The English language belongs to the western sub-branch of the Germanic branch, which is itself a branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Apart from such creole languages such as Tok Pisin, Scots is the Germanic variety most closely associated with English. Like English, Scots ultimately descends from Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon. The closest relative to English after Scots is Frisian, which is spoken in the Northern Netherlands and Northwest Germany. Other less closely related living West Germanic languages include German, Low Saxon, Dutch, and Afrikaans.

Number of native speakers: 380 million

Number of non-native speakers: 600 million

Official language of: India, United States, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines, United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Canada, Uganda, Ghana, Australia, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, Hong Kong, … (72 countries in total)

Also spoken in: The world. Modern English is sometimes described as the global lingua franca. English is the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment and diplomacy. The influence of the British Empire is the primary reason for the initial spread of the language far beyond the British Isles. Following World War II, the growing economic and cultural influence of the United States has significantly accelerated the spread of the language. 

Classification: Indo-European > Germanic > West Germanic > Anglo–Frisian > Anglic > English

Writing system: English has been written using the Latin alphabet since around the ninth century. The spelling system, or orthography, is multilayered, with elements of French, Latin and Greek spelling on top of the native Germanic system; it has grown to vary significantly from the phonology of the language. The spelling of words often diverges considerably from how they are spoken, and English spelling is often considered to be one of the most difficult to learn of any language that uses an alphabet.

Regulated by: No official regulation