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Learning another language is no easy feat. You can memorize all the rules and still find yourself messing something up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The English language is no exception. With roots in many other world languages, English includes a number of spelling, grammar and pronunciation rules that seem to contradict one another \u2015 in addition to the many norms and standards that often stump ESL learners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
We asked<\/a> celebrity.land Facebook followers<\/a> who are not native English speakers to share what aspects of the English language they find confusing or ridiculous. Some native English speakers also jumped in to share their observations as well. While many apply to other languages, others are unique to English. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n 1. \u201cMy mom and I used to always laugh so hard when we heard people say \u2018I feel like toast\u2019 or \u2018I feel like fish\u2019<\/strong> instead of \u2018I feel like having [fish or toast].\u2019 It must be so strange to feel like you\u2019re a pice of toast!\u201d \u2015Karleen Hach\u00e9<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2. \u201cSean Bean<\/strong> does not rhyme.\u201d \u2015Costanza Baldi<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 3. \u201cThe lunacy behind blaming yourself for an injury or illness! \u2018I broke my arm in the car accident\u2019<\/strong> vs. \u2018my arm got broken in a car accident\u2019 so much blame on a person for illness and injury. So strange.\u201d \u2015Caitie Lou Pfeifer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 4. \u201cIdioms are one of my favorite things. I remember learning \u2018It\u2019s raining cats and dogs<\/strong>\u2019 at uni, and the whole class cracked up. Mind you, in French we say \u2018It\u2019s raining ropes.\u2019\u201d \u2015Catherine MacAdam<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 5. \u201cWhen a question is asked in the negative<\/strong> \u2015 for example, \u2018Are you sure you don\u2019t want any cake?\u2019 Should I say \u2018yes\u2019 as in I\u2019m sure or \u2018no\u2019 as in I don\u2019t want any cake?\u201d \u2015Steph Aay <\/p>\n<\/div>\n 6. \u201cThat darn \u2018i before e, except after c\u2019 lie<\/strong>.\u201d \u2015Anamary Marquez-Grossman<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 7. \u201cDifferent pronunciations for \u2018table<\/strong>\u2019 and \u2018comfortable<\/strong>.\u2019\u201d \u2015\u00c1ngeles Gelesmora<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 8. \u201cTelling the time!<\/strong> Let\u2019s just say it\u2019s 12:30 p.m.. British people would say, \u2018half twelve.\u2019 In my native Estonian, it\u2019s \u2018half one.\u2019\u201d \u2015Mari Eesmaa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 9. \u201c\u2018A,\u2019 \u2018an\u2019 and \u2018the\u2019<\/strong> do not exist in Russian. So even though I have now spent 15 years living in English-speaking countries I still get it wrong sometimes.\u201d \u2015Svetlana Sargant<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 10. \u201cAs a dance teacher I kept telling my students to move their \u2018feets\u2019 with the \u2018s\u2019 at the end. It\u2019s confusing why some plural don\u2019t need the \u2018s\u2019 like fish or feet<\/strong>.\u201d \u2015Krisztina Hera<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 11. \u201cAll the different pronunciations<\/strong> for the same vowel combination.\u201d \u2015Alina Brito Lee<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 12. \u2033\u2018Cough\u2019 and \u2018though\u2019 don\u2019t rhyme<\/strong>, but \u2018sue\u2019 and \u2018through\u2019 do.\u201d \u2015Anamary Marquez-Grossman<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 13. \u201cI always wondered why you have to pronounce \u2018tough\u2019<\/strong> and \u2018dough\u2019<\/strong> absolutely different when there is only one letter different.\u201d \u2015Manuela Friedl<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 14. \u2033\u2018Tough,\u2019 \u2018through,\u2019 \u2018thorough,\u2019 \u2018thought,\u2019 \u2018though,\u2019 \u2018trough\u2019 <\/strong>… need I explain? \u2015Myriam Tagej<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 15. \u201cWhen you say \u2018uncle,\u2019<\/strong> it is not clear if you are talking about the brother of your mom or the brother of your dad, or the husband of your aunt. Same goes for \u2018aunt.\u2019 In my maternal language we have different adjectives for all those family members.\u201d \u2015Tutku R\u00fcya \u00d6zmen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 16. \u201cThat you don\u2019t have any pronoun that is gender neutral<\/strong>. In the Scandinavian languages we can use \u2018hen\u2019 which is a combination of \u2018hun\u2019 (\u2018her\u2019) and \u2018han\u2019 (\u2018he\u2019).\u201d \u2015Marie \u00d8. Nielsen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 17. \u201cMy husband always says we have 75 words that all mean the same thing<\/strong>, but depending what you want to say, it can sound rude even though you are technically correct.\u201d \u2015Becky Garcia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 18. \u201cJust explain how the words \u2018read\u2019 and \u2018red\u2019<\/strong> sound alike.\u201d \u2015Anamary Marquez-Grossman<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 19. \u201cWe have silent letters, like in \u2018plumber.\u2019<\/strong> Wtf is that about?!\u201d \u2015Maria Harvey<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 20. \u201c\u2018In\u2019 and \u2018on\u2019<\/strong> is super hard for my Latino students. In the bus is same as on the bus, but on the car isn\u2019t in the car.\u201d \u2015Amanda Abair<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 21. \u201cI find really confusing that there is difference between saying \u2018I love you\u2019 and \u2018I am in love with you.\u2019<\/strong> In my country it has the same meaning when being in romantic relationship.\u201d \u2015Mia \u017durekov\u00e1<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 22. \u201cThe fact that one word can have different meanings, or it can be a noun or a verb<\/strong>.\u201d \u2015Angela Ortiz Guerrero<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 23. \u201cAs someone who natively speaks English and has interacted with foreigners for the better part of this year, some of the things I say … took some explaining. On an airplane once I said \u2018No, it\u2019s OK\u2019<\/strong> and the stewardess was very confused because I said \u2018no\u2019 and \u2018OK\u2019 in the same sentence.\u201d \u2015Emily Wascura<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 24. \u201cTwo words I\u2019m thinking about: \u2018Worcester\u2019 <\/strong>and \u2018paradigm\u2019<\/strong> … wister and paradime.\u201d \u2015Lucy La Hurreau<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 25. \u2033\u2018Daughter\u2019<\/strong> and \u2018laughter.\u2019<\/strong>\u201d \u2015Fiona Jayne MacMillan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 26. \u2033\u2018Good\u2019 <\/strong>and \u2018food.\u2019<\/strong>\u201d \u2015Mindy Wallace<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 27. \u201cThe way the Brits pronounce Warwick, Leicester<\/strong> and some other cities.\u201d \u2015Ana-Raluca C\u0103tinean<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 28. \u201cMy Irish stepfather used to say \u2018draw the blinds\u2019<\/strong> for shutting the curtains.\u201d \u2015Jay Flamey Iones<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 29. \u201cThe way you have to order adjectives<\/strong> was the hardest for me to learn when I was a kid: opinion-size-shape-color-origin-material-purpose noun.\u201d \u2015Estefania Cortez Macias <\/p>\n<\/div>\n 30. \u201cThe fact that \u2018love<\/strong>\u2019 is the only word to use for the different kinds of love! Like in Spanish, there is a word for the love of a close family member, a lover, a different word for a friend, or for loving a type of food or thing! A different word for different types of love.\u201d \u2015Alex MorGa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 31. \u201cThe same letter or combination can be pronounced in different ways (\u2018cat,\u2019 \u2018cake,\u2019 \u2018car\u2019<\/strong>…) Makes it awfully confusing in the beginning.\u201d \u2015Elina Singh<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 32. \u201cTwo words for movement \u2015 \u2018come\u2019<\/strong> and \u2018go\u2019<\/strong> \u2015 could be just one word.\u201d \u2015Kristina Smirnoff<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 33. \u201cI\u2019m always afraid to mess up with phrases that involve common words like \u2018make out,\u2019 \u2018blow out,\u2019 \u2018pull out,\u2019<\/strong> etc.\u201d \u2015Ana Ibarra<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 34. \u201cSyntax<\/strong>. The words have to be in the same order. There\u2019s not much wiggle room. So then, how do you know which part of the sentence is the most important one?\u201d \u2015Elina Singh<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 35. \u201cThe difference between \u2018th-\u2019 vs. \u2018d\u2019<\/strong> and \u2018b\u2019 vs. \u2018v\u2019<\/strong> sounds. As a Spanish speaker, I don\u2019t have those different sounds.\u201d \u2015 Estefania Cortez Macias<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 20 Years Of<\/span>Free<\/span>Journalism<\/span><\/p>\n Your Support<\/span>Fuels<\/span>Our Mission<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Your Support<\/span>Fuels<\/span>Our Mission<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n