10 Best Audiobooks to Learn English

If you struggle to find time for reading English books, audiobooks offer a solution. And if you do read occasionally, you can use audiobooks to hear sentences spoken aloud as you follow along. This can assist with your English pronunciation and listening comprehension.

This guide presents 10 excellent audiobooks that will enhance your English abilities and help you become more proficient in English conversations.

Learner-Friendly English Audiobooks

1. “Short Stories in English” by Olly Richards

If the idea of a full-length novel seems daunting, you can start by practicing with this collection of short stories.

It's actually a complete series that addresses every proficiency level: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

The dialogues are realistic and captivating, and every story includes a vocabulary list, a summary, and a quiz to ensure active learning.

2. “English Grammar Rules You Must Know” by Lessie Bradach

This grammar audiobook tackles complex topics and simplifies them with easy-to-follow explanations.

It covers parts of speech, pronouns, tenses, and other grammar basics, along with common errors, which I discovered to be very useful.

Although the language is straightforward, even native speakers download it to refine their writing.

3. “500 Really Useful English Phrases” by Jenny Smith

When you've reached an intermediate level or higher, what you require is greater exposure to how native speakers actually use English. This audiobook provides that, concentrating on phrases commonly used in everyday situations.

Remembering the phrases is also easier because they are introduced through articles and narratives, supplemented with additional example sentences.

4. “101 Conversations in Simple English” by Olly Richards

Here is another audiobook from Olly Richards, who is recognized for teaching languages through storytelling!

I would suggest this for learners aiming to improve their conversational English.

It follows two friends as they tour London, so you'll learn vocabulary for everyday scenarios like shopping and requesting directions. Containing over 15,000 vocabulary words, it's intended for A2 to B1 level learners.

5. “English Pronunciation Secrets” by Rebecca Bower

Regardless of your English level, you may still wish to improve specific areas of your pronunciation! This audiobook is beneficial for developing an accent closer to standard American English.

It even describes mouth positions to help you produce basic sounds correctly, followed by exercises where you read phrases and sentences.

English Audiobooks Based on Novels

6. “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho

“The Alchemist” is a classic story about pursuing your dreams and heeding your true desires.

Santiago, a shepherd boy, journeys far in pursuit of a treasure. He quickly learns, however, that the real treasure is not what he initially thought.

It's excellent for intermediate learners due to its simple vocabulary and brief sentences.

7. “Oh the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss may be a children's author, but this book has been read to countless high school and college graduates at commencement ceremonies!

It's a simple book for beginners that is adored by people of all ages.

8. “Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo

This book narrates the story of Opal as she relocates to a new city. Opal discovers how to overcome her fear and solitude with the help of a dog named Winn-Dixie.

This is a touching story for young adults and is ideal for intermediate English learners.

9. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

What would you do if you could remain young forever? The tale of Dorian Gray reveals the consequences when a portrait of you ages in your place.

The dramatic reading of this book features different actors for each role, making it a superb audiobook for practicing English listening and comprehending various voices and accents.

10. “The Hitchhikers’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams

Even if you don't typically enjoy science fiction, you will appreciate the wild adventures of Arthur Dent, a man who hitchhikes through outer space.

Expertly narrated by UK star and comedian Stephen Fry, this book is highly amusing but may be challenging to follow. It's certainly worth attempting if you're seeking a challenge!

In addition to these audiobooks, you can also listen to podcasts for more English listening practice:

Benefits of Using Audiobooks to Learn English

Why should you consider practicing with audiobooks?

There are numerous reasons:

• You can replay any section of the book as many times as you like. You might feel hesitant or awkward asking people to repeat themselves, but you can replay an audiobook repeatedly (and it will never get frustrated).

• You can "read" the book at your own pace. Listen to just one paragraph per day, or finish an entire book in a few hours. In a real conversation, you can't exactly ask someone to tell only half their story today and save the rest for tomorrow—but you can pause an audiobook whenever you wish.

• You can select any accent, gender, or speed you prefer to listen to. Do you find it difficult to understand people with British accents? You can listen to an audiobook narrated by a British person for practice. Need to comprehend New Yorkers better before relocating there? You can find that too. Audiobooks offer a wide variety of voices to choose from.
• You can listen to audiobooks anytime. You can listen during your commute, on breaks, or even right before sleeping. It's like having someone read you a bedtime story!

Choosing the Best Audiobooks for You

Beyond the audiobooks mentioned above, there are countless options available on every topic imaginable. You can listen to someone discuss dinosaurs, airports, or 16th-century Italy—whatever interests you, there's an audiobook for it.

When selecting an audiobook, look for something you would enjoy reading. If you already have the physical book or e-book version of the audio, that's even better because you can read along if listening alone is too challenging.

To determine your reading level, try listening to adult fiction. If it's too hard to follow, switch to young adult fiction. Still having trouble? Try a children's book. Children's audiobooks are fantastic learning tools because they are designed for listeners who may not know all the words.

Of course, English learning books are also a traditional option, particularly if you want to focus on a specific area like grammar or vocabulary.

Where to Find Audiobooks

You can locate audiobooks across the internet, some even free of charge. Here are a few places to begin your search:

• Audible — This is one of the largest audiobook platforms. Owned by Amazon, it offers over 200,000 books for listening. It isn't free, but it provides a free 30-day trial, and if you find you love audiobooks, a subscription could be worthwhile.
• Libro.fm — This site operates similarly to Audible: For a monthly fee, you receive a credit to use on any audiobook in their vast catalogue. Libro.fm collaborates with local bookstores, so your purchase supports both authors and bookshops.
• Barnes and Noble — The major bookstore chain has its own subscription service, offering a free trial and regular sales. You'll need the Nook app to play these audiobooks, making this a good option if you already use the service or app.
• Audiobooks — This platform boasts over 450,000 titles and offers a generous free trial. A subscription also includes access to features like more than 10,000 free audiobook listens, the ability to add family members, a community of avid readers, and more.
• Rakuten Kobo — Kobo is another marketplace for audiobooks and e-books, serving as a more affordable alternative if you only listen to audiobooks occasionally.
• Spotify — Yes, that's correct: Your preferred music and podcast streaming service now features over 200,000 audiobooks. There's no monthly subscription; you simply purchase the book you want to hear.
• Apple Books and Android Play Store — You can buy audiobooks directly on your iOS or Android phone. On Android devices, books are available for purchase and listening in your favorite audiobook app, while all iOS audiobooks can be bought through the Apple Books app.
• Project Gutenberg — If you prefer not to pay for audiobooks just yet, you can browse Project Gutenberg. This site is famous for its collection of free e-books, but it also has a good selection of audiobooks.
• Librivox — This free audiobook website exists thanks to volunteers worldwide who read books aloud for the site. It contains many excellent books to choose from.
• Libby — Libby is a library application that allows you to borrow digital books and audiobooks from your local library. All you need is a library card! The app and all audiobooks are free and user-friendly, though more popular titles often have a waiting list.
• Hoopla — Hoopla is a program similar to Libby, enabling you to access e-books and audiobooks with just your library card. It's a solid choice if you also want to borrow free TV shows, movies, and music, which are available on Hoopla but not Libby. Be aware that not as many libraries are on Hoopla as on Libby!

Tips for Actively Listening to English Audiobooks

Simply listening to audiobooks will teach you something. But to maximize your learning, try applying these tips:

• Take notes. Jot down only information that will be helpful later when reviewing your notes—for instance, unfamiliar words and expressions.
• Read along. If you have a copy of the book you're listening to, follow along with the audio. To practice pronunciation, pause the recording occasionally and read the passage you just heard out loud.
• Discuss it with others. Think about joining online communities where you can talk about your books, such as Goodreads or Online Book Club. You can also find a local book club using Reader’s Circle or Meetup.
• Listen again. After your first listen, set the audiobook aside and look up any unknown words. Then listen more attentively to elements you missed initially, like how a word is used in a sentence or the tone of the reader's voice when saying a phrase.
• Apply what you learn. Use your new vocabulary words in conversations. You'll be amazed at how much you picked up just from listening to a book!

No matter where you find English audio resources, the secret to enhancing your skills is to employ various methods and maintain consistent practice.

If you like learning with audiobooks, you might also appreciate learning with audio/video content such as movies and TV shows, which allow you to observe how English is used in context as well as hear it.

You can also practice English listening with subtitled video clips. Certain language learning platforms utilize videos to provide practice in hearing and identifying words in context.

Happy listening and learning!