English Translation

Language Facts and Information

English is ranked as the third most spoken language in the world, with an estimated 1.5 billion people who speak it either as their first or second language. It is widely used as a lingua franca (a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different) in many parts of the world, particularly in business and international relations. English is spoken in 19 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa.

The writing system used for Modern English is the Latin script, consisting of 26 letters with upper- and lower-case forms. English is written from left to right, following the standard direction of most European languages. English has several dialects and regional variations, including those spoken in the British Isles, North America, and Australasia. Within a country, there is often a standard form of English considered to be the norm, but dialects can also be associated with particular social groups.

English Facts and Trivia

As of 2020, there were 59 sovereign states and 27 non-sovereign entities where English was an official language. Many administrative divisions have declared English an official language at the local or regional level.

Most states where English is an official language are former territories of the British Empire. Exceptions include Rwanda and Burundi, which were formerly German and then Belgian colonies; Cameroon, where only part of the national territory was under British mandate; and Liberia, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which were American territories.

English is the most widely spoken language globally, with over 1.5 billion speakers worldwide. It is the official language of 54 countries and the most commonly spoken language in the European Union and North America. English is also the world’s most commonly taught second language, with an estimated 1 billion people learning it as a foreign language.

In terms of global impact, English is the official language of international organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, and the International Olympic Committee. It also significantly influences global business and commerce, with over half of all international business transactions conducted in English. It is also the language of science, technology, and academia, with most scientific research papers published in English. The English language has a vast vocabulary, with over 170,000 words in current use and hundreds of thousands of additional words in historical and technical contexts. It also features a complex grammar system, including 12 verb tenses, modal verbs, and irregular verbs.

English became the first truly global language due to the spread of the British Empire through its colonies and geopolitical dominance by the late 18th century. Adopting English in various fields, such as commerce, science and technology, diplomacy, art, and formal education, played a vital role in its expansion. The language also facilitated worldwide international communication. England continued establishing new colonies, subsequently developing their own speech and writing norms. As a result, English was adopted in several regions, including parts of North America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and other parts of the world.

Generally speaking, we find up to 5 distinctive groups of variations in the English language:

British English: The abbreviation RP (Received Pronunciation) denotes what is traditionally considered the standard accent of people living in London and the southeast of England and of other people elsewhere who speak in this way. 

American and Canadian English: The dialect regions of the United States are most clearly marked along the Atlantic littoral, where the earlier settlements were made. Three dialects can be defined: Northern, Midland, and Southern. Each has its subdialects. 

Australian and New Zealand English: Unlike Canada, Australia has no concentration of a European language other than English within its borders. There are many Aboriginal languages, though small numbers speak them, and their continued existence is threatened. More than 80 percent of the population is of British descent. Significant growth in the number of immigrants, mainly from Europe and Pacific Rim countries, occurred in the last quarter of the 20th century. 

South Asian English: In 1950, India became a federal republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, and Hindi was declared the first national language. English, it was stated, would “continue to be used for all official purposes until 1965.” In 1967, however, by the terms of the English Language Amendment Bill, English was proclaimed “an alternative official or associate language with Hindi until such time as all non-Hindi states had agreed to its being dropped.” English is therefore acknowledged to be indispensable. 

African English: African English is a variation of English that is spoken by people in many African countries, particularly those that were formerly British colonies. It is a unique form of English that has developed over time, influenced by local languages and cultures. African English often features distinctive grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, which may differ significantly from standard British or American English. This variation of English reflects the cultural, historical, and social context of the people who speak it, and has become an important part of the African identity. Despite its differences, African English remains a functional and widely used form of communication, with millions of speakers throughout the continent.

The earliest form of English is called Old English or Anglo-Saxon (c. year 550–1066). Old English developed from a set of West Germanic dialects, often grouped as Anglo-Frisian or North Sea Germanic, and originally spoken along the coasts of Frisia, Lower Saxony, and southern Jutland by Germanic peoples known to the historical record as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

From the 8th to the 12th century, Old English gradually transformed through language contact into Middle English. Middle English is often arbitrarily defined as beginning with the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066, but it developed further in the period from 1200 to 1450. The next period in the history of English was Early Modern English (1500–1700). Early Modern English was characterized by the Great Vowel Shift (1350–1700), inflectional simplification, and linguistic standardization.

Since English is constantly evolving, you must have informed and highly experienced professional linguists to produce accurate and culturally appropriate translations. Currently, English features approximately 578,707 words and adopts or adds 4000 new words each year. Will you need an English translation that will easily be understood in all regions where the language is spoken? Or do you instead require a regionally specific translation? Select either our TrueGlobal or LocalVoice approach as appropriate.