English – The Confusing Language

The Confusing Language

Take the word ‘lead’ as an example of major confusion in my native language.

In one form, lead is the name given to a heavy, bluish, soft, malleable metal. But in numerous other forms, it has an entirely different meaning. Here are just a few for you to consider:

To lead – the act of leading someone or an animal, or, here comes yet another confusion, he ‘led’ them – lead minus the ‘a’.

Then you have ‘to lead someone on’, in other words, to take advantage, to deceive.

Next comes ‘lead to,’ a route or a means of access to a particular place.

How about ‘lead someone to’, the act of motivating someone into an action or belief.

Finally, how about ‘to lead off’, ‘to be in charge of,’ or ‘to begin a report’?

Is it any wonder that non-English speakers have so much trouble with our hybrid language?

And as for the other versions of the English language worldwide and their local ways of spelling and colloquial meanings, don’t even go there…

I suppose English is a confusing language.