The 6 Most Spoken Languages in the World Similar to English
Are you considering learning a new language? What if you have doubts about whether you can learn any new language other than English? Don’t you worry, in this article, we have listed the languages which are most similar to English. So, read on to find out:-
Frisian Language
Frisian is the language most similar to English; which is spoken in parts of Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark. The Frisian language bears an uncanny resemblance to the English language. Both languages are a part of the Anglo-Frisian group. In terms of pronunciation too, both these languages are alike. Frisian is said to have 80% lexical similarity with English.
Dutch Language
Another language that is most similar to English is the Dutch language. There are approximately 23 million Dutch speakers across the globe. The Dutch language possesses numerous phrases and words which are akin to English and has a close grammatical structure.Both English and Dutch languages belong to the West Germanic linguistic family. There are numerous words in Dutch that are cognates of English. Further, the spelling and pronunciation of so many words are the same. If one wants to become a professional Dutch and English translation expert, then one does not have to think much about the complexity.
German Language
The German language is closely related to the English language. Both languages share a great deal of vocabulary. No matter how complicated the grammar of German is, they have similar pronunciation. If you have a stronghold of the English language, you’ll find it easy to master the German language as well.
French Language
English and French are known to have 27% lexical similarity. English speakers use a lot of words that have French origin. The two languages have a lot of vocabulary in common. Although, French is from the language family of Romance languages, it is still very close to English.
Scots Language
Another language that is arguably closest to the English language is Scots. Scots is more of a dialect of English than an original language. Today, Scots language has not entirely disappeared but remains a vital part of Scottish identity. A majority of the Scottish people don’t consider Scots as a separate language. Both these languages are similar to each other, as they are derived from the old English.
Norwegian Language
Last, but not least, the language similar to English is Norwegian which is not from the West Germanic family. The pronunciation of both the languages are similar. Moreover, the fundamental structure of English and Norwegian are strikingly alike.
Finally, whether it is Dutch, German or Romance, to master any language you have to enroll for formal training, especially, if you have plans to enter the monetarily rewarding vertical of translation and interpretation. When you take professional classes, you not only make a big effort to have firm command over the vocabulary but understand the cultural nuances necessary to progress in your career ahead.
