Language that sounds like English

K. T.   Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:31 pm GMT
For big languages, I'd say that Dutch sounds the most like English. There are complete sentences that ressemble English a lot in sound.
If you know some German, you can feel how Dutch is very much in the middle between English and German. It's like when you dream about languages and things can get a little confused.
Joao   Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:20 pm GMT
I think not other language sounds like English. English sounds like a wagging metal spring with rolled "r"

Other languages using rolled "r" as few or inexistent.
juju   Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:30 am GMT
Can we consider "Singlish" as a variety ?
blanc   Fri Aug 21, 2009 7:04 pm GMT
I think Dutch sounds VERY much like English. But It's an Germanic language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTvWOfkR9oA&feature=player_embedded
Woozle   Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:38 pm GMT
Dutch sounds not at all like English. The abundance of guttural consonants (gargled R, 'kh'), French/German pursed-lip vowels, dental t's and d's, sharp consonants - none of that English mushiness, that characteristic Germanic nasal drawl in diphthongs.. Dutch sounds German. Very German.

English is a unique-sounding language, really.
Lobo   Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:52 pm GMT
Le frison (Frisian) écoutez la ressemblance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRfodZPL57A
Reynard   Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:19 am GMT
<<Le frison (Frisian) écoutez la ressemblance. >>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXlPpKCN7i8&feature=related

je suis d'accord. Le Frison sonne l'anglais le plus pareil.
romance   Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:34 am GMT
Well I'd say a mixture of Dutch and English. English is not that unique after all! :-)
roseline   Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:07 pm GMT
To my ears, Dutch, as it sounds, is really in the middle between German and English. Less harsh than German but far more guttural than English.
Frisian, however, sounds really much like English, although I couldn't understand anything. Where is it spoken? are English and Frisian related?
avo   Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:47 pm GMT
I could understand pieces and bits such as this, is and other basic words.. but it sounds indeed like English. Frisian is Spoken in northern HOlland, and in Germany at the border with Danemark
blurb   Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:09 am GMT
"Dutch sounds not at all like English. The abundance of guttural consonants (gargled R, 'kh'), French/German pursed-lip vowels, dental t's and d's, sharp consonants - none of that English mushiness, that characteristic Germanic nasal drawl in diphthongs.. Dutch sounds German. Very German."

English is a unique-sounding language, really.

You said, "none of that English mushiness," and to that I must very much disagree. Maybe English sounds mushier, but I think mushiness is a big defining characteristic of every Germanic language, maybe Dutch most of all.
isaaaaak neeewwton   Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:44 am GMT
<<but I think mushiness is a big defining characteristic of every Germanic language>>

I don't think so. Compare English to German, which is much more crystal-clear. English is just pure slushy grime.
blurb   Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:03 am GMT
"<<but I think mushiness is a big defining characteristic of every Germanic language>>

I don't think so. Compare English to German, which is much more crystal-clear. English is just pure slushy grime."

All right, English may sound mushier than German, but German also has a mushy side, like every Germanic language. Sometimes German sounds really rounded, with a lot of words that sound like "fluben." These words can indeed make it sound mushy.
PARISIEN   Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:29 am GMT
<< If you know some German, you can feel how Dutch is very much in the middle between English and German. >>

-- Written Dutch, for sure. But contrary to both English and German, aspiration of fortis consonants is weaker in Dutch, and the language is definitely less stress-timed. From that point of view standard German could be seen as being a mid-term between English and Dutch!

<< Dutch sounds not at all like English. The abundance of guttural consonants (gargled R, 'kh'), French/German pursed-lip vowels, dental t's and d's, sharp consonants - none of that English mushiness, that characteristic Germanic nasal drawl in diphthongs.. Dutch sounds German. Very German.

English is a unique-sounding language, really.>>

-- RP English is obviously lightyears away from Dutch. However, some Northern English dialects and Scottish pronunciation have a sort of harshness that is sometimes reminiscent in some way of Dutch.

It's never easy (and rather futile) to pigeonhole languages along a linear scale.
encore   Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:24 pm GMT
<<Saterland Frisian
Die Wänt strookede dät Wucht uum ju Keeuwe un oapede hier ap do Sooken.
North Frisian (Mooring dialect)
Di dreng aide dåt foomen am dåt kan än mäket har aw da siike.
West Frisian
De jonge streake it famke om it kin en tute har op 'e wangen.
East Frisian Low Saxon
De Jung straktde dat Wicht um't Kinn to un tuutjede hör up de Wangen.
Danish
Drengen aede pigen på hagen og kyssede hende på kinderne.
Dutch
De jongen streelde/streek het meisje rond haar kin en kuste haar op haar wangen.
Dutch Low Saxon
De jonge strek 't dearntje um de kinne en gaf heur een smok.
German
Der Junge streichelte das Mädchen ums Kinn und küsste sie auf die Wangen.
English
The boy stroked the girl on the chin and kissed her on the cheeks.
Scots
The laddie straikit the lassie oan the chin an gied hir a smouch oan the chouks>>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisian_languages