<P> English is the third most widespread native language in the world , after Standard Chinese and Spanish . It is the most widely learned second language and is either the official language or one of the official languages in almost 60 sovereign states . There are more people who have learned it as a second language than there are native speakers . English is the most commonly spoken language in the United Kingdom , the United States , Canada , Australia , Ireland and New Zealand , and it is widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean , Africa and South Asia . It is co-official language of the United Nations , of the European Union and of many other world and regional international organisations . It is the most widely spoken Germanic language , accounting for at least 70 % of speakers of this Indo - European branch . English has a vast vocabulary , and counting exactly how many words it has is impossible . </P>
who are the native speakers of english language
United Kingdom the United States Canada Australia Ireland New Zealand