Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by Nasir Hanif
Some people have difficulty learning English because it is a strange language made up of many parts. It is interesting to note how few people mention English speakers’ difficulty learning the hardest languages to learn.
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List of Top 5 Hardest Languages
We did some research and found that English speakers have the hardest time learning the following 5 languages:
1 – Basque
There is only one Basque-speaking country in Europe. Many people have difficulty learning it because it is an isolated language. Just because it is in Europe doesn’t make it Indo-European. Linguists think of it as an old language because of its age.
It is remarkable how Basque differs from modern-day languages. Although English changes the end of a verb, Basque changes the beginning as well. It includes participles and pronouns that indicate the subject and object.
With 12 different cases and numerous suffixes and prefixes, Nouns in the Basque language are stuffed with information. As a noun, neither is cognate. As well as these, Basques are relatively easy to understand. Unlike other languages, Basque does not have any similarities to other languages.
Because it has some vocabulary borrowed from romance languages, it is slightly less challenging than Korean. The Basque language is written and spoken differently from any other language. Several dialects distinguish the people of the country.
2 – Persian
Persian is the second number in this list of the hardest languages to learn for English speakers. The Persian language, which can also be called Farsi (Iran), Dari (Afghanistan), and Tajik (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), is spoken by 110 million native speakers.
Persian is an important language, so why is it so important? In the English language, some Persian words are useful cognates. Persian words have even been incorporated into English, such as bazaar, candy, caravan, checkmate, and kiosk.
Persian is, however, a difficult language to learn because of its writing system. Despite having four additional letters, the Persian alphabet is written from right to left.
Iranian letters may not be as challenging as Arabic (since they do not have capital letters), but they are joined together and have redundant letters. It can also be challenging to understand Persian grammar because of its numerous prefixes and suffixes.
3 – Telugu
There are 22 scheduled languages in India, and Telugu is native to states such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Due to its melodious nature and familiarity with Sanskrit, it is monotonous for non-natives unfamiliar with western languages.
Due to a combination of factors, including the script’s difficulty to learn, as well as the pronunciation, non-natives often struggle to understand the language. Watching movies and listening to songs are fun ways to learn the language!
4 – Turkish
The Turkish language is a highly popular one, no doubt owing to its rich history and culture. Turkish slang is also widely used in Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus.
It takes varying amounts of time and effort to learn this language, despite its easiness of pronunciation, grammar, and listening aspects. Latin alphabets and phonetic writing are among their positive attributes.
5 – Czech
Czech is number 5th on this list of the hardest languages to learn. The language belongs to the Slavic family, even though it doesn’t use the Cyrillic alphabet.
The vocabulary is extremely complex. See how nouns are spelled. There are 7 cases among 4 genders, which can make it extremely challenging to decline nouns correctly.
There are about 15 times as many options for Czech nouns as there are for German nouns, for example. There are also seven pronoun cases and six adjective cases for declining numbers.
Please remember to include irregular verbs and nouns as well. Because it clusters consonants, Czech is a challenging language to learn and pronounce. Many learners find it challenging to say.
A Quick Overview
- Learning a new language can be a challenging but rewarding experience. Some languages are more difficult to learn than others due to their complex grammar rules, intricate writing systems, and unfamiliar sounds. This article will explore five of the hardest languages to learn.
- Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language globally, with over one billion speakers. However, it is also considered one of the most difficult languages due to its complex writing system, tonal pronunciation, and a vast vocabulary. Learning Chinese characters can be especially challenging as there are thousands of them to memorize.
- Arabic is another language that can be challenging for English speakers to learn. It has a unique writing system that is read from right to left and uses a different alphabet than English. Additionally, the language has many dialects, which can be difficult to understand and master.
- Hungarian: Hungarian is known for its complex grammar rules and extensive use of cases, which can be difficult for learners to understand. The language also has a unique sentence structure, where the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence. As a result, mastering the language can take a lot of time and effort.
- Japanese: Japanese is a language that has a completely different writing system than English. It uses three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. The language also has a complex grammar structure, with many levels of politeness and formality that must be mastered.
- Russian is a Slavic language that can be challenging for English speakers to learn. It has a complex grammar system with six cases, which can be difficult to master. Additionally, the language has many consonant clusters, making pronunciation difficult.
Read More: Most Popular Programming Languages 2020 For Beginners.
