diff --git a/assemblyai/__init__.py b/assemblyai/__init__.py
index 982f0ceb..8a6c740f 100644
--- a/assemblyai/__init__.py
+++ b/assemblyai/__init__.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     KeytermsPromptOptions,
     LanguageCode,
     LanguageDetectionOptions,
+    LanguageHints,
     ListTranscriptParameters,
     ListTranscriptResponse,
     PageDetails,
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ def __getattr__(name: str):
     "KeytermsPromptOptions",
     "LanguageCode",
     "LanguageDetectionOptions",
+    "LanguageHints",
     "ListTranscriptParameters",
     "ListTranscriptResponse",
     "PageDetails",
diff --git a/assemblyai/__version__.py b/assemblyai/__version__.py
index 67bc602a..9c73af26 100644
--- a/assemblyai/__version__.py
+++ b/assemblyai/__version__.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "1.3.0"
+__version__ = "1.3.1"
diff --git a/assemblyai/types.py b/assemblyai/types.py
index b0af7309..9fadb199 100644
--- a/assemblyai/types.py
+++ b/assemblyai/types.py
@@ -851,7 +851,64 @@ def validate_max_speakers(cls, v, values):
             return v
 
 
+class LanguageHints(BaseModel):
+    """Optional system-prompt conditioning, independent of language routing.
+
+    The default is a canonical language code. When supplied, languages is an
+    ordered, unique list; the default may be outside it. The server validates supported
+    codes; omitting this object leaves the system prompt unconditioned.
+    """
+
+    default_language: str
+    languages: Optional[List[str]] = None
+
+    if pydantic_v2:
+        model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid")
+
+        @field_validator("default_language")
+        @classmethod
+        def validate_default(cls, value):
+            return cls._code(value)
+
+        @field_validator("languages")
+        @classmethod
+        def validate_languages(cls, value):
+            return cls._languages(value)
+
+    else:
+
+        class Config:
+            extra = "forbid"
+
+        @validator("default_language")
+        def validate_default(cls, value):
+            return cls._code(value)
+
+        @validator("languages")
+        def validate_languages(cls, value):
+            return cls._languages(value)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _code(value):
+        code = value.strip().lower()
+        if not code.isascii() or not code.isalpha() or len(code) not in (2, 3):
+            raise ValueError("language hints require canonical language codes")
+        return code
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _languages(cls, value):
+        if value is None:
+            return None
+        codes = [cls._code(code) for code in value]
+        if not codes or len(set(codes)) != len(codes):
+            raise ValueError("languages must be a nonempty list of unique codes")
+        return codes
+
+
 class RawTranscriptionConfig(BaseModel):
+    language_hints: Optional[LanguageHints] = None
+    "Optional system-prompt language default and ordered language list."
+
     language_code: Optional[Union[str, LanguageCode]] = None
     """
     The language of your audio file. Possible values are found in Supported Languages.
@@ -1079,11 +1136,13 @@ def __init__(
         keyterms_prompt_options: Optional[KeytermsPromptOptions] = None,
         speech_understanding: Optional[SpeechUnderstandingRequest] = None,
         domain: Optional[str] = None,
+        language_hints: Optional[Union[LanguageHints, Dict[str, Any]]] = None,
     ) -> None:
         """
         Args:
             language_code: The language of your audio file. Possible values are found in Supported Languages.
             language_codes: A list of language codes for multilingual/code-switching audio.
+            language_hints: Optional system-prompt conditioning, independent of routing.
             punctuate: Enable Automatic Punctuation
             format_text: Enable Text Formatting
             dual_channel: Enable Dual Channel transcription
@@ -1189,6 +1248,12 @@ def __init__(
         self.keyterms_prompt_options = keyterms_prompt_options
         self.speech_understanding = speech_understanding
         self.domain = domain
+        if language_hints is not None or raw_transcription_config is None:
+            self.language_hints = (
+                LanguageHints(**language_hints)
+                if isinstance(language_hints, dict)
+                else language_hints
+            )
 
     @property
     def raw(self) -> RawTranscriptionConfig:
@@ -1237,6 +1302,22 @@ def prompt(self, prompt: Optional[str]) -> None:
         "Sets the prompt to use for the transcription."
         self._raw_transcription_config.prompt = prompt
 
+    @property
+    def language_hints(self) -> Optional[LanguageHints]:
+        """The system-prompt language default and optional ordered language list."""
+        return self._raw_transcription_config.language_hints
+
+    @language_hints.setter
+    def language_hints(
+        self, value: Optional[Union[LanguageHints, Dict[str, Any]]]
+    ) -> None:
+        if value is None:
+            self._raw_transcription_config.language_hints = None
+        elif isinstance(value, LanguageHints):
+            self._raw_transcription_config.language_hints = value.copy(deep=True)
+        else:
+            self._raw_transcription_config.language_hints = LanguageHints(**value)
+
     @property
     def temperature(self) -> Optional[float]:
         "The temperature to use for the transcription."
@@ -2295,6 +2376,9 @@ class BaseTranscript(BaseModel):
     Available transcription features
     """
 
+    language_hints: Optional[LanguageHints] = None
+    "Optional system-prompt language default and ordered language list."
+
     language_code: Optional[Union[str, LanguageCode]] = None
     """
     The language of your audio file. Possible values are found in Supported Languages.
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_language_hints.py b/tests/unit/test_language_hints.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab7af97f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_language_hints.py
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import copy
+import json
+
+import httpx
+import pytest
+
+import assemblyai as aai
+from assemblyai.api import ENDPOINT_TRANSCRIPT
+from tests.unit import factories
+
+aai.settings.api_key = "test"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "hint",
+    [
+        None,
+        {"default_language": "en"},
+        {"default_language": "en", "languages": ["de", "fr", "en"]},
+        {"default_language": "en", "languages": ["fr"]},
+        {"default_language": "de", "languages": ["hi", "en"]},
+    ],
+)
+def test_hint_survives_actual_submit_request(httpx_mock, hint):
+    response = factories.generate_dict_factory(
+        factories.TranscriptProcessingResponseFactory
+    )()
+    httpx_mock.add_response(
+        url=f"{aai.settings.base_url}{ENDPOINT_TRANSCRIPT}",
+        method="POST",
+        status_code=httpx.codes.OK,
+        json=response,
+    )
+    config = aai.TranscriptionConfig(
+        language_hints=hint,
+        prompt="Transcribe exactly.",
+        language_detection=True,
+        language_codes=["fr", "en"],
+    )
+    aai.Transcriber().submit("https://example.org/audio.wav", config=config)
+    payload = json.loads(httpx_mock.get_request().content)
+    if hint is None:
+        assert "language_hints" not in payload
+    else:
+        assert payload["language_hints"] == hint
+    assert payload["prompt"] == "Transcribe exactly."
+    assert payload["language_detection"] is True
+    assert payload["language_codes"] == ["fr", "en"]
+
+
+def test_per_file_config_copies_and_clear():
+    shared = aai.TranscriptionConfig(
+        language_hints={"default_language": "en", "languages": ["en", "fr"]}
+    )
+    french = copy.deepcopy(shared)
+    french.language_hints = {"default_language": "fr", "languages": ["fr", "en"]}
+    assert shared.language_hints.default_language == "en"
+    assert shared.language_hints.languages == ["en", "fr"]
+    french.language_hints = None
+    assert french.language_hints is None
+    model = aai.LanguageHints(default_language="en", languages=["de", "en"])
+    shared.language_hints = model
+    model.languages.append("fr")
+    assert shared.language_hints.languages == ["de", "en"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "hint",
+    [
+        {},
+        {"default_language": ""},
+        {"default_language": "English"},
+        {"default_language": "en", "languages": []},
+        {"default_language": "en", "languages": ["en", "EN"]},
+        {"default_language": "en", "unknown": "value"},
+    ],
+)
+def test_invalid_hint_rejected(hint):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        aai.TranscriptionConfig(language_hints=hint)
+
+
+def test_raw_configuration_preserves_hints():
+    raw = aai.RawTranscriptionConfig(
+        language_hints={"default_language": "fr", "languages": ["en", "fr"]}
+    )
+    config = aai.TranscriptionConfig(raw_transcription_config=raw)
+    assert config.language_hints.default_language == "fr"
+    assert config.language_hints.languages == ["en", "fr"]
+    override = aai.TranscriptionConfig(
+        raw_transcription_config=raw, language_hints={"default_language": "de"}
+    )
+    assert override.language_hints.default_language == "de"
+
+
+def test_constructor_copies_typed_hint():
+    hint = aai.LanguageHints(default_language="en", languages=["fr"])
+    config = aai.TranscriptionConfig(language_hints=hint)
+    hint.languages.append("de")
+    assert config.language_hints.default_language == "en"
+    assert config.language_hints.languages == ["fr"]