Why Is English So Hard to Learn? ( Part 1: Rules, Word Order & Pronunciation)

It’s Not Just You: My English Journey

Another evening, another page of English notes. I’d repeat a sentence I’d practiced for days, but it still sounded wrong, like I was betraying the words. I’d stare at my notebook and wonder: Why is English so hard to learn? If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone. English has a reputation as one of the hardest languages in the world, and I learned that the hard way.

When I started learning English, I was thrown by the simplest things. I thought I’d cracked grammar, but then I stumbled over I do, we do, they do—and he/she does. Why the extra “-es”? The past tense was worse. I expected clear rules, but go turned into went for no reason I could fathom. Pronunciation? A complete nightmare. Words like read (present) and read(past) looked like twins but sounded like strangers. And word stress—oh, how I dreaded it. One misplaced syllable, and people would tilt their heads, as if I’d slipped into another language. Even word families—nation, national, nationality—felt like a puzzle with half the pieces missing.

I had moments of laughter, like when I mispronounced beach in a way that made my friends giggle. And moments of frustration, when I wanted to toss my notebook out the window. But looking back, those struggles were just chapters in a bigger story. Even now, after years of practice, I slip up when speaking or writing. The difference? I don’t let mistakes stop me anymore. People understand me, and that’s what matters. Language isn’t about perfection—it’s about connection.

This is my story of wrestling with English, from its broken rules to its tricky sounds and word order. It’s also the story of how I learned to love the chaos, thanks to everyday practice and a personal guide who became more than a teacher—a companion. If you’ve ever felt stuck, this is for you.

Rules That Play Tricks

English grammar feels like a friend who makes promises they don’t keep. You learn a rule, think you’ve got it, and then it flips on you. Take plurals: add “-s” to make a noun plural. Cat → cats. Dog → dogs. Simple enough. But then mouse becomes mice, and child turns into children. It’s like the language is playing a prank.

I still laugh about the time I wrote childrens in my homework, so sure I’d nailed it. My teacher circled it in red, gave me a kind smile, and I just sat there, puzzled. Why would a language teach me a rule and then break it? That’s when I first thought, learning English is difficult.

The past tense is just as sneaky. You’re told to add “-ed”: walk → walked, play → played. But then go → went and buy → bought show up, laughing at your confusion. Even the “-ed” ending isn’t consistent—walked sounds like /t/, but wanted sounds like /ɪd/. Spelling? Don’t get me started. I learned c sounds like /s/ before e or i (cell, city), but then ocean and special broke the pattern.

English isn’t built on one tidy system. It’s a patchwork of Latin, French, Germanic roots, and more, stitched together over centuries. That’s why it feels so messy, and why exceptions are everywhere. It’s no surprise people call it one of the hardest languages in the world. The rules aren’t lies—they’re just riddles, guiding you partway before leaving you to figure out the rest.

Word Order: Thoughts That Don’t Fit

Even when I started grasping grammar, English word order turned my thoughts into puzzles. In Mandarin, my native language, ideas flow more freely. You can shift words around, and the meaning still holds. English? Not so much. It’s strict: subject → verb → object. She only drinks tea in the morning makes sense, but Tea in the morning she only drinks sounds like poetry, not conversation.

Questions were another hurdle. In Mandarin, I’d say You are going? and people would get it. In English, it has to be Are you going? Adverbs and time expressions made it worse. I’d think I only yesterday saw him felt natural, but English demanded I only saw him yesterday. It wasn’t just grammar—it was rewiring how my brain built sentences. No wonder I felt stuck, even when I knew the words.

The Pronunciation Maze: A Soundtrack of Surprises

English pronunciation is like wandering through a maze where the walls keep moving. Take though, thought, and tough. They look like family, but they sound like they’ve never met. For a Mandarin speaker like me, used to tones shaping meaning, English’s vowels and consonants felt like chaos. Through, cough, bough, dough—all spelled so similarly, yet each with a different voice.

Stress was another trap. Say record with the emphasis on the first syllable (RE-cord), and it’s a noun. Shift it to the second (re-CORD), and it’s a verb. One tiny change, and the meaning flips. I used to read the English pronunciation poem—a famous text filled with oddities like tear (to rip) versus tear (from crying)—and laugh at how even native speakers found it absurd. It made me feel less alone, but I still wondered: Is English pronunciation hard to learn?

From Rules to Real Life

The twists of grammar, the rigidity of word order, and the maze of pronunciation can make English feel like a mountain to climb. But these are just the first steps of the journey. Beyond the rules lies a deeper challenge: weaving English into the rhythm of your life. It’s not just about mastering verbs or perfecting your accent—it’s about finding meaning in the chaos and letting the language become a tool for connection.

We believe TUTEEMI Plus can guide you through this journey, with passionate tutors who meet you wherever you choose—your home, a café, or anywhere that inspires you. Ready to take the first step?

Visit TUTEEMI to book a trial class and discover how personalized tutoring can transform your English learning story. Stay tuned to explore more challenges that await in your English learning journey.