Facts about the language

There are many different versions of English around the world: British English, Scottish English, Irish English, American English, Canadian English, English of the Caribbean, English in Africa, English in Asia, Creoles and Pidgins, and Australian English are just a few.

But did you know that:

• Despite the fact the most Americans speak English, it is not the official language of the U.S. - it does not actually have one, but classes itself as a 'multi-lingual' nation.
• Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions
• The shortest complete sentence in the English language is “I am.”
• The most used letter in the English alphabet is ‘E’, and ‘Q’ is the least used!
• The longest word in the English language is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, which is a medical condition caused by volcanic dust
• "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
• No words in the English language rhyme with orange, silver or purple.

... and that of all the world's languages (over 2,700) English is arguably the richest in vocabulary; and that the Oxford English Dictionary lists 500,000 words.