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This is how English sounds to non-English speakers

Ever wondered how we sound to foreigners? This video goes some way to showing us.
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Have you ever wondered what our language sounds like to those who can’t understand the words being said?

It’s pretty impossible to listen objectively to the sound of English, and how it must seem to those who aren’t native speakers.

For many of us, the sounds of Latinate languages such as Italian and French sound beautiful and expressive, while German is often described as gutteral and tough.

Scandinavian languages sometimes have that happy lilt, while some African tongues sound instantly joyful.

But what about English?

A short film created by Brian Fairbairn and Karl Eccleston attempts to show us what it might sound like to those who don’t speak it, by using real words in an incorrect order, with mistakes in spelling and grammar.

The result is jibberish, but goes some way to showing the true sound of English while preventing us getting carried away with what the characters are actually saying to one another.

We found this totally fascinating, and it reminded us of certain languages we didn’t expect it would.

Have a watch above and then take our quiz below.

How did the English language develop?

English is regarded as one of the most diverse languages in the world, mainly because of how many influences it has had throughout its history.

Regarded as a West Germanic language, English is often referred to as ‘like German.’ While there is some truth to this, the language has had a whole host of influencers in the form of invaders arriving in the British isles.

With each invader, came a new language, which helped inform and shape the English language that we hear today.

Old Norse, Old Norman, Saxon, Celtic have all played their part to form Modern English as we know it.

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