spoken in the world, but only a few hundred of them have writing systems and are used in schools and government. English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over 1.5 billion speakers, including both native and non-native speakers. It has become the (6) language of international communication, used in diplomacy, business, science, and technology. The (7) varieties of English, including British English, American English, Australian English, and others, have their own unique accents, vocabulary, and grammar rules. Despite these differences, speakers of different dialects of English can usually understand each other with little difficulty. The (8) of English has been facilitated by the global influence of the British Empire in the past and the economic and cultural dominance of the United States in the present. As a result, English has become the lingua franca of the modern world, connecting people from diverse backgrounds and (9) as a common language for communication and collaboration.