Why Esperanto Is an Amazing Language

Have you ever sighed over the fact that there are two words in English pronounced “AYT” — yet one of them is spelled A-T-E, while the other is spelled E-I-G-H-T? Have you ever rolled your eyes because “though” and “through” are spelled almost exactly the same, but sound totally different? Have you ever failed miserably trying to explain to a kid why the past tense of “walk” is “walked,” but the past tense of “run” is “ran,” and “slide” is “slid”?

Esperanto is free of the inconsistencies, illogic, and irregularities that make English frustrating.

If so, have I got a language for you. It’s called “Esperanto.” And it’s blessedly free of the inconsistencies, illogic, and irregularities that make English so frustrating to learn — especially as a second language.

Esperanto was the brainchild of L.L. Zamenhof, a Polish eye doctor born in 1859 who went by the pseudonym “Doktoro Esperanto” — that is, “Doctor Hopeful.” What he hoped for was a world where all humans could easily communicate with each other using a common language — one that was simple, easy to learn, and detached from any political or cultural significance. He saw this language as a great equalizer. It would be a second language that anyone could learn — and instantly be on the same footing as anyone else.

Zamenhof worked on his idea for years. Then, in 1905, he published "Fundamento de Esperanto," a primer for his new, international language. Its words are derived from roots found in many European languages, particularly Romance languages like French, Italian, and Spanish.

Pronunciation Is Simple in Esperanto

The beauty of Esperanto lies in its simplicity, which starts with pronunciation. The Esperanto alphabet has 28 letters, and each letter makes one and only one sound. 

For example:

• The letter A makes the “ah” sound we hear in the French “ami”— never the hard A of “name” or the “uh” sound of “amigo.” 
• The letter C makes only the soft sound we hear in Ceasar or Circe. If you want the hard C sound in “cat,” you use the letter K. And if you want the “ch” sound in “chair,” you use a special Esperanto letter that doesn’t exist in English — a C with a circumflex on top (Ĉ), known as “chu.” 

This is in contrast to English, in which one letter can make multiple sounds. Think of the G in “Greg” versus the one in “George,” for example.

In Esperanto, one letter equals one sound.

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