ADVERTISEMENT

I absolutely adore the English language with all of its ups and downs, twists and turns, astounding hyperboles and alliterative inclinations. And let's not forget the puns! However, it's no secret that the language can be a tad… discombobulating for new students, anyone who's learning English as a second language, and native speakers alike.

To show you what we mean, the literature-loving philology fans here at Bored Panda have collected the most hilarious and honest examples of people showing how frustrating the English language can be for them. Have a read below, upvote your fave posts, and remember to share your own experience with the exciting journey that is learning English.

#2

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

kiwikoalacat7 Report

Add photo comments
POST
Ozacoter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love english and its probably my favourite language for its grammal simplicity and plasticity. But the random pronunciation drives me insane.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Phendrena
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Needs more upvotes. "the sound a plunger makes" outstanding and 100% hilarious

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

During an earlier interview, I spoke to Dr. Lisa McLendon about the difficulties that foreign students face when learning English, as well as how to keep our linguistic skills sharp. Dr. McLendon is the News and Information Track Chair at the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Coordinator at the Bremner Editing Center.

According to Dr. McLendon, a lot of the difficulties that foreign students face depend on the languages that they already know. Those who know languages similar to English in their structure and logic will have an easier time.

#5

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#6

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

“For students whose native language lacks articles (a, an, the), articles are by far the hardest category of words to master. Verb tense/aspect is also really hard—the difference between ‘I read,' ‘I am reading,' and ‘I do read' is nonexistent in many other languages,” the language expert explained.

#7

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Dynein
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah but that's true for every language. You rarely have "full" synonyms that are completely interchangeable in every context (non-native speakers are generally detectable by breaking unspoken context rules) . Apart from minute differences in meaning, most words also have meanings beyond the thing they describe, such as opinion.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

Just memorizing common words doesn't help overcome these linguistic barriers. What needs to happen is for the student in question to completely shift their mindset. That and practice things until the quirks of the English language become second nature to them.

“These don't pose any difficulties for native speakers who use them correctly without even thinking about it,” Dr. McLendon said about the linguistic nuances.

ADVERTISEMENT

It's not just foreign speakers that have issues with the language, though. The professor highlighted that in her experience as an editor and an educator, she found that native speakers have trouble with past passive participles in speech (e.g. saying ‘I had went').

What's more, when it comes to writing, native speakers have issues with punctuation, homophones (e.g. peek vs. peak), and misplaced modifiers.

#14

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#15

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Dynein
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sarcasm, I guess. Use the word in a sarcastic context too often and it changes the meaning to the opposite. Happens frequently.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Dr. McLendon suggested that nobody rest on their laurels. Learning's a lifelong mission and improving our English skills is no exception. And if we want to keep our minds well-honed and our quills sharp, then we're going to have to get some good habits under our belts.

#18

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

TweetSmarter Report

Add photo comments
POST
guy greej
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I warn bored panda to remove this one. This could cause various murders by the readers here.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

“Read! Read widely and frequently. Read magazines, newspapers, novels, even cereal boxes,” the language expert told Bored Panda. “But be careful when scrolling through social media, which although it can give you a good idea of current slang and shorthand, it's often not a great model of clarity, accuracy, or good grammar.”

ADVERTISEMENT

When it comes to pronunciation, though, Dr. McLendon pointed out that both native speakers and foreign students alike have problems with it. Especially when we're talking about less common words like ‘epitome.'

“I've known lots of people who learned words by reading, not by hearing, and so had no idea how they were pronounced. But for people learning English, pronunciation can be a real nightmare,” the professor said.

#22

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

illogicalphallusies Report

Add photo comments
POST
Nicola Roberts
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was taking a TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign Language) qualification in Japan, and one of the exercises I had to do was read to a class of students. The one word that stuck in my mind was black bird versus blackbird. The difference is so subtle, but I hadn't given it any thought until you had to explain the difference.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Kari Panda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My English teacher taught me not to use "handy" in English because it would be a derogatory term for handicapped people. Is that true?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

“We have words that are spelled similarly but pronounced differently (bomb/comb/tomb) and words that are spelled differently but sound the same (peek/peak/pique). Plus, English has a lot of words that have silent letters, which can be confusing.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#25

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Victor Botha
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And here is another strange "Americdnism" I spit my cereal, I would say I spat my cereal...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Dr. McLendon was candid that English is much more chaotic than other languages in terms of how spelling reflects pronunciation and vice versa. “English is a Gallic overlay on a Germanic base, plus it has borrowed liberally from languages all around the world throughout its development,” she told Bored Panda.

#28

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Cassie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a medical condition which resulting in tearing of the cornea. When I write that, people sometime get confused. My cornea doesn't produce liquid, it rips apart and is excruciatingly painful, but tearing can make it feel a little better because the liquid lubricates and protects the tear.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
speer5884@msn.com
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the B in tomb is silent, and the E in time is silent, and the T in often is silent, and the H in honor is silent, how do you pronounce BETH? It's all silent letters!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

“When a word comes into English, where it comes from, and when a spelling gets standardized all affect how a word is written in relation to how it sounds. Other languages may not be exactly ‘spelled like it sounds' but have set patterns of how pronunciation does not correspond with spelling.”

#31

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Thomas Sweda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because the Frigidaire brand became so popular that “fridge” was used as the term for all refrigerators.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#32

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

#33

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Sea_Break_8070 Report

Add photo comments
POST
Victor Botha
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do Americans say dove instead of dived? He dived into the pool, not he dove into the pool. That is what I was taught at school anyway. Also hanged and hung He was hanged from the tree, not he was hung from the tree. Is this a specifically American thing. No offence, just genuinely would like to know.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#35

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

GabbieHanna Report

Add photo comments
POST
Shaun May
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The country’s starting letter(s) switched from ‘f’ to ‘ph’ when Spanish rule was replaced by American rule. No idea why the same did not happen to the demonym, however.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#38

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Helenium
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Human was first recorded in the mid 13th century, and owes its existence to the Middle French humain “of or belonging to man.” That word, in turn, comes from the Latin humanus, thought to be a hybrid relative of homo, meaning “man,” and humus, meaning “earth.” Thus, a human, unlike birds, planes, or even divine spirits up above, is a man firmly rooted to the earth

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#39

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You used to be able to just step on the bus and remain standing (back when there were conductors and the entrance/exit was at the back). Time moves on and language doesn't. Do you still hang up the phone?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#40

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The capitalisation aids understanding, but spoils the effect.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
#42

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can explain the egg plant one. It was on a post here earlier - a different European breed looks exactly like eggs hanging from a branch. Incidentally, it's also known as aubergine (no idea the etymology on that one, it's probably French)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#47

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Vorknkx
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, BTW, the past tense of "broadcast" is "broadcast", since it's derived from the irregular verb "cast" :P

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#48

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
sofacushionfort
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Twice a years or every other year: it still describes a lot of our sex lives.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#50

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Turnip and a Frog
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

😎 Yup, I’ll definitely spend too much time trying to learn it.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#51

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Dynein
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah but I've always understood "fat chance" to be sarcastic.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#52

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#55

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Mr_Squidward_T Report

Add photo comments
POST
Bobert Robertson
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This day and age, I'm surprised there aren't more Ptoughneighs and Ptearees (Terry) considering we have kids named Le-a pronounced as Ledasha: DAT DASH DON'T BE SILENT

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#57

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Sheila Stamey
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok. I know I said mic drop,however I must share. My daughter is getting married soon to a very nice gentleman who received his english degree from a local state university famed for it's agricultural programs of study. In a text , I gently teased him about getting an English degree from the "Ag," and asked what was that about? He shut me down and I love him for it. He replied, " Someone has to teach the country boys how to spell 'plough a furrow' when they are sexting!'" I love it....

View more commentsArrow down menu
#58

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Dynein
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Germans change the other of the words. Hausaufgaben ("house tasks", homework) and Hausarbeit ("housework").

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#60

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't that why people started using y'all?

Laugh or not
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That one is wrong. You is the old plural second person pronoun. The singular second person pronoun used to be thou. Under the influence of French, which use the plural second person pronoun as a respectful way to address others, English lost thou. Causing centuries of grammatical confusion.

Marianne
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"You" is the plural. The singular was "thou", but this word has died out.

Nikki Sevven
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The American South: You = one person. Y'all = a few people. All y'all = a lot of people. - New York/New Jersey: You = one person. Youse = a few people. Youse guys = a lot of people.

ejfs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"you" is the plural. The singular used to be "thou" but for some reason went extinct....

Tiny Dynamine
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would love to bring back thee and thou as the singular forms, plus thy and thine. They're still used in Yorkshire and I love them for this.

Hogswallop
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are whole other words that can be used such as everyone, and those present. You lot is a nice colloquialism to bring out at parties.

CrunChewy McSandybutt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thou used to be singular and you plural and there was a big dust-up when people started using you for both.

Donkey boi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

'Yous' In Ireland too (To be fair, some also use it as a singular).

Rob Gordon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can be plural. You guys ... But, yeah, some English speakers use the non-standard youses.

Robert T
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well it does, it's just that "you" is both singular and plural depending on context. Just like "cut" is both the present and past tense depending on context. French is not much different - "vous" is both formal singular and plural.

Nicola Roberts
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the UK, you can say yous if you're from Liverpool, but in Hampshire you would be given a disapproving look.

kathoco
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It does have a plural. It's "you". The question is why English doesn't have a different form for singular and plural in the second person. Note that in some languages, like French, the plural you (vous) can also be used as a singular formal, so again it's context that tells you which one is intended, just as in English.

Russell Ellwardt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In fact, "you" IS plural. The singular is "thou", which nowadays is only used towards the Lord and Jesus.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#61

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

#64

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

#66

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
King Joffrey
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends whether you use British or American English. I would say 'deita', 'root', 'care-a-mel', 'eether', etc.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#67

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Kira Okah
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Loan words standardising similar are always fun! Laughter is from Old English and laugh used to be pronounced with a hard sound rather than soft, Slaughter from Old Norse slahtr.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#69

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Carole Dose
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is Spelt, and is it Good For You? - Healthline https://www.healthline.com › nutrition › what-is-spelt Mar 15, 2016 — Spelt is a type of grain that is strongly related to wheat. Its scientific name is Triticum spelta (1). In fact, spelt is considered a distinct type of wheat. Other types of wheat include einkorn wheat, khorasan wheat and modern semi-dwarf wheat.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#70

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Bron
Community Member
3 years ago

Unless your Australian, the it’s likely pronounced ‘Straya

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#74

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
McPanda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But this is seen as bad writing and is just terrible use of pronouns, which you can do in any language

#76

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
sofacushionfort
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Awful" was the original meaning of something filling us with awe, not dread. It shifted.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#77

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

SirBlobfis Report

Add photo comments
POST
Deborah B
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

English is f*****g unhelpful sometimes. Most people avoid the use of biweekly, and use twice-weekly or fortnightly. Because Biweekly is stupid and unclear.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#78

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

#82

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Fact Report

Add photo comments
POST
Robert T
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only because the name for the letter Q is queue - if you try to pronounce it, it is "kw"

View more commentsArrow down menu