The Three Best Programming Languages for Beginners

Muhammad Sohaib Bari
5 min readSep 4, 2022

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If you are new to programming, the question, ‘Which language should I learn first?’ would probably be haunting you. Don’t worry — you have come to the right place for help. This article is written to help you decide and get started on your coding journey.

So, first of all, what is a programming language? A programming language has a basic syntax (grammar) and semantics (meaning) according to which we write a set of instructions for the computer to process, and perform different tasks for us.

To be honest, every programming language has its pros and cons and each application may benefit from using one language over another. Still, if you are looking for the right coding language for beginners, a few stand out because they are easier to learn and complement well with other languages and platforms.

1. Python

One of the most popular languages of 2022, Python, is mostly the top choice for most beginners to start with. This is because of the simplicity of its syntax and easiness of reading its code.

Graph showing the programming languages in which introductory courses of computer science are taught
Source: https://cdn-media-1.freecodecamp.org/images/1*728HWv2YP3PjY1_QmGQg1g.png

The description of Python written by its developers is probably the best definition of this highly user-friendly high-level programming language. “Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability with the use of significant indentation. Python is dynamically-typed and garbage-collected. It supports multiple programming paradigms, including structured, object-oriented, and functional programming.”

If you aspire to be a Data Scientist, then having the skill to code efficiently in Python is a must for you. So why not start early? Or talk about being a Web Developer for that matter, you would need to have a firm grip on Python’s famous web frameworks like Django to be at the top of your game.

Graph of uses of Python in different domains of tech industry
Source: https://www.botreetechnologies.com/blog/top-10-python-use-cases-and-applications/

However, if you are just learning a programming language for fun, or as a hobby, you don’t need to worry too much about the uses of Python. Since Python is a general-purpose language, it can be used to create a variety of different programs and isn’t specialized for any specific problem.

2. JavaScript

While I was outlining the structure of this article, I spent a considerable amount of time deciding which language is the easiest to start with. Eventually, I chose Python over JavaScript. JavaScript comes in a close second to Python. My personal experience with Python and the fact that it was designed specifically to assist beginners influenced my decision to place JavaScript in 2nd place.

Both of these languages are incredibly famous among beginners and veteran programmers alike.

A diagram showing the relationship between the most popular languages among beginners and experienced programmers
Source: https://www.wyzant.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/expertise_vs_language.png.webp

JavaScript or JS is a high-level, scripting language. It can also be called a general-purpose language. However, note that JavaScript is not general-purpose by design but by practice. It is standardized in the ECMAScript language specification to ensure the interoperability of web pages across different browsers.

JavaScript is also dynamically-typed and supports multiple programming paradigms, including structured, object-oriented, functional programming, etc.

Although JavaScript was initially meant for front-end development, it is now also used for back-end development. Thus, JavaScript offers the capability to perform full-stack development. As is quoted on Data Flair, “JavaScript has achieved the goal, set by Java a long time ago: write once, run anywhere.” As a result, JavaScript has contributed to almost all websites, applications, etc. that we use in our daily lives.

JavaScript Applications
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When talking about JavaScript, we can also not forget about the various frameworks and libraries available, such as Angular, React, Vue, etc. which are there to make things more convenient for JS developers.

3. C++

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Yeah yeah, I know what you might be thinking, “What is C++ doing on this list?”

If you have read other articles on programming languages suitable for beginners, then you would probably think that C++ doesn’t belong on this list. But, at least listen to what I have to say before eliminating C++ as an option.

C++ is a middle-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It is a superset of C.

C++ code
Source: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/content/images/size/w2000/2019/10/banner-1.png

C++ supports multiple programming paradigms, including structured, object-oriented, functional programming, etc. And its applications are numerous:

C++ applications
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C++ is a statically-typed language and does not automatically collect garbage. This means the programmer has to understand and work on the very basic principles of Computer Science to be successful and efficient in C++. This allows beginners to understand many underlying mechanisms on the ground level and more nuanced topics conveniently.

This may seem very difficult to you right now and indeed it is, but what if you overcome these difficulties? What if you work through the challenges and be proficient in this language?

The answer is that then you will be able to learn any other programming language without any hassle. And in the field of programming, this is probably the most valuable skill to have. Languages change with time, and industry requirements change with time, but the concepts remain the same!

Not to mention, C++ has been used for so long that there is lots of information about it on the web. This is ideal for beginners because this means that almost certainly any question you have has already been asked and answered by someone else in the C++ community. It has an incredible toolset and great editors which let you know straight away if you have any errors. C++ programming is a highly sought-after skill and knowledge of it opens a lot of doors in terms of employment.

Here is a more detail-oriented road map for those people who know what they really want:

Detailed roadmap
Source: http://carlcheo.com/startcoding

I hope you have an exciting coding journey ahead. Thanks for reading!

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Muhammad Sohaib Bari

A Computer Science enthusiast committed to learning and developing skills in programming.