English is classified as a _________language.
In fact, eighty of the hundred most used words in English are of Germanic origin.
What is the most commonly used letter in the English language?
In fact, as many as one in eight of all the letters written in English is ‘e’.
The sentence above contains ______ different spellings of the sound “ee”:
The ee sound is written, by order, as 'he', 'ie', 'ae', 'ee', 'pe', 'ei' and 'ea'
The _________ period dates from the 11th century (Normans invade England) to the 15th century AD.
Words such as “Actually”, “like”, “basically” and “anyway” are known as ________.
Which of these words still used today is the most ancient?
The word I is one of the oldest words in the English language, and has changed very little if at all.
The most commonly used adjective in the English language is ________.
The sentence above is a famous example of a pangram. Which words are missing?
More English words begin with the letter ___ than any other letter of the alphabet.
An ambigram is a word that...
A good example is the word SWIMS (in caps)
Looks the same upside down
Is the same left to right as right to left
Mimics the sound of the thing they describe
Words that have multiple and different definitions
The English word "AND" comes from the Latin word ______.
An example of the word still being used today is "et. all" which means 'and others'.
While the English language has more than _________ words, the average English speaker knows about __________ English words.
When it comes to writing, the number drops to an average of 5,000.
A million | 20,000-40,000
100 million | 100,000-250,000
According to a study by the University of Warwick, the following word is one of the '10 funniest words in English'.
There used to be an informal word/phrase for "The day after tomorrow" in English. It was _______.
It was used in middle English but fell out of use. It is still used in German as übermorgen.
What is the most misused word in the English Language?
The song 'Ironic' by Alanis Morrissette is famous for misusing it the whole song through.
English is an Enigma Wrapped in a Riddle...
Unfortunately you didn't get a high score. English is a complicated language with an incredible history. One does not need too much about it to use it well or indeed even write the best novel ever written. If you'd like you can try again. Alternatively, check your mistakes, the answers and some additional information by clicking on 'Show Mistakes'.
A Lover of English
You have answered a goodly number of questions correctly and have achieved a higher-than-average level of knowledge about the actual language you use every day. It's amazing how little most of us know about it. Good for you! If you'd like to know where you went wrong, click on 'Show Mistakes'.
A Language Historian
My my, aren't we brilliant? You've trashed our quiz and made us look like amateurs! Oh well, we congratulate you, with nary a muttered complaint, on your incredibly impressive knowledge of the English language. Keep it up and share your results with others!