Planning
What is the hardest language for English speakers?
Hard does not mean impossible. It means more hours, so a steady daily habit matters even more.
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- 77 languages
Updated · by the 4ToSpeak team
Lesson preview
Step 4Estoy cansado.
I am tired.
- Order
- Translate
- Listen
- Speak
Say it out loud. Green landed, yellow was close.
Start freeWhat makes them harder
- New writing systems.
- Tones or sounds English lacks.
- Very different word order.
- Fewer shared words with English.
How to approach them
Start speaking before you master the script, keep sessions short and daily, and celebrate small wins. Many learners find the hard languages rewarding because progress is so visible.
Is Japanese harder than Chinese?
Both are in the hardest band. Japanese grammar and writing are complex; Chinese tones and characters take time.
Related guides
Related answers
Planning
What is the easiest language to learn for English speakers?
Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages are generally the easiest for English speakers. Here is why, with hours.
Read moreHow long
How long does it take to learn a language?
About 700 hours for the easiest languages and 2,200 for the hardest, for English speakers. See the timeline at 15, 30 and 60 minutes a day.
Read moreResource
Hardest languages ranked
Read more
Free · no card · 77 languages
Now say it out loud
Reading teaches you what it looks like. Speaking teaches you to say it. Practise in full sentences, free, no card.