Wanting to learn a new language? Looking for a challenge? Perhaps you want to avoid a challenge. However you approach your new language, here are some of the most difficult for English speakers to master.
Key Takeaways
- The hardest languages for English speakers to learn typically fall into FSI Category V, requiring around 2 200 hours of study.⁷
- Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean are widely considered among the most difficult languages for English speakers.²
- Language difficulty depends on how different a language is from English in terms of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.⁴
- Writing systems such as Chinese characters or Arabic script add an extra layer of complexity for learners.⁵
- European languages like Hungarian, Finnish, and Polish are also challenging due to grammar and case systems.³
- Category IV languages usually require around 1 100 hours, while Category I languages can take 600–750 hours.⁷
- There is no single most complex language, as difficulty depends on the learner’s background and experience.⁹
How Language Difficulty is Measured (FSI and Learning Time)
For the languages we choose, we've looked at a useful benchmark.¹ The Foreign Service Institute (FSI), part of the U.S. Department of State, has a system that categorises languages by the amount of time it takes English speakers to gain working proficiency.⁶ These are estimates based on intensive study, but they're a useful indicator of what you're getting yourself into before you start studying grammar, vocabulary, writing systems, and pronunciation across languages.⁷
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) groups languages based on how long it takes native English speakers to learn them. Category I languages take around 600–750 hours, while Category IV languages take roughly 1 100 hours. The hardest languages fall into Category V, often requiring 2 200 hours or more due to major differences in grammar, writing systems, and pronunciation compared to English.
The 10 Hardest Languages for English Speakers to Learn
We can't stress enough that the difficulty of learning a language depends on the individual. However, difficulty also stems from the languages you already speak.⁴ You'll see that most of the difficult languages include vastly different structures, sounds, and writing systems.² For example, if an English speaker learns a language similar to English, they'll already be familiar with certain structures, ideas, etc.
Languages feel more difficult when they differ significantly from English in structure, sound, or writing. A new alphabet, tonal pronunciation, or unfamiliar grammar rules can all increase difficulty, especially when learners cannot rely on similarities to their native language. The greater the linguistic distance, the more time and effort are usually required.
Mandarin Chinese
English speakers find Mandarin difficult because it uses a tonal system where pitch changes the meaning.⁵ Beyond that, they also need to learn thousands of characters rather than just an alphabet.¹ There's very little overlap in terms of English vocabulary, too, so almost every word is harder to recognise.³ As one of the world's most popular languages, at least it's quite easy to find resources for it.
of study to achieve proficiency.
Arabic
Arabic uses a different writing system from English and reads right-to-left.⁵ Arabic is a macrolanguage, too, which means it's a large continuum of differing dialects that differ from the standard written form.³ Many Arabic phonemes don't exist in English, which makes pronunciation harder to master.⁸ It's also one of the world's oldest languages, which tends to be more complex.
Japanese
Japanese has three writing systems that you have to learn together.⁵ The grammar structure also uses a vastly different syntax from the English language.³ With very little shared vocabulary other than English loanwords, learners basically have to learn all their vocabulary from scratch.⁸
Korean
The Korean language uses a different sentence structure from English, with a subject-object-verb order in many cases.⁵ Honorifics are also something you have to learn, and there isn't really an equivalent of them in English.⁸ Hangul is an arguably better writing system than the Latin alphabet that English uses. However, it's still something new for English speakers to learn.³
Cantonese
Cantonese, like Mandarin, also uses tones. This means you have to have an ear for pitch to understand meaning in utterances.⁵ With these subtle sound differences, English speakers will find it difficult to learn.¹ Add this to the gap between spoken Cantonese and written Chinese, and you'll find an extra layer of complexity that you have to deal with.⁸
Hungarian
Hungarian is geographically closer to the English language than some of the others we've seen so far. However, don't let that fool you into thinking that it's much easier. It has an agglutinative structure, which means words are formed by adding multiple suffixes.³ Its large number of grammatical cases has to be studied, too, with words changing in different contexts.⁵ In terms of vocabulary, there are very few similarities with English.⁸
of study to achieve proficiency.
Finnish
The Finnish language also has an extensive case system, which replaces what would be prepositions in English.³ The vowel harmony rules also affect how words are formed and pronounced.⁵ Think you might recognise some words from English, which was heavily influenced in its early forms by Old Norse from nearby Scandinavia? Think again! The Finnish vocabulary is largely unrelated to English, which makes it quite a challenge.⁸ Finnish is also one of Europe's oldest languages.
Russian
Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, so add that to the list of things you have to learn.⁵ The grammar uses cases, too, with word endings changing depending on their role in the sentence.³ Verb aspects mean that you have to learn how to understand various subtle differences in meaning.⁸
Icelandic
The Icelandic language is one of the oldest languages still used in Europe. It has features that are no longer used in modern English.⁸ Its complex case system and verb conjugations take English learners a long time to master.³ As a fairly niche language, there are also fewer resources, which makes it harder to study and practise regularly.⁵
Polish
Polish has a seven-case system, with words changing according to the sentence in which they're used.³ There are also consonant clusters that are tricky for English speakers to master.⁵ The word endings vary according to their grammatical context, which adds another layer of complexity.⁸
You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.
Czech proverb
What Is the Most Complex Language and What Makes Languages Harder to Learn?
Since every language student is different, there's no easy answer here. Language complexity for English speakers can depend on grammar, writing systems, and pronunciation.⁹ Generally, the more different a language is from your mother tongue, the trickier you'll find it. Proficiency is harder to achieve when there's a greater linguistic distance between languages.¹⁰
The hardest language to learn is not always the most complex. Difficulty depends on the learner's background, while complexity refers to features such as grammar, writing systems, and pronunciation. A language may be structurally complex but easier to learn if it shares similarities with English.
Geographical distance between languages tends to lead to greater linguistic differences. Languages from Asia, like Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Cantonese, can all pose challenges, but many languages closer to English's home are tricky as well. If you're looking for easier languages to learn, most English speakers will find related European languages easier, especially those with similar roots.
of study to gain proficiency.
| Language | FSI Category | Estimated Study Time | Key Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Chinese | Category V | 2200+ hours | Tonal system and logographic writing |
| Arabic | Category V | 2200+ hours | Multiple dialects and unfamiliar script |
| Japanese | Category V | 2200+ hours | Three writing systems and complex grammar |
| Korean | Category V | 2200+ hours | Different sentence structure and honorifics |
| Cantonese | Category V | 2200+ hours | Multiple tones and pronunciation difficulty |
| Hungarian | Category IV | 1100 hours | Agglutinative grammar and many cases |
| Finnish | Category IV | 1100 hours | Extensive case system and vowel harmony |
| Russian | Category IV | 1100 hours | Cyrillic script and grammatical cases |
| Icelandic | Category IV | 1100 hours | Archaic grammar and limited resources |
| Polish | Category IV | 1100 hours | Seven-case system and consonant clusters |
References
- ACE Language Centre. “Top 10 Hardest Languages to Learn.” ACE Language Centre, https://acelanguagecentre.edu.my/top-10-hardest-languages-to-learn/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- Atlas & Boots. “The Hardest Languages to Learn for English Speakers.” Atlas & Boots, https://www.atlasandboots.com/travel-blog/foreign-service-institute-language-difficulty/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- Berlitz. “Hardest Languages to Learn for English Speakers.” Berlitz, https://www.berlitz.com/blog/hardest-languages-to-learn-english-speakers. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- Conti, Gianfranco. “How Long Does It Take to Learn a Language? Understanding the Factors That Make Some Languages Harder Than Others.” Gianfranco Conti Blog, https://gianfrancoconti.com/2025/04/18/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-a-language-understanding-the-factors-that-make-some-languages-harder-than-others/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- EC Innovations. “Top 10 Most Difficult Languages in the World.” EC Innovations, https://www.ecinnovations.com/blog/top-10-most-difficult-languages-in-the-world/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- Foreign Service Institute. “Foreign Language Training.” U.S. Department of State, https://2009-2017.state.gov/m/fsi/sls/orgoverview/languages. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- FSI Language Courses. “FSI Language Difficulty Ranking.” FSI Language Courses, https://www.fsi-language-courses.org/blog/fsi-language-difficulty/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- Migaku. “The Hardest Languages to Learn.” Migaku, https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/hardest-languages-to-learn. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- Remitly. “What Is the Hardest Language to Learn? Top Challengers Ranked.” Remitly, https://www.remitly.com/blog/lifestyle-culture/what-is-the-hardest-language-to-learn-top-challengers-ranked/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
- Linguist. “How Long Should It Take to Learn a Language?” The Linguist, https://blog.thelinguist.com/how-long-should-it-take-to-learn-a-language/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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