English reading practice often makes it easier to understand the language, especially because of the unique difficulty of English pronunciation. By associating what you hear with what you read, you’ll pick up irregular verbs, unexpected spellings, and more. Your study time can include worksheets and practice tests, but you can also find more fun and creative ways to read. Your practice can be reading stories like Romeo and Juliet, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hunger Games in their original languages. As long as you’re reading in English, it counts as practice!
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Beginner (basic) English reading practice
Beginner English learners will benefit most from reading short stories, everyday text (like signs and menus), and things that build essential vocabulary (like words used at work). Start by looking at the skills recommended for beginners.
The international standard for language fluency levels is the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and its six levels. Levels A1 and A2 test basic (beginner) skills like these:
- You can read short, simple phrases and instructions.
- The boy is eating.
- First, measure two cups of flour.
- You can understand basic emails and letters about familiar topics.
- Please call me at 123-456-7890.
- The birthday party is at Central Park on Saturday, March 14th.
- You can understand signs and directions.
- Keep off the grass.
- Turn right on Main Street and go straight.
- You can find specific information in larger texts (like newspaper articles).
- At 6:32 a.m., a 3.6 magnitude earthquake occurred close to San Francisco.
- Norway won the most gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Where to find easy things to read in English
You can find easy things to read in English online (like practice websites) and in the real world (like books). These resources are perfect for beginners because they’re short and use basic vocabulary.
- Use IXL for Independent Learners English activities to practice specific reading skills. For beginners, try the exercises from Foundations 1 and 2 (similar to CEFR A1 and A2). You can read short stories or practice skills like spelling and verb tenses. Each skill comes with questions to answer for comprehension.
- For short news articles, try Breaking News English. Each article matches a CEFR level. New articles are posted a few times a week, but you can also read old articles. Each article includes several exercises based on what you just read.
- If you want to practice with British English, British Council has a few short exercises (with quizzes!). They include useful topics like business cards, dictionary entries, and text messages.
- Pay attention to signs. Road signs, menus, billboards, and other signs in English as you move around outside are free practice.
Tips for beginners to practice reading in English
The most important tip to remember as a beginner is to be kind to yourself and have patience. Learning how to read a new language can be challenging at first, and you may get tired. Remember to take breaks, and use these tips to stay motivated when you practice reading in English.
- It’s okay (and good!) to read English stories written for children. The stories are simple, but they can also be clever and funny for adults. Many children’s books rhyme, have jokes, and focus on vocabulary instead of grammar.
- Break reading into small pieces. You can use a piece of paper or a bookmark to cover the words you’re not reading. You can also zoom in if you’re reading on a computer or phone. Long paragraphs are easier to look at one sentence at a time, and a whole page is easier to look at one paragraph at a time.
- Find reading practice that’s interesting to you. Do you like sports? Read English news articles about the Olympics. Do you like fairy tales? Find a simple version of Cinderella to read.
- Read out loud. It forces you to slow down and read one word at a time. You can also read to someone else, like your pet or a child.
Free beginner English reading practice paragraph
Try reading this paragraph to test your English reading skills!
A new grocery store opened in my city. It sells food from Japan, China, and South Korea. Many Japanese people are in my city, and they are very excited. My neighbor is going to buy special rice and Japanese sauces that she cannot find in the regular grocery store. Tomorrow, I will go to the store. I want to try new snacks and candy.
Intermediate (independent) English reading practice
The reading practice that intermediate or independent (CEFR B1-B2) learners need focuses on more complex texts about uncommon topics. For example, beginner practice covers everyday topics like self-introductions, family, and shopping. Intermediate practice is longer and can cover nearly any topic, but the vocabulary and grammar are easier to understand than in advanced reading practice.
An intermediate English learner has these reading skills:
- You can read a variety of styles independently, with some help from resources like dictionaries.
- “And may the odds be ever in your favor.” – The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
- “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.” — The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
- You can understand and follow lengthy instructions and directions that are clearly written.
- Put the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon) into a bowl and slowly incorporate the creamed sugar and butter mixture.
- Once your vehicle is securely supported, crawl underneath and locate the oil pan and the oil drain plug (a long bolt head on the pan).
- You can understand news stories, although you might need a source intended for ELLs or students.
- Record low temperatures have lowered harvests.
- Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary has been on the New York Times Best Seller list for 41 weeks in a row.
Where to find things to read in English with more depth
Intermediate English reading practice needs to have more depth than beginner practice, so you want to look for longer passages and books. The best resources will include texts that come with extra information to help your understanding (like explanations or key vocabulary).
- Use the Intermediate 1 and 2 levels of IXL English to practice more advanced reading skills. For example, you can practice prefixes and suffixes (like pre- and -less) or analyze parts of real books like The Lightning Thief.
- Go to sites like Engoo to read daily news written for English learners. You can choose your reading level and find topics that interest you, like politics, science, and culture. Each article includes extra information (like vocabulary) to help your comprehension.
- Rosetta Stone isn’t just for beginners. If you want thorough reading practice, read Rosetta Stone Stories. You can read them quietly, or you can read out loud, and the app will check your English pronunciation.
- Libraries have things to read in English for all levels, including literature, language learning textbooks, newspapers, magazines, and more. Ask the librarian about books that are the right level for you!
Tips for intermediate learners to practice reading in English
Reaching the intermediate level in English is a huge accomplishment, but it’s important not to slow down. Challenge yourself to read longer articles and harder books.
- Try reading English books that you’ve read before in your native language. You’ll already know the story, so you can focus less on understanding the plot. Instead, practice reading in English and analyze how the language is different from your native language.
- Join an online forum for English learners meant to help you practice. Other people probably have the same questions about English that you do. Write your question about what you read, and then you can read responses from other people.
- Look for reading practice resources that check your comprehension. Even if you can read the words, it’s important to make sure you understand the entire meaning of a sentence or a paragraph.
Advanced (proficient) English reading practice
An advanced or proficient (CEFR C1-C2) English learner needs reading practice intended for native speakers, including novels, news, and technical information. You will probably need a dictionary and resources to explain complex grammar, but challenging yourself will help you learn.
Advanced English learners have these skills with near-native fluency:
- You can read critically across all forms of writing, including slang and literary text.
- I clocked her as a Karen the second I saw her. Immediately gave me the ick.
- “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” — Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
- You can read technical passages, even if they’re not related to your experience.
- It is widely understood that the fossil fuels that industrialized countries use result in a high amount of GHGs.
- The 1,620 patient cases were analyzed to determine the effects of the proposed colorectal cancer treatment.
- You can understand non-standard English, including common dialects (like AAVE) and English idioms.
- Are you trippin’? We ain’t got no time for that.
- I’m not worried, I’ve got that interview in the bag.
Where to find advanced things to read in English
As an advanced English learner, you can use almost any writing as practice, including things written for native speakers. The key is to find things to read in English that reinforce your weaknesses.
- Try to read at native English news sources, like AP News and BBC News.
- For books, try reading those written for teens (often labeled as YA for “Young Adult”) or adults that you’ve never read before. If you want to challenge yourself and read classic literature, try books that compare Old English to modern English, like No Fear Shakespeare.
- For something fun, try word games in English. From word puzzles to challenging quizzes that ask you to find misspelled words, it’s spelling, grammar, and reading practice all in one.
Tips for advanced learners to practice reading in English
As an advanced English learner, the most beneficial reading practice for you is to read content written for native speakers. You have a strong foundation in the most common vocabulary and grammar structures, so now it’s important for you to try reading material that wasn’t written with English learners in mind. Tips like these can teach you how to stop translating in your head.
- After you read something, try to rephrase it or summarize it in your own words. It will help with your comprehension and your understanding of different ways to phrase the same thing.
- Consider joining a book club. Talking about what you read with other people can be fun, and it encourages you to think critically about what you read. Local libraries often host free book clubs.
- Before you look up an unfamiliar word in the dictionary, try to guess its definition. Look at the words around it (the context), or compare the pieces of the word to another one that you know. You may surprise yourself and guess the meaning correctly!
Reading practice resources for every English learner
Some resources can be used for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners. Try using these tools if you want to know how to learn English efficiently.
Dictionaries
A dictionary is an essential tool for English reading practice. While reading, you will often come across words that you don’t know, and you will need to learn what they are. Depending on your level, you might want a different type of dictionary.
- For beginner and intermediate learners, using a bilingual dictionary in your native language and English will help your reading comprehension. The Cambridge Dictionary has over 30 translation dictionaries between English and other languages.
- For advanced learners, try using an English dictionary intended for native speakers (like Dictionary.com). The dictionary entries will help you understand the word and give you reading practice at the same time.
- If you need specialized vocabulary (such as for chemistry or biology), New York University has an extensive library of bilingual glossaries for school subjects.
Subtitles and closed captions
When you’re watching TV or videos online, turn on the English subtitles or closed captions (for videos in English) to see text at the bottom of the screen. This adds English reading practice to the experience.
- Subtitles are a written translation of the audio into a different language. For example, if you’re watching a movie in Spanish, you could turn on English subtitles to read in English while listening in Spanish. This can help you make connections between languages.
- Closed captions are text descriptions (or transcriptions) of what’s happening in the video. They include dialogue and sounds (like cheering or explosions). Turn on closed captions when watching a video in English to reinforce your listening.
However, be careful about closed caption accuracy. Some closed captions are automatically generated by a computer, and a human doesn’t check them, so they make mistakes. For advanced English learners, treat this like practice and find the mistakes!
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