How's this for the foreword?

English is probably the most difficult language to master. It has a larger vocabulary than any other language. It has more exceptions to rules (‘i before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ etc.) It has many words than look the same but are pronounced differently, as well as many words that are pronounced the same but are spelled differently.
Also, people in different countries where English is the native language (the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, etc.) spell some words differently and have different rules of pronunciation and punctuation.
It’s difficult enough for native-born English speakers to master the language, but it’s a real hurdle for those who grew up with a different native tongue and now use English as a second or third tongue.
That’s why  Asif Qureshi, a noted scholar in many areas and author of many books, has undertaken this project to make the use of the English language easier and more understandable for everyone.