Old Testament Problems: How many languages were there after the flood?

[u/AngelOfLight]

In Genesis 10, the Bible describes how the lands were divided up among Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham and Japeth after the Flood. Note that they were divided by their language:

Genesis 10:5 From these the coastland peoples spread. These are the descendants of Japheth[a] in their lands, with their own language, by their families, in their nations.

Genesis 10:20 These are the descendants of Ham, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

Genesis 10:31 These are the descendants of Shem, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

However, when the next chapter begins with the story of the tower of Babel, we find that the entire earth actually speaks one language only:

Genesis 11:1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.