If you’ve ever Googled “easiest language to learn” during a late-night burst of motivation (we’ve all been there), you’re not alone. Some languages really do go down easier, like warm soup on a cold day. Here are a few that might make you fall in love with learning again.
1. Indonesian
Indonesian uses the Latin alphabet (so no memorizing curly symbols or pretending you can type in another script), the words sound just like they’re spelled, and the grammar? No verb tenses, no plurals to worry about! It’s no wonder Indonesian consistently shows up on lists of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers.
Plus, Indonesian borrows a ton of words from Dutch, Arabic, English, and Sanskrit—which means you’re probably already halfway to your first sentence without realizing it.
Want to say “television”? Just say televisi.
Need “restaurant”? It’s restoran.
Learning Indonesian is a joyful little win that builds real momentum fast.
2. Malay
And if Indonesian feels like a breath of fresh, grammar-light air, Malay is its equally delightful linguistic twin. Spoken in Malaysia, Brunei, and part of Singapore, Malay shares so much DNA with Indonesian that learning one practically gives you two for the price of one.
Same Latin alphabet, same no-fuss grammar, and a vocabulary that overlaps more often than not. If you’ve mastered “Saya mau kopi” (I want some coffee) in Indonesia, congrats—you’ve basically got it in Malay, too.
But even on its own, Malay is a joy. No verb conjugations, no tenses to untangle, and no noun genders to memorize—just simple structure that makes it one of the easiest languages to learn for beginners.
3. Hausa
So you want to learn an African language that won’t require you to sacrifice your weekends and sanity? Let us introduce you to Hausa. It’s spoken by millions across West Africa, uses the familiar Latin alphabet, and best of all? No tones.
Plus, the pronunciation is clear, the grammar is surprisingly manageable, and once you’ve got a handle on the basics, it flows. All these reasons make Hausa one of the easiest languages to learn in the world.
And let’s talk about practicality. Hausa is so much more than just a “fun fact”—it’s a major player in business, media, music, and pop culture across the region. So, you’re getting a good mix of learning something new and using it. Win-win.
4. Dutch
Let’s take a tiny hop over to Europe for another unexpectedly friendly language: Dutch. Well, Dutch may not be the first language that comes to mind when you think “easy,” but hear us out.
It’s a close cousin to English (they’re both Germanic languages), so you’ll constantly bump into words that feel oddly familiar, e.g., water and boter. The sentence structure is similar, the alphabet is the same, and a lot of the vocabulary just sounds like someone speaking English with a heavy Lego accent.
Plus, Dutch grammar is like the Goldilocks of European languages—not too hard, not too easy, but just right for someone who wants a challenge that doesn’t make you want to cry into your textbooks.
5. Romanian
Romanian is a Romance language, so you’ll spot tons of familiar vocabulary if you’ve ever taken a semester of high school anything. Think familie, animal, important. Plus, it has fewer silent letters than English, making it one of the easiest languages to learn by yourself if you’re flying solo with podcasts and YouTube.
While the grammar gives you those classic Romance vibes (hello noun genders and verb conjugations), there’s just enough unexpected flair to keep things interesting, but not overwhelming. If you want to speak something just a little off the beaten language-learning path, Romanian is your underrated gem.
6. Spanish
There’s a reason Spanish tops just about every “easiest languages to learn besides English” list—because it actually is.
Everything is mostly said how it’s spelled, the grammar is consistent once you get the hang of a few patterns, and the vocabulary? Half of it already lives rent-free in your head thanks to high school classes, signage, food labels, and Netflix.
Spanish is also wildly practical. We’re talking hundreds of millions of speakers across continents, making it a total no-brainer for travel, work, and friendships.
Sure, some of the easiest languages to learn play nice with your brain. But let’s be honest: English is the one everyone wants to dance with. Strong English skills open more doors than any phrasebook ever could. Because the easiest language to learn is the one you actually stick with.
At Fun English Course, we make learning feel doable (and even fun!), with courses from beginner to professional. Sign up for a course today!