Top 5 Languages with the Hardest Grammar for English Speakers

In this article, we will look at the top 5 languages with the hardest grammar for English speakers. If you want to read our detailed analysis, you can directly go to the Top 20 Languages with the Hardest Grammar for English Speakers.

5. Finnish 

Number of Mentions: 4

Hours Required to Learn: 1,100

Average ranking: 5.8

Finnish belongs to the Uralic language family and is most commonly spoken in Finland. It wasn’t recognized as an official language of Finland till 1863, before which Swedish was used for government and education purposes. The language follows an old writing system dating back to the 16th century. In addition, its characteristic phonological features, including vowel harmony and consonant gradation, make it a difficult language to learn.

4. Korean 

Number of Mentions: 6

Hours Required to Learn: 2,200

Average ranking: 5.7

Korean ranks 4th on our list of 20 languages with the hardest grammar for English speakers. It has an average ranking of 5.7 across our sources and is considered one of the toughest to learn. English speakers require around 2,200 class hours to learn Korean.

3. Japanese

Number of Mentions: 6

Hours Required to Learn: 2,200

Average ranking: 4.8

Ranking 3rd on our list is Japanese, with an average ranking of 4.8. Japanese is recognized as an isolated language, meaning it does not closely relate to any other language families. The Japanese language is rich in grammar and literature. It has various different dialects, making it difficult for English speakers to learn and understand. 

2. Mandarin Chinese

Number of Mentions: 6

Hours Required to Learn: 2,200

Average ranking: 2

Mandarin dialect of the Chinese language is the second most spoken language in the world based on the number of total speakers. It is also one of the most commonly spoken dialects in China. Mandarin’s writing and speaking systems are complex and use various tone levels to distinguish similar words. English speakers take an average of 2,200 class hours to learn this language.

1. Arabic

Number of Mentions: 6

Hours Required to Learn: 2,200

Average ranking: 1.8

Arabic is the toughest language for English speakers to learn. It is also one of the most spoken native languages in the world. Arabic is most commonly spoken in the Middle East and North Africa and has a complex grammar system. English speakers take an average of 2,200 class hours to learn Arabic. 

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