The English language is spoken.
English [ ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ] is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and is now the global lingua franca . It is the most commonly spoken language in the United Kingdom , the United States , Canada , Australia , Ireland , and New Zealand , and is widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean , Africa , and South Asia . It is the most widely learned second language and an official language of the United Nations , of the European Union , and of many other world and regional international organisations . Despite noticeable variation among the accents and dialects of English used in different countries and regions -- in terms of phonetics and phonology , and sometimes also vocabulary , grammar and spelling -- English-speakers from around the world are able to communicate with one another with relative ease .