What Makes Python Special?

Out of hundreds of programming languages, why does Python keep winning? One big reason: Python reads almost like English.

Compare how you'd tell a computer to greet three friends:

python

friends = ["Mia", "Leo", "Zia"]

for friend in friends:

print("Hello,", friend)

Output

Press Run to see the output.

You can almost read that out loud: "for each friend in friends, print hello." Many other languages need extra symbols, brackets, and ceremony to say the same thing.

Where you'll use this

Less time fighting symbols means more time thinking about your actual idea — which is why scientists, artists, and beginners all pick Python.

A few more Python superpowers:

Batteries included. Python ships with tools for almost everything — math, random numbers, dates, files — ready to import.
One of the most popular languages on Earth. It has topped programming-language popularity charts for years, which means endless tutorials, answers, and libraries written by others.
It grows with you. The same language you use for print("Hello!") today is what AI researchers use to train the world's biggest models.

Did you know?

Python is older than Google: it was first released in 1991 by Guido van Rossum, who named it after the comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus — silliness is part of its DNA.

Curious how it feels? You're already living it — every exercise on Exerpad runs real Python.