = require('./wordlists/english.json');
-  wordlists.english = _default as string[];
-  wordlists.EN = _default as string[];
-} catch (err) {}
+wordlistFilenames.forEach(lang => {
+  try {
+    _default = require('./wordlists/' + lang + '.json');
+    wordlists[lang] = _default as string[];
+    if (lang === 'japanese') wordlists.JA = _default as string[];
+    if (lang === 'english') wordlists.EN = _default as string[];
+  } catch (err) {}
+});
 
 // Last one to overwrite wordlist gets to be default.
 export { wordlists, _default };
diff --git a/ts_src/index.ts b/ts_src/index.ts
index 62dbb66..39102f9 100644
--- a/ts_src/index.ts
+++ b/ts_src/index.ts
@@ -185,6 +185,18 @@ export function validateMnemonic(
 export function setDefaultWordlist(language: string): void {
   const result = wordlists[language];
   if (result) DEFAULT_WORDLIST = result;
+  else
+    throw new Error('Could not find wordlist for language "' + language + '"');
+}
+
+export function getDefaultWordlist(): string {
+  if (!DEFAULT_WORDLIST) throw new Error('No Default Wordlist set');
+  return Object.keys(wordlists).filter(lang => {
+    if (lang === 'JA' || lang === 'EN') return false;
+    return wordlists[lang].every(
+      (word, index) => word === DEFAULT_WORDLIST![index],
+    );
+  })[0];
 }
 
 export { wordlists } from './_wordlists';
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index 4bdf33a..e4701a7 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ export declare function entropyToMnemonic(entropy: Buffer | string, wordlist?: s
 export declare function generateMnemonic(strength?: number, rng?: (size: number) => Buffer, wordlist?: string[]): string;
 export declare function validateMnemonic(mnemonic: string, wordlist?: string[]): boolean;
 export declare function setDefaultWordlist(language: string): void;
+export declare function getDefaultWordlist(): string;
 export { wordlists } from './_wordlists';