Free online resources to learn English

62 websites, apps, podcasts and tools, reviewed in our own words. "Free tier" means the free part is genuinely useful but some features cost money. Every link checked on November 13, 2026.

SearchSkillLevel 100% free only Spanish support

62 resources

Freepodcast
6 Minute English (BBC)
Two presenters discuss one topic in about six minutes, teaching a handful of useful words along the way. Transcript and vocabulary list for every episode.
intermediate · advanced · British
Freepodcast
All Ears English Podcast
Long-running podcast where American hosts chat about natural expressions, small talk and culture. Episodes are free; transcripts and courses are paid.
intermediate · advanced · American
Freewebsite
American English (U.S. Department of State)
Free materials for learners and teachers of American English, including audio series, games and teaching resources.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American
Free tierapp
Anki
Spaced-repetition flashcards. Free on desktop, web and Android; the official iPhone app is paid.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · Any
Freetool
Audacity
Free, open-source audio recorder and editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. Slow down native audio without changing pitch and record yourself on a second track.
intermediate · advanced · Any
Freewebsite
BBC Learning English
Structured courses from beginner to advanced plus short recurring series (6 Minute English, The English We Speak, pronunciation videos). Every audio has a transcript.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · British
Freewebsite
Breaking News English
Current news stories at several levels with listening, dictation, discussion questions and printable worksheets. Popular with teachers.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · British
FreetoolSpanish support
Cambridge Dictionary
Learner-friendly definitions with separate US and UK audio and IPA for each word, plus an English–Spanish dictionary.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American and British
Freewebsite
Cambridge English for learners
Free level test, practice activities and sample papers for Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency).
beginner · intermediate · advanced · British
FreewebsiteSpanish support
Conversation Exchange
Simple, free site to find a language partner for face-to-face meetings in your city, video calls or pen-pal writing.
intermediate · advanced · Many
Free tiercourseSpanish support
Coursera (audit English courses)
University English courses (business English, academic writing, pronunciation). Many can be audited for free; certificates are paid.
intermediate · advanced · American and others
Freewebsite
Daily Dictation
Listen to short audio clips and type exactly what you hear, sentence by sentence, with instant checking.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American
Free tiertoolSpanish support
DeepL Translator
Machine translator with natural-sounding output and alternative phrasings; free with character limits.
intermediate · advanced · American and British
Free tierappSpanish support
Duolingo
Gamified app with a free, ad-supported tier; can be studied from Spanish. Good for a daily habit, weak on real conversation and natural pronunciation.
beginner · American
Free tiercourseSpanish support
edX (audit English courses)
University courses including English for careers and academic English; many offer a free audit track for a limited time, with paid certificates.
intermediate · advanced · American and others
Freewebsite
ELLLO
Thousands of short, unscripted conversations between speakers from dozens of countries, with transcripts and quizzes.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · Many world accents
Free tierappSpanish support
ELSA Speak
App that scores your pronunciation of words and sentences using speech recognition. A limited set of lessons is free; most content requires a subscription.
intermediate · advanced · American
Freeyoutube
English with Lucy (YouTube)
Popular British English channel covering pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.
intermediate · advanced · British
Freewebsite
engVid
Short video lessons by a group of teachers, each followed by a quiz. Covers grammar, idioms, pronunciation, business English and IELTS/TOEFL.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American, British, Canadian
Freetool
Forvo
Crowdsourced pronunciation dictionary: native speakers record individual words, names and place names, tagged by country.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · Many (filter by country)
FreecourseSpanish support
GCFGlobal LearnFree
Free nonprofit tutorials on reading, computer skills, job search and everyday life, with a Spanish-language version (GCFAprendeLibre).
beginner · intermediate · American
Free tiertool
Grammarly (free plan)
Browser extension and app that flags grammar, spelling and punctuation errors as you write. The free plan covers basic corrections.
intermediate · advanced · American
Free tierappSpanish support
HelloTalk
Language-exchange chat app with built-in correction tools; partners can correct your messages and voice notes. Free tier with paid extras.
intermediate · advanced · Many
Free tiertool
Hemingway Editor
Paste your text into the free web editor and it highlights long, hard-to-read sentences and passive voice.
advanced · American
Free tierwebsite
IELTS preparation resources
Official IELTS hub linking to free sample tests and preparation material from the test partners.
intermediate · advanced · British and others
Freetool
International Dialects of English Archive
Free archive of recordings of English speakers from around the world, originally made for actors learning accents.
advanced · Regional accents worldwide
Freecourse
Khan Academy Grammar
Free, nonprofit grammar course (parts of speech, punctuation, syntax) with videos and practice. Written for native speakers, so it is great for advanced learners.
intermediate · advanced · American
Free tiertoolSpanish support
Language Reactor
Browser extension that shows two subtitle tracks (English + Spanish) on YouTube and Netflix and lets you replay line by line. Core features are free.
intermediate · advanced · Any
Free tiertoolSpanish support
LanguageTool
Open-source grammar and style checker for English and Spanish, with a free browser extension and paid premium.
intermediate · advanced · American and British
Freewebsite
LearnEnglish (British Council)
Large library of free grammar explanations, graded reading and listening tasks with exercises, organized by CEFR level (A1–C1).
beginner · intermediate · advanced · British
Freewebsite
LibriVox
Free public-domain audiobooks read by volunteers; the original texts are free on Project Gutenberg, so you can read and listen at the same time.
intermediate · advanced · Mixed
Freepodcast
Luke's English Podcast
Long, entertaining episodes by a British teacher and comedian, ideal for upper-intermediate and advanced listeners.
advanced · British
Free tierwebsiteSpanish support
LyricsTraining
Fill in the missing words of song lyrics while the music video plays. Free with ads.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · Mixed
Free with library cardappSpanish support
Mango Languages (free with library card)
Paid language app that many US public libraries offer free to cardholders, including English courses taught from Spanish.
beginner · intermediate · American
Freewebsite
ManyThings.org
Old-school but huge collection of quizzes, minimal-pair listening tests, word games and sentence lists for ESL students.
beginner · intermediate · American
Free tierwebsite
Meetup (English conversation groups)
Search 'English conversation' or 'language exchange' in your city. Most groups meet free in cafés or libraries; a few charge a small fee.
intermediate · advanced · Many
Freetool
Merriam-Webster
The reference American English dictionary, with audio pronunciations and example sentences.
intermediate · advanced · American
Freeyoutube
mmmEnglish (YouTube)
Well-produced lessons on pronunciation, speaking confidence and common mistakes; includes many imitation exercises.
intermediate · advanced · Australian
FreewebsiteSpanish support
National Literacy Directory
Searchable national directory of adult education and English (ESL) programs in the US. Search by ZIP code; there is also a free helpline.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American
Freewebsite
News in Levels
Each news story is rewritten at three difficulty levels, with audio.
beginner · intermediate · Mixed
Freetool
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
Dictionary written for learners, with US and UK audio, collocations and word-frequency labels (the Oxford 3000/5000 lists).
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American and British
Freetool
Praat
Free phonetics software used by researchers. Record yourself and see your pitch (intonation) line and vowel quality, then compare with a native recording.
advanced · Any
Freewebsite
Purdue OWL
The standard US reference for academic and professional writing: grammar, punctuation, citations, résumés and cover letters, plus an ESL section.
advanced · American
Free tierappSpanish support
Quizlet
Flashcard sets made by teachers and students, including many ESL and citizenship-test sets. Basic study modes are free.
beginner · intermediate · Any
Free tieryoutube
Rachel's English (YouTube)
One of the largest free libraries of American pronunciation videos: individual sounds, linking, reductions, and real-conversation analysis. A paid academy exists; the YouTube channel is free.
intermediate · advanced · American
Freewebsite
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab
Hundreds of everyday-situation listening activities (renting, shopping, job interviews) with comprehension quizzes and scripts, sorted by difficulty.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American
Freewebsite
ReadTheory
Adaptive reading-comprehension practice that adjusts passage difficulty to your answers.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American
Free tiertoolSpanish support
Reverso Context
Shows a word or expression inside real translated sentences (Spanish ↔ English), so you see how it's actually used.
intermediate · advanced · Mixed
Freetool
Sounds of Speech (University of Iowa)
Animated diagrams and videos showing how the mouth, tongue and lips form each sound of American English.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American
Freetool
Speak & Improve (Cambridge)
Speak answers to questions and an automatic system estimates your level and gives feedback. Built by Cambridge researchers; free to use.
intermediate · advanced · British
Free tierpodcast
Speak English Now Podcast
Podcast focused on speaking fluently and learning without memorizing grammar rules; free episodes with paid extras.
intermediate · American
Freeyoutube
Speak English with Vanessa (YouTube)
Friendly American teacher focused on natural, everyday spoken English: phrasal verbs, fast speech and conversation.
intermediate · advanced · American
FreetoolSpanish support
Speech Accent Archive (George Mason University)
Thousands of people from different language backgrounds read the same English paragraph, with phonetic transcriptions. Includes many native Spanish speakers and American English speakers.
advanced · Hundreds of accents
Free tierapp
Speechling
Record yourself saying sentences and get feedback from human coaches. The free plan includes a limited number of corrections per month.
intermediate · advanced · American and British
Free tierappSpanish support
Tandem
Language-exchange app: you help a native English speaker with Spanish and they help you with English, by text, voice or video. Core exchange is free.
intermediate · advanced · Many
FreewebsiteSpanish support
TED Talks
Thousands of talks with interactive transcripts and subtitles in many languages, including Spanish.
advanced · Many
Freepodcast
The InFluency Podcast (Hadar Shemesh)
Podcast by a non-native American-accent coach about pronunciation, confidence and sounding clear as a non-native speaker.
advanced · American
Free tierwebsite
TOEFL free practice (ETS)
Official TOEFL iBT preparation page from the test maker, including free practice tests and sample questions alongside paid prep.
intermediate · advanced · American
FreecourseSpanish support
USA Learns
Complete video-based English courses for adults, built around everyday life in the US (work, doctor, school). Instructions are available in Spanish. No cost and no ads.
beginner · intermediate · American
Freewebsite
VOA Learning English
News stories read more slowly and with simpler vocabulary, with the full text next to the audio. American English.
beginner · intermediate · American
FreetoolSpanish support
WordReference
English–Spanish dictionary with very active forums where translators debate exact nuances of words and expressions.
beginner · intermediate · advanced · American and British
Freetool
YouGlish
Type any word or phrase and hear it said by real people in thousands of YouTube clips, filtered by US, UK or Australian English.
intermediate · advanced · American, British and more

6 Minute English (BBC): Two presenters discuss one topic in about six minutes, teaching a handful of useful words along the way. Transcript and vocabulary list for every episode.

All Ears English Podcast: Long-running podcast where American hosts chat about natural expressions, small talk and culture. Episodes are free; transcripts and courses are paid.

American English (U.S. Department of State): Free materials for learners and teachers of American English, including audio series, games and teaching resources.

Anki: Spaced-repetition flashcards. Free on desktop, web and Android; the official iPhone app is paid.

Audacity: Free, open-source audio recorder and editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. Slow down native audio without changing pitch and record yourself on a second track.

BBC Learning English: Structured courses from beginner to advanced plus short recurring series (6 Minute English, The English We Speak, pronunciation videos). Every audio has a transcript.

Breaking News English: Current news stories at several levels with listening, dictation, discussion questions and printable worksheets. Popular with teachers.

Cambridge Dictionary: Learner-friendly definitions with separate US and UK audio and IPA for each word, plus an English–Spanish dictionary.

Cambridge English for learners: Free level test, practice activities and sample papers for Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency).

Conversation Exchange: Simple, free site to find a language partner for face-to-face meetings in your city, video calls or pen-pal writing.

Coursera (audit English courses): University English courses (business English, academic writing, pronunciation). Many can be audited for free; certificates are paid.

Daily Dictation: Listen to short audio clips and type exactly what you hear, sentence by sentence, with instant checking.

DeepL Translator: Machine translator with natural-sounding output and alternative phrasings; free with character limits.

Duolingo: Gamified app with a free, ad-supported tier; can be studied from Spanish. Good for a daily habit, weak on real conversation and natural pronunciation.

edX (audit English courses): University courses including English for careers and academic English; many offer a free audit track for a limited time, with paid certificates.

ELLLO: Thousands of short, unscripted conversations between speakers from dozens of countries, with transcripts and quizzes.

ELSA Speak: App that scores your pronunciation of words and sentences using speech recognition. A limited set of lessons is free; most content requires a subscription.

English with Lucy (YouTube): Popular British English channel covering pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

engVid: Short video lessons by a group of teachers, each followed by a quiz. Covers grammar, idioms, pronunciation, business English and IELTS/TOEFL.

Forvo: Crowdsourced pronunciation dictionary: native speakers record individual words, names and place names, tagged by country.

GCFGlobal LearnFree: Free nonprofit tutorials on reading, computer skills, job search and everyday life, with a Spanish-language version (GCFAprendeLibre).

Grammarly (free plan): Browser extension and app that flags grammar, spelling and punctuation errors as you write. The free plan covers basic corrections.

HelloTalk: Language-exchange chat app with built-in correction tools; partners can correct your messages and voice notes. Free tier with paid extras.

Hemingway Editor: Paste your text into the free web editor and it highlights long, hard-to-read sentences and passive voice.

IELTS preparation resources: Official IELTS hub linking to free sample tests and preparation material from the test partners.

International Dialects of English Archive: Free archive of recordings of English speakers from around the world, originally made for actors learning accents.

Khan Academy Grammar: Free, nonprofit grammar course (parts of speech, punctuation, syntax) with videos and practice. Written for native speakers, so it is great for advanced learners.

Language Reactor: Browser extension that shows two subtitle tracks (English + Spanish) on YouTube and Netflix and lets you replay line by line. Core features are free.

LanguageTool: Open-source grammar and style checker for English and Spanish, with a free browser extension and paid premium.

LearnEnglish (British Council): Large library of free grammar explanations, graded reading and listening tasks with exercises, organized by CEFR level (A1–C1).

LibriVox: Free public-domain audiobooks read by volunteers; the original texts are free on Project Gutenberg, so you can read and listen at the same time.

Luke's English Podcast: Long, entertaining episodes by a British teacher and comedian, ideal for upper-intermediate and advanced listeners.

LyricsTraining: Fill in the missing words of song lyrics while the music video plays. Free with ads.

Mango Languages (free with library card): Paid language app that many US public libraries offer free to cardholders, including English courses taught from Spanish.

ManyThings.org: Old-school but huge collection of quizzes, minimal-pair listening tests, word games and sentence lists for ESL students.

Meetup (English conversation groups): Search 'English conversation' or 'language exchange' in your city. Most groups meet free in cafés or libraries; a few charge a small fee.

Merriam-Webster: The reference American English dictionary, with audio pronunciations and example sentences.

mmmEnglish (YouTube): Well-produced lessons on pronunciation, speaking confidence and common mistakes; includes many imitation exercises.

National Literacy Directory: Searchable national directory of adult education and English (ESL) programs in the US. Search by ZIP code; there is also a free helpline.

News in Levels: Each news story is rewritten at three difficulty levels, with audio.

Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: Dictionary written for learners, with US and UK audio, collocations and word-frequency labels (the Oxford 3000/5000 lists).

Praat: Free phonetics software used by researchers. Record yourself and see your pitch (intonation) line and vowel quality, then compare with a native recording.

Purdue OWL: The standard US reference for academic and professional writing: grammar, punctuation, citations, résumés and cover letters, plus an ESL section.

Quizlet: Flashcard sets made by teachers and students, including many ESL and citizenship-test sets. Basic study modes are free.

Rachel's English (YouTube): One of the largest free libraries of American pronunciation videos: individual sounds, linking, reductions, and real-conversation analysis. A paid academy exists; the YouTube channel is free.

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab: Hundreds of everyday-situation listening activities (renting, shopping, job interviews) with comprehension quizzes and scripts, sorted by difficulty.

ReadTheory: Adaptive reading-comprehension practice that adjusts passage difficulty to your answers.

Reverso Context: Shows a word or expression inside real translated sentences (Spanish ↔ English), so you see how it's actually used.

Sounds of Speech (University of Iowa): Animated diagrams and videos showing how the mouth, tongue and lips form each sound of American English.

Speak & Improve (Cambridge): Speak answers to questions and an automatic system estimates your level and gives feedback. Built by Cambridge researchers; free to use.

Speak English Now Podcast: Podcast focused on speaking fluently and learning without memorizing grammar rules; free episodes with paid extras.

Speak English with Vanessa (YouTube): Friendly American teacher focused on natural, everyday spoken English: phrasal verbs, fast speech and conversation.

Speech Accent Archive (George Mason University): Thousands of people from different language backgrounds read the same English paragraph, with phonetic transcriptions. Includes many native Spanish speakers and American English speakers.

Speechling: Record yourself saying sentences and get feedback from human coaches. The free plan includes a limited number of corrections per month.

Tandem: Language-exchange app: you help a native English speaker with Spanish and they help you with English, by text, voice or video. Core exchange is free.

TED Talks: Thousands of talks with interactive transcripts and subtitles in many languages, including Spanish.

The InFluency Podcast (Hadar Shemesh): Podcast by a non-native American-accent coach about pronunciation, confidence and sounding clear as a non-native speaker.

TOEFL free practice (ETS): Official TOEFL iBT preparation page from the test maker, including free practice tests and sample questions alongside paid prep.

USA Learns: Complete video-based English courses for adults, built around everyday life in the US (work, doctor, school). Instructions are available in Spanish. No cost and no ads.

VOA Learning English: News stories read more slowly and with simpler vocabulary, with the full text next to the audio. American English.

WordReference: English–Spanish dictionary with very active forums where translators debate exact nuances of words and expressions.

YouGlish: Type any word or phrase and hear it said by real people in thousands of YouTube clips, filtered by US, UK or Australian English.