Despite the title, clearly many non-native English speakers pick up the language. That being said, English, with its intricate phonetic structure and complex pronunciation rules, can present unique obstacles. One common issue is the difficulty in producing specific English sounds that do not exist in many other languages.

Sounds such as ‘th’, ‘v’, and ‘r’ are often problematic for non-native speakers. The ‘th’ sound, for instance, which involves the placement of the tongue between the teeth, is unique to English and can pose a significant challenge. Similarly, the English ‘r’ and ‘v’ sounds have unique tongue and lip placements that can be difficult to master without targeted practice. Additionally, the English language is known for its irregular pronunciations, which can be particularly confusing for learners. Words with silent letters, like ‘knife’ or ‘honest’, or those with irregular pronunciations, like ‘read’ (past tense) and ‘read’ (present tense), can make English a complex language to master phonetically.

All that being said, take a moment at this article from Merriam Webster: Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: English is maddening, and it’s not sorry.  Enjoy.