English is the language you're reading right now. It's spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the world as their first language, and by many millions more as a second language. English started in England (which is where it gets its name) over 1,500 years ago, but it has spread globally and evolved into the primary language of international business, science, aviation, and diplomacy.

English is unusual because it has borrowed words from dozens of other languages. When Vikings invaded England, they brought Norse words. When French-speaking Normans conquered England in 1066, thousands of French words entered English. English has also absorbed words from Latin, Greek, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, and many other languages. This is why English has such a large vocabulary: there are multiple words that mean almost the same thing, like “begin” (from Old English), “commence” (from French), and “initiate” (from Latin).

The language has no official governing body that decides what is “correct,” so English keeps changing and adapting. New words get added constantly, and the way people speak English in America differs somewhat from British English, Australian English, or Indian English.

English can also refer to things from England, like English breakfast tea or the English Channel. When you put English on a ball in pool or bowling, you make it spin in a way that changes its path.