Languages are challenging

English is a tough language to master. I've been teaching a parents class for the past couple of weeks and after running into this blog entry, I now understand how frustrating it can be for people trying to learn English as a second language.


1. The bandage was wound around the wound.

2. The farm was used to produce produce.

3. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4. We must polish the Polish furniture.

5. He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10. I did not object to the object.

11. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

12. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

13. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

14. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

15. They were too close to the door to close it.

16. The buck does funny things when the does are present.

17. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

18. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

19. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

20. After a number of injections my jaw got number.

21. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.


Consider the following words:

1) though

2) through

3) cough

4) rough

5) plough

6) ought

7) borough

8) hiccough.

It's amazing that most of these words, although they have a common ending -ough, sound different. None of them are pronounced the same way. But how do we, as anglophones, know which is which?

For those who took french immerson, I am sure you can relate to the saying "If it ends with an e, then it is feminin". Unfortunately, this is wrong and is simply a generalization. There are many feminin words that don't end with e, like la maison and la natation. And how about for masculin words like, le singe and le livre. They are exceptions to the "rule". There is no exact way, there is no absolute pattern, there are always exceptions, it is just a memorization game.

Languages can be annoying but they are amazing tools created by people over thousands of years constantly changing and evolving.

All I have to say is that Engrish is tough.