Embarking on the journey of learning a new language opens up a world of opportunities, whether for enriching your travel experiences, advancing your career prospects, or simply expanding your cultural horizons. While the path to fluency requires dedication and consistent effort, English speakers have a head start with certain languages due to linguistic similarities and shared roots. If you’re wondering which language to tackle next, consider those that offer a smoother learning curve.
1. Afrikaans
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 24 weeks (600 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 6 million
📍 Countries to visit: South Africa
Afrikaans, a West Germanic language, originates from Dutch and carries influences from Portuguese, Malay, and French. As a native language of South Africa, it’s deeply woven into the fabric of South African English. For English speakers, Afrikaans stands out as one of the easiest languages to learn due to its Germanic origins, sharing a linguistic family tree with English.
✅ Pros:
- Germanic Roots: Around 90% of Afrikaans vocabulary is derived from Dutch. Given that English is also a Germanic language, you’ll discover numerous cognates and similar pronunciations. For instance, “color” translates to “kleur” and “door” to “duer,” showcasing the clear parallels.
🟨 Cons:
- Limited Global Reach: Compared to languages like Spanish or French, Afrikaans has a smaller sphere of influence. However, its Dutch heritage can be advantageous if you plan to travel to the Netherlands, as you’ll find communication significantly easier.
- The Trilled “R”: A phonological challenge for many English speakers is the Afrikaans trilled “r” sound, which requires practice to master.
2. Dutch
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 24 weeks (575-600 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 23 million
📍 Countries to visit: Netherlands, Aruba, Northern Belgium
Dutch, another Germanic language, boasts approximately 23 million native speakers and an additional 4 million second-language speakers. Its close relationship with English positions it high on the list of easiest languages for English speakers. The linguistic footprint of Dutch extends to Afrikaans, Flemish (spoken in Belgium), and Frisian (spoken in Friesland).
✅ Pros:
- Vocabulary Familiarity: Dutch vocabulary is remarkably accessible to English speakers. Many words are either identical or strikingly similar to their English counterparts in spelling and meaning. “Water” is the same in both languages, and words like “boek” and “appel” closely resemble “book” and “apple.”
- Grammatical Simplicity: Dutch grammar mirrors English grammar in many aspects and simplifies verb conjugation with only two past tense conjugations, making it relatively straightforward to grasp and apply.
🟨 Cons:
- Pronunciation Nuances: While some Dutch words may appear intuitive to pronounce for English speakers due to visual similarities, pronunciation can be deceptive. Stress patterns and vowel sounds may differ significantly from English expectations.
3. Norwegian
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 23-24 weeks (575-600 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 4.4 million
📍 Countries to visit: Norway, Denmark, Sweden
Norwegian, despite its initially foreign appearance, is surprisingly easy for English speakers to learn. Its close linguistic ties to English place it among the most accessible languages. Although its global reach is not as extensive as some others, Norwegian acts as a bridge to communication within Scandinavia, facilitating understanding and interaction with speakers of Swedish and Danish.
✅ Pros:
- Shared Linguistic Heritage: Norwegian shares substantial vocabulary and sentence structure similarities with English, even incorporating loanwords directly from English. Test your intuition: can you guess the English equivalents of oransje, fantastisk, ankel? (Orange, fantastic, ankle!)
- Pronunciation Accessibility: For the most part, Norwegian pronunciation is quite straightforward for English speakers, minimizing common pronunciation hurdles.
🟨 Cons:
- Unique Characters and Sounds: Norwegian employs special characters and presents occasional pronunciation challenges with certain sounds unique to the language.
- Gendered Nouns: The grammatical concept of gendered nouns in Norwegian can be a new concept for English speakers and require some adjustment.
4. Spanish
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 24 weeks (600 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 595 million total speakers
📍 Countries to visit: Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica
Spanish, a widely spoken Romance language, ranks as the second most spoken language worldwide. With over half a billion speakers globally, its prevalence in media and practical applications makes it a popular choice for English speakers. While regional dialects introduce variations, the core structure of Spanish remains consistent and relatively accessible to learners.
✅ Pros:
- Latin Roots: Spanish is rooted in Latin, a linguistic ancestor shared with English through Norman French. This shared heritage results in a wealth of cognates, words with similar forms and meanings. “Attention” becomes “atención,” and “camera” transforms into “cámara,” illustrating the vocabulary overlap.
- Phonetic Pronunciation: Spanish is largely a phonetic language, meaning pronunciation directly corresponds to spelling. Once you grasp the basic phonetic rules and understand accent variations, Spanish pronunciation and reading become remarkably consistent.
🟨 Cons:
- Grammatical Differences: Spanish grammar can present challenges for English speakers, particularly verb conjugations with numerous tenses and moods. The tendency to directly translate English grammatical structures into Spanish can also lead to errors.
5. Italian
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 23-24 weeks (575-600 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 63 million
📍 Countries to visit: Italy, Switzerland, parts of Croatia and Slovenia
Italian, another Romance language, stands alongside Spanish and French in popularity. Although geographically concentrated in Europe, Italian holds the position of the 20th most spoken language globally, with 63 million native speakers and 3 million second-language speakers. Its influence on global cuisine and pop culture means English speakers often already know some Italian words and phrases. Panini, gelato, and la dolce vita resonate in many cultures.
✅ Pros:
- Latin Connection: Like Spanish, Italian’s Latin origins create a familiar linguistic landscape for English speakers. You may intuitively decipher Italian words like generosità (generosity) without prior study.
- Consistent Pronunciation: Italian pronunciation, like Spanish, is largely phonetic and predictable. There are few hidden pronunciation rules or exceptions, making it easier to pronounce words correctly.
🟨 Cons:
- Verb Conjugation and Plurals: Italian verb conjugation, while systematic, involves significant changes in verb endings that follow specific rules. Similarly, plural formation deviates from the English “-s” ending, requiring learners to master new patterns.
6. Portuguese
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 23-24 weeks (575-600 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 260 million
📍 Countries to visit: Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Macau, Mozambique
Portuguese, the official language of both Brazil and Portugal, extends its reach across continents, including parts of Africa. As the third most spoken Romance language, with over 250 million speakers worldwide, Portuguese offers a valuable foundation for learning other Romance languages like Spanish and French.
✅ Pros:
- Shared Alphabet: Portuguese uses the same Latin alphabet as English, eliminating the initial hurdle of learning a new writing system.
- Intonation and Rhythm: Portuguese shares some similarities with English in terms of intonation and pronunciation patterns, which can aid in auditory learning and speaking.
🟨 Cons:
- Dialectal Variations: Significant differences exist between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese. For learners planning extended stays in Portuguese-speaking regions, focusing on the specific dialect’s pronunciation and vocabulary is crucial.
- Spanish Similarities and Differences: While some Portuguese vocabulary closely resembles Spanish, tempting learners to pronounce them similarly, pronunciation and nuances in meaning diverge. For example, biscoito means “cookie” in Portuguese, while bizcocho in some Spanish regions refers to “cake” – both sweets but distinct items.
7. French
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 24 weeks (575-600 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 320 million total speakers
📍 Countries to visit: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Canada
French, the official language of 29 countries spanning Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa, is a globally significant language. Ranking as the 5th most spoken language worldwide, French opens doors in international affairs, humanitarian work, and organizations like the United Nations, UNESCO, and The International Red Cross, which use French as an official or working language.
✅ Pros:
- Latin and French Influence on English: English has absorbed significant vocabulary from both Latin and French throughout history. This shared linguistic ancestry means many French words are either identical or very similar to English words.
- Cultural Familiarity: French influence on cuisine, culture, and media means English speakers are likely already familiar with French vocabulary like à la carte or c’est la vie without realizing it.
🟨 Cons:
- Pronunciation Complexity: French pronunciation is more complex than other Romance languages. Many letters are silent, and pronunciation rules require dedicated study and practice to apply correctly.
8. Romanian
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 24 weeks (575-600 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 28 million total speakers
📍 Countries to visit: Romania and Moldova
Romanian, often overlooked, is also a Romance language, sharing vocabulary similarities with French, Italian, and Spanish. Compared to its Romance language siblings, Romanian has a smaller global footprint, with approximately 15 million native speakers and 28 million total speakers worldwide.
✅ Pros:
- Phonetic Nature: Romanian, like Spanish, is a phonetic language. Words are generally pronounced as they are spelled, simplifying pronunciation for learners.
- Latin Roots and Intuitive Vocabulary: Romanian’s Latin heritage allows for intuitive vocabulary acquisition. English speakers can often guess the meaning of Romanian words based on Latin roots.
🟨 Cons:
- Grammatical Case System: Romanian grammar presents challenges with its case system, where noun forms change depending on their grammatical function in a sentence. This feature, reminiscent of Slavic languages like Russian and Polish, can be less intuitive for English speakers.
- Slavic Influences: Romania’s geographic location surrounded by Slavic-speaking countries like Bulgaria has led to the incorporation of some Slavic words into local Romanian dialects.
9. Swahili
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 36 weeks (900 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 80 million total speakers
📍 Countries to visit: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique
Swahili, an official language in four countries including Kenya and Tanzania, is widely spoken across East Africa, reaching an estimated 80 million speakers. Swahili incorporates influences from Arabic, German, French, and English, creating a unique linguistic blend.
✅ Pros:
- Straightforward Pronunciation: Swahili pronunciation is generally straightforward for English speakers. There are no silent letters or complex accent rules, making it relatively easy to pronounce words correctly. Some vocabulary even echoes English, with hoteli meaning “hotel.”
- Cultural Familiarity: Thanks to the popular animated film The Lion King, many English speakers may already know some Swahili words. Simba (lion), Rafiki (friend), Pumbaa (silly or careless person), and the famous phrase Hakuna Matata (no worries) have permeated popular culture.
🟨 Cons:
- Sentence Structure and Participles: Swahili sentence structure and the use of participles at the beginning of words can deviate significantly from English grammar, posing a learning curve for some.
10. Tagalog
🕐 Approximate time to learn: 44 weeks (1100 hours)
🗣️ Number of speakers: 45 million
📍 Countries to visit: Philippines
Tagalog, rounding out our list of easiest languages for English speakers, belongs to the Austronesian language family, alongside Malay and Sudanese. As one of the official languages of the Philippines, approximately 28% of the population speaks it as a first language. Taglish, a widespread blend of Tagalog and English, reflects the linguistic landscape of the Philippines.
✅ Pros:
- Pronunciation and Vocabulary Bridges: Tagalog pronunciation is relatively direct, and its vocabulary incorporates elements from English, Spanish, and Malay.
- English Loanwords: Tagalog has adopted numerous English words, often with slight spelling modifications. Doctor becomes doktor, and computer transforms into kompyuter in Tagalog.
🟨 Cons:
- Sentence Structure and Verb Conjugation: Tagalog sentence structure and verb conjugation systems differ significantly from English. These grammatical divergences, along with words that lack direct English equivalents, contribute to Tagalog being considered more challenging than other languages on this list.
Start Your Language Learning Journey
Ultimately, the “easiest” language is often the one you are most motivated to learn. Consistent practice and immersion are key to success in any language learning endeavor. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; embrace them as learning opportunities. By actively practicing and immersing yourself in your chosen language, you’ll steadily build your skills and gain confidence in your communicative abilities.
