At just 19 years old, Mahmood Akram from Chennai has achieved what many consider impossible. With the ability to read, write, and type in 400 languages and speak 46 fluently, his journey speaks volumes about his passion for learning languages.

Mahmood’s achievements have earned him world records, awards, and the respect of linguists around the world. His story is not just about his success but also about appreciating the diversity of languages that bring people together.

A linguistic journey

Akram’s fascination with languages began early, guided by his father, Shilbee Mozhippriyan, who himself speaks 16 languages. “I had struggled because I did not know the language of a particular state or country when I had to move to places like Israel, Spain, due to my job,” shares Shilbee, who also owns a doctorate in cognitive psychology among other degrees.

“I did not want my son to be snatched away from opportunities based on language. When my wife was conceived with Akram, we had conversations about languages in hopes that they would help to pique the baby’s interest. It seems to have worked in Akram’s case,” Shilbee adds.

As Akram recalls, “My journey started at the age of four.” “My parents began teaching me Tamil and English alphabets, and I mastered the English alphabet in six days. They were astonished.” His aptitude didn’t stop there. He learnt the 299 alphabets of Tamil in just three weeks, a task that typically takes months.

His father’s guidance introduced him to ancient Tamil scripts like Vatteluttu, Grantha, and Tamizhi, which Akram quickly mastered. “By the time I was six, I had surpassed my father’s knowledge and wanted to explore more languages on my own.”

Achievements and records

Between the ages of six to eight, Akram’s self-driven quest for linguistic mastery led him to learn 50 languages. “Back in the day, I had to rely on a few textbooks and Omniglot to learn different languages,” says Akram. Omniglot is an online encyclopedia for writing and reading languages.

This journey led to his first world record as the youngest multilingual typist at just eight years of age. “I uploaded a video on YouTube, typing and reading different languages. A world record organisation in Punjab invited me to attempt a record, which I successfully completed,” he recalls.

At 10, Akram achieved his second world record by writing the Indian national anthem in 20 languages within an hour. His hunger for linguistic excellence continued, and by 12, he could read, write, and type in 400........

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