Learning the English Language: No Doubt The Hardest Language to Understand

If you have mastered the English language then you must be a total genius as it is one of the hardest languages to learn. I am almost certain that the word "certain" should start with an 'S', but some creative mind thought that a 'C' would look prettier on paper. The scariest thing to take into account is that before a person learns various words from the English language, they have to first learn the eight parts of speech which include nouns, verbs, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Then there is that small matter of punctuation which includes commas and quotation marks.

Whoever invented the English language must have had an overly creative mind and a lot of time on their hands as it is speculated that there are millions of distinct English words for anyone learning to digest, and this doesn't even include new words from the technical and regional vocabulary that have yet to be added to the published dictionary. It is estimated that twenty per cent of older words are no longer in use, and are completely omitted from the dictionary as room is needed for the trendier current versions of old worn out words.

Only a complete lunatic would have thought to take a single word and give it multiple meanings, and to add insult to injury, they spelled it in various ways to really boggle your mind. At other times the words are spelled the same, but have completely different meanings. A perfectly legitimate example is "The picture of the pitcher was worth a mint"! Not the mint that you eat, but a mint as in a fortune. Another oldie, but goody is "I would like to present you with this present". In short, the English language isn't for dummies, but it has no problem making you feel like one.

The English language is the most flexible language in the world as new words are coined at a phenomenal rate. These new words are a reflection of the preoccupations of American culture, and a sign of the times that we live in. In fact Lexicographers have recently added thousands of new entries to The New Oxford American Dictionary that come from every field of human endeavor. These words are developed from every walk of life and lifestyle that includes popular culture, business, computers, scientific, technical fields, food service, health care, and politics.

English punctuation can be highly confusing to anyone attempting to learn it, especially visitors from foreign countries, and when it comes to spelling; our English vocabulary has one of the most difficult spelling systems in the world. The English language is used by 750 million people in the world as either the official language of a nation, a second language, or in a mixture with other languages. English is the official language in England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; however, the United States has no official language.

New Words Recently Added to the Dictionary: al Qaeda, antiterrorism, Franken food, Gitmo, intelligent design, Falun Gong, bunker buster, faith-based, hate crime, John F. Kerry, greenwash, 9/11, Amber alert, reality TV, taikonaut, smart mob, super size, Texas Hold 'em, air rage, safe room, conflict diamond, fake bake, death metal, sizeism, smokeasy, trustafarian, mash up, permatemp, barista, adbot, blogosphere, Bluetooth, wiki, phishing, malware, infoholic, addy, hacktivist, dataveillance, snert, mega pixel, code monkey, lurker, bunny, cankle, clueful, ginormous, labradoodle, snivel gear, shojo, unobtainium, noogie, Joe Schmo, ka-ching, Raelian, and prairie-dogging.

Random House Webster's College Dictionary includes new words like: B2B, bazillion, bleeding edge, cross-post, dot-commer, hotlink, hottie, identity theft, micro browser, Mifeprex, and push poll.

The Oxford American College Dictionary found evidence in their database that out of a billion and a half words that "EVOO" is an extremely popular word, and is searched daily. They claim that in order for a word to get into the dictionary it has to be useful to people and that it is not enough to be a famous celebrity to get your word in print. You have to dream up a word that is catchy, and one that people cannot get out of their head easily. Erin McKean, Editor-in-Chief of American Dictionaries, presented the popular Food Network personality, Rachael Ray with a certificate of recognition declaring that her famous slang word for extra virgin olive oil, known to fans as "EVOO" would be added to their 2007 Oxford American College Dictionary.

A Sign of the Times

A perfect example of a few words that have changed their meaning are 'sex', in 1911 this simply meant only 'being male or female or hermaphrodite'. Gay meant 'full of or disposed to or indicating mirth; light-hearted, sportive'; 'Lesbian' was simply used as a name for people that inhabited the Greek Island Lesbos.

Words That Sound the same, but Have Different Meanings

Vain, Vane, Vein
Which, Witch
So, sew, sow
Farther, further
Kernel, colonel
Seen, scene
Sight, site, cite
Rite, right, write
Waist, waste
Some, sum
Close, clothes
Cent, scent, sent
Meddle, metal, medal
Vary, very
Ware, wear, where
Pair, pear, pare
Poor, pore, pour
Picture, pitcher
For, fore, four
To, too, two
Raise, raze, rays
There, their, they're
Ewe, you
Would, wood

Words with Silent Letters

Gnat, gnaw, know, knee, knife, knit, knickers, knuckle, psychology, psychiatrist, pneumonia, should, could, would, isle, aisle, island, wrap, wrinkle, write, debt, doubt, listen, soften, and castle.

Test Your Knowledge at Grammar, Idiomatic Expressions, and Writing: http://www.english-test.net/

Literary Bloopers from Around the U.S.

At a Pennsylvania Cemetery: Persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any grave but their own.

Sign at a Massachusetts Conservatory: For birdwatchers, "Parking for birds only".

A Maine Restaurant: Open 7 days a week and weekends too.

Army Rifle Range: No Shooting Allowed!

Coors slogan: 'Turn it loose' was put into Spanish. Meaning: 'Suffer from diarrhea.'

A Newspaper Ad: Tired of cleaning yourself? Let me do it.

A Store Ad: Stock up and save. Limit: one.

Dog for sale: eats anything and is especially fond of children.

Typhoon Rips through Cemetery: Hundreds Dead.

Famous Quotes about Words

Words must surely be counted among the most powerful drugs man ever invented.
Leo Calvin Rosten

For your born writer, nothing is as healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.
Catherine Drinker Bowen

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter - 'tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.
Mark Twain

The human language is like a cracked kettle on which we beat out a tune for a dancing bear, when we hope with our music to move the stars.
Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary