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.

#1

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

emmattack Report

Add photo comments
POST
christamthompson_ct avatar
armagedon_420 avatar
dariazotova avatar
laurent_seve avatar
MrLoufoque
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a joke on the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) and its too frequent ties with the Republican Party, particularly under Trump.

Load More Replies...
veni_vidi_vicky avatar
Vicky Zar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh gosh I read to much stuff about the US. I instantly understood the three K thing. I'm German.

ryandeschanel avatar
Ryan Deschanel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a large difference between the KKK and an average Republican, though the joke is still hilarious.

marksinclairmail avatar
Thundercuss
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Certainly a difference between the average citizen Republican and the KKK. The difference nearly disappears in elected a republicans however.

Load More Replies...
c_friseal avatar
ravn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Knuckle has one silent K, the other is a silent C. Same for Knickknack. The Republican thing will have me smiling for a week though. :)

leodomitrix avatar
Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At one point, the KN was pronounced with a different infflection, I was taught, and we keep the K so we know it's not "not". OK, that got weird, never mind....

lchaney36 avatar
Linda Haney
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well we don't have masculine and feminine for every word, so there's that.

si-riemenschneider avatar
Cupcake168
Community Member
2 years ago

*deleted* (The comment wasn’t meant to be an answer to this)

saqibwaseem avatar
Saqib Waseem
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

https://saqibwaseem1234.blogspot.com/2022/08/how-to-communicate-fluently-in-english.html

margiecollier avatar
Margie Collier
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"omb" sounds different in these three words: comb, tomb, bomb. It is a wonder people learning English as a second language don't have their heads implode.

klerandre avatar
Randy Klefbeck
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny about the Repub part. The interesting thing is that those k's used to be pronounced. Mostly, English is not one language. It is a collision of languages. History, ...an Island nation gets invaded by the Roman empire. They get bogged down for hundreds of years with logistical nightmares (yep...those ight's used to have all the letter's pronounced also) and a populace that was not just going to lay down and get walked over....civilization and superior military tactics be damned. Eventually as formidable as the Romans were (the Latin and Greek in our English comes from them) they get tired and leave. Enter nearly everyone else in Europe to invade due to the power vacuum of a failed military dictatorship. The Saxons (our German and profanity) and Angles (from where we get our language's name spelled with an E instead) Danes (where we get all the kn's with silent consonants) , Normans (French) and Brittany...Britons (more French). We all gotta talk and do business don't we?

marybricklin avatar
Mary Bricklin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, good grief >< Didn't get the 'three silent k's in Republican' one until I started scrolling down.

maxthompson avatar
Max Thompson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For all you guys spreading false information, go back to newsmax.

janokaiser avatar
Jano Kaiser
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We don't get taught this, but the ck ending combo is a visual cue to signal a short preceding vowel sound. Hence, duck, truck, muck, mock, etc.

alicewiedrick avatar
bianavacker989 avatar
(Deleted)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The KKK are a racsist terrorist group. They were at the height of their power during the great depression.

Load More Replies...
ilonazoomer avatar
LesAnimaux
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually said "re-pu-bli-can" out loud really slowly to figure out where the K's go. I get it now.

mcborge1 avatar
mcborge1
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I nearly spat my tea out onto my keyboard reading that third entry, lol.

debrarobinson_2 avatar
Debra Robinson
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

guygreej avatar
guy greej
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

them 3k's in republican. I dun reckon you's confused. There ain't no k's in republic ooooooh

vasanaphong424 avatar
Vasana Phong
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine the teachers trying to explain this in elementary school students

geoffsmith avatar
Geoff Smith
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A nugget from Wikipedia: The Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill was first introduced in 1918 by Representative Leonidas C. Dyer, a Republican from St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States House of Representatives as H.R. 11279. It was intended to establish lynching as a federal crime. The Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill was re-introduced in subsequent sessions of Congress and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on January 26, 1922, but its passage was halted in the Senate by a filibuster by Southern Democrats, who formed a powerful block. Southern Democrats justified their opposition to the bill by arguing that lynchings were a response to rapes and proclaiming that lynchings were an issue that should be left for states to deal with.

ariawhitaker avatar
Aria Whitaker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now, go look up the "nugget" from Wiki about the "Southern Strategy" and "Dixiecrats"...never mind, Ill do it for you: "In American politics, the Southern strategy was a Republican Party electoral strategy to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans.[1][2][3] As the civil rights movement and dismantling of Jim Crow laws in the 1950s and 1960s visibly deepened existing racial tensions in much of the Southern United States, Republican politicians such as presidential candidate Richard Nixon and Senator Barry Goldwater developed strategies that successfully contributed to the political realignment of many white, conservative voters in the South who had traditionally supported the Democratic Party rather than the Republican Party. It also helped to push the Republican Party much more to the right."

Load More Replies...
geoffsmith avatar
Geoff Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny, but the Democrats were probably the largest party in the KKK. Ask Biden's old friend, Robert Byrd.

mark_98 avatar
Mark Johanen
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Given that the KKK was made up almost entirely of Democrats, and that it's stated goal was to undermine Republican efforts to give black people equal rights, I'd say there's a silent 'lying hypocrite" in "Democrat".

christamthompson_ct avatar
Cats
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

@Mark Johanen— And historically, you do know that Democrats and Republicans switched positions, right? So the joke refers to the current Republican Party with its current values, not the ancient Republican Party whose values more closely aligned with current Democrat values.

Load More Replies...
selaine4tn avatar
Sharon Ingram
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

You do know the KKK was founded by and still supported by Democrats.

christamthompson_ct avatar
Cats
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just as I replied above: And historically, you do know that Democrats and Republicans switched positions, right? So the joke refers to the current Republican Party with its current values, not the ancient Republican Party whose values more closely aligned with current Democrat values.

Load More Replies...
davidbrier_2 avatar
christamthompson_ct avatar
Cats
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

See above! And historically, you do know that Democrats and Republicans switched positions, right? So the joke refers to the current Republican Party with its current values, not the ancient Republican Party whose values more closely aligned with current Democrat values.

Load More Replies...
xcomputernautx avatar
Computernaut
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

That wouldn't be stereotyping I hear... Would it? Tisk tisk, we wouldn't want to generalize about people, now would we?

nicolaroberts avatar
Nicola Roberts
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Haha, it took me a while! I think the k was pronounced in the 17th century as in C Nife, but I could be wrong so don't quote me.

kjorn avatar
kjorn
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

you know that Lincoln was a republican right?

scotrutherford avatar
LivingTheDream
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Ah yes.... the ever popular all Republicans are racist joke. How original.

cip-iesan-67 avatar
Cip IESAN
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Don't downvote me, just check the history: KKK were Democrats! A simple fact.

johnc_1 avatar
John C
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You need to dig deeper. The republican and democrat parties have, essentially, switched their beliefs and values from that time period. A republican of today, holding the same values, would identify as a democrat back then, and vice versa. Ex: Abe Lincoln was a republican.

Load More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#2

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

kiwikoalacat7 Report

Add photo comments
POST
andreavilarmelego avatar
Ozacoter
Community Member
2 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
numptygamer avatar
Phendrena
Community Member
2 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

#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.

ADVERTISEMENT
#7

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
susannaental_1 avatar
Dynein
Community Member
2 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.

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').

ADVERTISEMENT

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

#15

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
susannaental_1 avatar
Dynein
Community Member
2 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
guygreej avatar
guy greej
Community Member
2 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
See Also on Bored Panda

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
nicolaroberts avatar
Nicola Roberts
Community Member
2 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
costa2706 avatar
Kari Panda
Community Member
2 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
vicmicbee avatar
Victor Botha
Community Member
2 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
cassiewilliams avatar
Cassie
Community Member
2 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
speer5884msn_com avatar
speer5884@msn.com
Community Member
2 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

“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.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#31

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
tsweda avatar
Thomas Sweda
Community Member
2 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
See Also on Bored Panda
#32

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

#33

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Sea_Break_8070 Report

Add photo comments
POST
vicmicbee avatar
Victor Botha
Community Member
2 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
shaunmay avatar
Shaun May
Community Member
2 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
#38

Reasons-English-Language-Frustrating

Report

Add photo comments
POST
helaumur avatar
Helenium
Community Member
2 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
saragregory0508 avatar
N G
Community Member
2 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
saragregory0508 avatar
N G
Community Member
2 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

Note: this post originally had 82 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.