Start learning English

Where the language comes from

English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval Britain. Contact with Norse and French added many words. Today it belongs to many communities, not just Britain or the United States. Choose an accent model for listening practice, while learning to understand other speakers too.

Writing and sounds

The alphabet has 26 letters, but a letter is not a sound: the a in name and cat differs. Learn IPA with example words. /ˈ/ marks the following stressed syllable; /ə/ is an unstressed vowel. Compare ship /ʃɪp/ and sheep /ʃiːp/. Keep lips relaxed and listen to vowel quality as well as duration. The chart below uses a broad American model; it is not a universal accent chart.

Your first conversation

Start with Hello. My name is Alex. Then ask What is your name? To repair a conversation, use Please speak slowly or Please say that again. Listen once, repeat once, cover the sentence and recall it. You do not need to understand every word before trying a short exchange. Practise changing only the name, without changing the sentence structure.

Grammar to start with

Begin with subject + verb + object: I like the book. For a simple present question, use Do you like the book?; for a negative, I do not like the book. The verb be behaves differently: I am a beginner / Are you a beginner? Learn a noun with its article and a useful phrase. Avoid mixing these patterns by swapping random words.

Culture and a seven-day plan

Politeness depends on context and relationship; please and thank you are useful but not a complete cultural rulebook. Ask how a person prefers to be addressed. Day 1–2: alphabet and ten sounds. Day 3–4: five greetings and repair phrases. Day 5: one question pattern. Day 6: read a short dialogue aloud. Day 7: recall five phrases without the translation and revisit the difficult ones.