diff --git a/homeassistant/util/language.py b/homeassistant/util/language.py
index 9fa46b6a5d6..8324293e136 100644
--- a/homeassistant/util/language.py
+++ b/homeassistant/util/language.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from dataclasses import dataclass
+import math
 import operator
 import re
 
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ def preferred_regions(
     language: str,
     country: str | None = None,
     code: str | None = None,
-) -> Iterable[str | None]:
+) -> Iterable[str]:
     """Yield an ordered list of regions for a language based on country/code hints.
 
     Regions should be checked for support in the returned order if no other
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ class Dialect:
             # Regions are upper-cased
             self.region = self.region.upper()
 
-    def score(self, dialect: Dialect, country: str | None = None) -> int:
+    def score(self, dialect: Dialect, country: str | None = None) -> float:
         """Return score for match with another dialect where higher is better.
 
         Score < 0 indicates a failure to match.
@@ -79,27 +80,46 @@ class Dialect:
             # Not a match
             return -1
 
-        if self.region == dialect.region:
-            # Language + region match
+        if (self.region is None) and (dialect.region is None):
+            # Weak match with no region constraint
             return 1
 
-        pref_regions: set[str | None] = set()
-        if (self.region is None) or (dialect.region is None):
-            # Generate a set of preferred regions
-            pref_regions = set(
-                preferred_regions(
-                    self.language,
-                    country=country,
-                    code=self.code,
-                )
+        if (self.region is not None) and (dialect.region is not None):
+            if self.region == dialect.region:
+                # Exact language + region match
+                return math.inf
+
+            # Regions are both set, but don't match
+            return 0
+
+        # Generate ordered list of preferred regions
+        pref_regions = list(
+            preferred_regions(
+                self.language,
+                country=country,
+                code=self.code,
             )
+        )
 
-        # Replace missing regions with preferred
-        regions = pref_regions if self.region is None else {self.region}
-        other_regions = pref_regions if dialect.region is None else {dialect.region}
+        try:
+            # Determine score based on position in the preferred regions list.
+            if self.region is not None:
+                region_idx = pref_regions.index(self.region)
+            elif dialect.region is not None:
+                region_idx = pref_regions.index(dialect.region)
+            else:
+                # Can't happen, but mypy is not smart enough
+                raise ValueError()
 
-        # Better match if there is overlap in regions
-        return 2 if regions.intersection(other_regions) else 0
+            # More preferred regions are at the front.
+            # Add 1 to boost above a weak match where no regions are set.
+            return 1 + (len(pref_regions) - region_idx)
+        except ValueError:
+            # Region was not in preferred list
+            pass
+
+        # Not a preferred region
+        return 0
 
     @staticmethod
     def parse(tag: str) -> Dialect:
diff --git a/tests/util/test_language.py b/tests/util/test_language.py
index 87f54ee882e..70c38a38f00 100644
--- a/tests/util/test_language.py
+++ b/tests/util/test_language.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 """Test Home Assistant language util methods."""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import pytest
+
 from homeassistant.const import MATCH_ALL
 from homeassistant.util import language
 
@@ -95,26 +97,54 @@ def test_language_as_region() -> None:
 
 
 def test_zh_hant() -> None:
-    """Test that the zh-Hant matches HK or TW first."""
+    """Test that the zh-Hant matches HK or TW."""
     assert language.matches(
         "zh-Hant",
-        ["en-US", "en-GB", "zh-CN", "zh-HK", "zh-TW"],
+        ["en-US", "en-GB", "zh-CN", "zh-HK"],
     ) == [
         "zh-HK",
-        "zh-TW",
         "zh-CN",
     ]
 
     assert language.matches(
         "zh-Hant",
-        ["en-US", "en-GB", "zh-CN", "zh-TW", "zh-HK"],
+        ["en-US", "en-GB", "zh-CN", "zh-TW"],
     ) == [
         "zh-TW",
-        "zh-HK",
         "zh-CN",
     ]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("target", ["zh-Hant", "zh-Hans"])
+def test_zh_with_country(target: str) -> None:
+    """Test that the zh-Hant/zh-Hans still matches country when provided."""
+    supported = ["en-US", "en-GB", "zh-CN", "zh-HK", "zh-TW"]
+    assert (
+        language.matches(
+            target,
+            supported,
+            country="TW",
+        )[0]
+        == "zh-TW"
+    )
+    assert (
+        language.matches(
+            target,
+            supported,
+            country="HK",
+        )[0]
+        == "zh-HK"
+    )
+    assert (
+        language.matches(
+            target,
+            supported,
+            country="CN",
+        )[0]
+        == "zh-CN"
+    )
+
+
 def test_zh_hans() -> None:
     """Test that the zh-Hans matches CN first."""
     assert language.matches(