English is the world's most spoken language by total speakers, counting both native and second-language users. Its global total is commonly estimated at roughly 1.5 billion people, ahead of Mandarin Chinese when English learners are included.
English reached this position through a combination of British imperial expansion, international trade, migration, education and the later economic and cultural influence of the United States. Today it is widely used as a lingua franca in science, aviation, diplomacy, technology, tourism and multinational business.
The answer changes if the question asks for native speakers only: Mandarin Chinese ranks first by that measure. Language rankings also vary because researchers count proficiency differently and may group or separate varieties such as Chinese and Arabic. Even so, under the usual “native plus second-language” definition, English is the standard quiz answer.
English is an Indo-European language in the Germanic family. Its vocabulary has absorbed major influences from Norse, French, Latin, Greek and many other languages.