The third edition of World Englishes provides an engaging overview of the global variations in vocabulary, grammar, phonology and pragmatics of English as it is used worldwide. This book introduces the principles of linguistic variation and provides coverage on the roots of English, the spread of English, variations of English as a second language and trends for the future.Thoroughly updated throughout in line with recent research, this third edition now also includes: 43 audio examples of speakers of native (17) and of non-native (26) English reflecting the global variety of the language, available to download from www.routledge.com/9781138487659; descriptions of selected twenty-first century developing varieties including Chinese English, Russian English and Vietnamese English; greater linguistic detail on second-language English in many areas; improved and updated descriptions of first-language varieties; a new framework for describing lexical variation; full discussion throughout of English in social media. Offering a thorough and detailed descriptive account of all the main varieties of English across the globe, World Englishes provides a balanced discussion of political issues and the sociolinguistic background to variation in English spoken and written, face-to-face, on paper and online, in the twenty-first century. This book is essential reading for students approaching this topic for the first time.