The whole world loves mother

MOTHER is the most beautiful word in the English language, according to the rest of the world.

The British Council surveyed more than 40,000 people in 102 non- English speaking countries.

Mother, passion, smile, love and eternity were the top five choices.

Fantastic, destiny, freedom, liberty and tranquillity completed the top 10.

But the 70-strong list - commissioned to mark the British Council's 70th anniversary - also revealed some unusual choices.

Lollipop, flip-flop, hen night and banana were all chosen, along with twinkle, whoops and oi.

"It's interesting that mother, the only word of the 70 that describes a direct relationship between people, came top of the poll," said British Council spokesman Greg Selby.

"It is great to see words in the survey that are so positive and suggestive of the British Council's purpose - words such as freedom, liberty, peace and destiny.

"These chime with our aim to help millions of people worldwide access opportunity through English, and promote stronger ties and improved perceptions of the UK."

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