United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland holds a unique and unrivalled place in the story of the English language. Today, the UK is home to approximately 67 million people, virtually all of whom speak English as their first language. More than that, the United Kingdom is the nation that gave English to the world.

It was from the United Kingdom that English spread to become the world's foremost international language. Through centuries of exploration, trade, and empire, British explorers and settlers carried English to North America, Australia, New Zealand, India, the Caribbean, Africa, and beyond. Today, English is spoken by an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide.

The BBC, founded in 1922 and broadcasting in English to every corner of the globe, remains one of the most trusted and far-reaching voices of the English language in the modern world.