diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d106a8f..55dd1d9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 The `locale` store defines what is the current locale.
 
 ```js
-import { locale, dictionary } from 'svelte-i18n'
+import { locale, dictionary, getClientLocale } from 'svelte-i18n'
 
 // Set the current locale to en-US
 locale.set('en-US')
@@ -24,8 +24,26 @@ locale.set('en-US')
 locale.subscribe(() => {
   console.log('locale change')
 })
+
+// svelte-i18n exports a method to help getting the current client locale
+locale.set(
+  getClientLocale({
+    // the fallback locale, if didn't find any
+    fallback: 'en-US',
+    // set to 'true' to check the 'window.navigator.language'
+    navigator: true,
+    // set the key name to look for a locale on 'window.location.search'
+    // 'example.com?locale=en-US'
+    search: 'lang',
+    // set the key name to look for a locale on 'window.location.hash'
+    // 'example.com#locale=en-US'
+    hash: 'locale',
+  }),
+)
 ```
 
+If a locale with the format `xx-YY` is not found, `svelte-i18n` looks for the locale `xx` as well.
+
 ---
 
 ### The dictionary
diff --git a/example/src/i18n.js b/example/src/i18n.js
index 57d33ba..ff242aa 100644
--- a/example/src/i18n.js
+++ b/example/src/i18n.js
@@ -1,12 +1,4 @@
-import { locale, dictionary } from 'svelte-i18n'
-
-// setting the locale
-locale.set('pt')
-
-// subscribe to locale changes
-locale.subscribe(() => {
-  console.log('locale change')
-})
+import { locale, dictionary, getClientLocale } from 'svelte-i18n'
 
 // defining a locale dictionary
 dictionary.set({
@@ -16,7 +8,8 @@ dictionary.set({
       ask: 'Por favor, digite seu nome',
       message: 'Olá {name}, como vai?',
     },
-    photos: 'Você {n, plural, =0 {não tem fotos.} =1 {tem uma foto.} other {tem # fotos.}}',
+    photos:
+      'Você {n, plural, =0 {não tem fotos.} =1 {tem uma foto.} other {tem # fotos.}}',
     cats: 'Tenho {n, number} {n,plural,=0{gatos}one{gato}other{gatos}}',
   },
   en: {
@@ -25,7 +18,20 @@ dictionary.set({
       ask: 'Please type your name',
       message: 'Hello {name}, how are you?',
     },
-    photos: 'You have {n, plural, =0 {no photos.} =1 {one photo.} other {# photos.}}',
-    cats: 'I have {n, number} {n,plural,one{cat}other{cats}}'
+    photos:
+      'You have {n, plural, =0 {no photos.} =1 {one photo.} other {# photos.}}',
+    cats: 'I have {n, number} {n,plural,one{cat}other{cats}}',
   },
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+})
+
+locale.set(
+  getClientLocale({
+    navigator: true,
+    hash: 'lang',
+    default: 'pt',
+  }),
+)
+
+locale.subscribe(l => {
+  console.log('locale change', l)
+})
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index f18ee6f..f1826c4 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "svelte-i18n",
-  "version": "1.0.6-beta",
+  "version": "1.0.7",
   "lockfileVersion": 1,
   "requires": true,
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 2b58918..32eecfa 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -2,11 +2,26 @@ import { writable, derived } from 'svelte/store'
 import resolvePath from 'object-resolve-path'
 import IntlMessageFormat from 'intl-messageformat'
 import memoize from 'micro-memoize'
-import { capital, title, upper, lower } from './utils.js'
+import { capital, title, upper, lower, getClientLocale } from './utils.js'
 
 let currentLocale
 let currentDictionary
 
+const getAvailableLocale = newLocale => {
+  if (currentDictionary[newLocale]) return newLocale
+
+  // istanbul ignore else
+  if (typeof newLocale === 'string') {
+    const fallbackLocale = newLocale.split('-').shift()
+
+    if (currentDictionary[fallbackLocale]) {
+      return fallbackLocale
+    }
+  }
+
+  return null
+}
+
 const getMessageFormatter = memoize(
   (message, locale, formats) => new IntlMessageFormat(message, locale, formats),
 )
@@ -37,22 +52,16 @@ const getLocalizedMessage = (path, interpolations, locale = currentLocale) => {
 
 getLocalizedMessage.time = (t, format = 'short', locale) =>
   formatMessage(`{t,time,${format}}`, { t }, locale)
-
 getLocalizedMessage.date = (d, format = 'short', locale) =>
   formatMessage(`{d,date,${format}}`, { d }, locale)
-
 getLocalizedMessage.number = (n, locale) =>
   formatMessage('{n,number}', { n }, locale)
-
 getLocalizedMessage.capital = (path, interpolations, locale) =>
   capital(getLocalizedMessage(path, interpolations, locale))
-
 getLocalizedMessage.title = (path, interpolations, locale) =>
   title(getLocalizedMessage(path, interpolations, locale))
-
 getLocalizedMessage.upper = (path, interpolations, locale) =>
   upper(getLocalizedMessage(path, interpolations, locale))
-
 getLocalizedMessage.lower = (path, interpolations, locale) =>
   lower(getLocalizedMessage(path, interpolations, locale))
 
@@ -62,10 +71,21 @@ dictionary.subscribe(newDictionary => {
 })
 
 const locale = writable({})
+const localeSet = locale.set
+locale.set = newLocale => {
+  const availableLocale = getAvailableLocale(newLocale)
+  if (availableLocale) {
+    return localeSet(availableLocale)
+  }
+
+  console.warn(`[svelte-i18n] Locale "${newLocale}" not found.`)
+  return localeSet(newLocale)
+}
+locale.update = fn => localeSet(fn(currentLocale))
 locale.subscribe(newLocale => {
   currentLocale = newLocale
 })
 
-const format = derived(locale, () => getLocalizedMessage)
+const format = derived([locale, dictionary], () => getLocalizedMessage)
 
-export { locale, format as _, format, dictionary }
+export { locale, format as _, format, dictionary, getClientLocale }
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 9967d94..35436c0 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -2,3 +2,36 @@ export const capital = str => str.replace(/(^|\s)\S/, l => l.toUpperCase())
 export const title = str => str.replace(/(^|\s)\S/g, l => l.toUpperCase())
 export const upper = str => str.toLocaleUpperCase()
 export const lower = str => str.toLocaleLowerCase()
+
+export const getClientLocale = ({ navigator, hash, search, fallback } = {}) => {
+  let locale
+
+  const getFromURL = (urlPart, key) => {
+    const keyVal = urlPart
+      .substr(1)
+      .split('&')
+      .find(i => i.indexOf(key) === 0)
+
+    if (keyVal) {
+      return keyVal.split('=').pop()
+    }
+  }
+
+  // istanbul ignore else
+  if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
+    if (navigator) {
+      // istanbul ignore next
+      locale = window.navigator.language || window.navigator.languages[0]
+    }
+
+    if (search) {
+      locale = getFromURL(window.location.search, search)
+    }
+
+    if (hash) {
+      locale = getFromURL(window.location.hash, hash)
+    }
+  }
+
+  return locale || fallback
+}
diff --git a/test/index.test.js b/test/index.test.js
index 1e50f8b..6b29ccb 100644
--- a/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/index.test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { dictionary, locale, format } from '../src/index'
+import { dictionary, locale, format, getClientLocale } from '../src/index'
 
 let _
 let currentLocale
@@ -42,7 +42,19 @@ it('should change locale', () => {
   expect(currentLocale).toBe('en')
 })
 
-it('should fallback to message id if id is not found', () =>  {
+it('should fallback to existing locale', () => {
+  locale.set('pt-BR')
+  expect(currentLocale).toBe('pt')
+
+  locale.set('en-US')
+  expect(currentLocale).toBe('en')
+
+  locale.set('non-existent')
+  expect(currentLocale).toBe('non-existent')
+})
+
+it('should fallback to message id if id is not found', () => {
+  locale.set('en')
   expect(_('batatinha')).toBe('batatinha')
 })
 
@@ -71,39 +83,74 @@ it('should interpolate message with variables according to passed locale', () =>
 })
 
 describe('utilities', () => {
-  beforeAll(() => {
-    locale.set('en')
+  describe('get locale', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      delete window.location
+      window.location = {
+        hash: '',
+        search: '',
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('should get the locale based on the passed hash parameter', () => {
+      window.location.hash = '#locale=en-US&lang=pt-BR'
+      expect(getClientLocale({ hash: 'locale' })).toBe('en-US')
+      expect(getClientLocale({ hash: 'lang' })).toBe('pt-BR')
+    })
+
+    it('should get the locale based on the passed search parameter', () => {
+      window.location.search = '?locale=en-US&lang=pt-BR'
+      expect(getClientLocale({ search: 'locale' })).toBe('en-US')
+      expect(getClientLocale({ search: 'lang' })).toBe('pt-BR')
+    })
+
+    it('should get the locale based on the navigator language', () => {
+      expect(getClientLocale({ navigator: true })).toBe(
+        window.navigator.language,
+      )
+    })
+
+    it('should get the fallback locale', () => {
+      expect(getClientLocale({ navigator: false, fallback: 'pt' })).toBe('pt')
+      expect(getClientLocale({ hash: 'locale', fallback: 'pt' })).toBe('pt')
+    })
   })
 
-  it('should capital a translated message', () => {
-    expect(_.capital('hi')).toBe('Hi yo')
-  })
+  describe('format utils', () => {
+    beforeAll(() => {
+      locale.set('en')
+    })
 
-  it('should title a translated message', () => {
-    expect(_.title('hi')).toBe('Hi Yo')
-  })
+    it('should capital a translated message', () => {
+      expect(_.capital('hi')).toBe('Hi yo')
+    })
 
-  it('should lowercase a translated message', () => {
-    expect(_.lower('hi')).toBe('hi yo')
-  })
+    it('should title a translated message', () => {
+      expect(_.title('hi')).toBe('Hi Yo')
+    })
 
-  it('should uppercase a translated message', () => {
-    expect(_.upper('hi')).toBe('HI YO')
-  })
+    it('should lowercase a translated message', () => {
+      expect(_.lower('hi')).toBe('hi yo')
+    })
 
-  const date = new Date(2019, 3, 24, 23, 45)
-  it('should format a time value', () => {
-    locale.set('en')
-    expect(_.time(date)).toBe('11:45 PM')
-    expect(_.time(date, 'medium')).toBe('11:45:00 PM')
-  })
+    it('should uppercase a translated message', () => {
+      expect(_.upper('hi')).toBe('HI YO')
+    })
 
-  it('should format a date value', () => {
-    expect(_.date(date)).toBe('4/24/19')
-    expect(_.date(date, 'medium')).toBe('Apr 24, 2019')
-  })
-  // number
+    const date = new Date(2019, 3, 24, 23, 45)
+    it('should format a time value', () => {
+      locale.set('en')
+      expect(_.time(date)).toBe('11:45 PM')
+      expect(_.time(date, 'medium')).toBe('11:45:00 PM')
+    })
+
+    it('should format a date value', () => {
+      expect(_.date(date)).toBe('4/24/19')
+      expect(_.date(date, 'medium')).toBe('Apr 24, 2019')
+    })
+    // number
     it('should format a date value', () => {
       expect(_.number(123123123)).toBe('123,123,123')
     })
+  })
 })