English is the most widely spoken language worldwide when native and second-language speakers are counted, with well over a billion users.
English originated in early medieval England from West Germanic dialects brought by Anglo-Saxon settlers. It later absorbed substantial vocabulary from Old Norse, Norman French, Latin, and many other languages. British maritime expansion, the British Empire, and the economic and cultural influence of the United States helped spread English internationally.
Unlike Mandarin Chinese, English has a relatively modest native-speaker population compared with its total number of users. Its international role comes mainly from education, science, aviation, diplomacy, business, computing, and popular culture.
English is not governed by a single worldwide language academy. Instead, spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation vary among British, American, Indian, Australian, Nigerian, and many other national and regional standards.