Free English listening resources

Free materials for learners and teachers of American English, including audio series, games and teaching resources.

Best for: Teachers and self-learners looking for free American English materials.

beginner · intermediate · advanced · American

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

Best for: Daily listening habit with transcripts; the pronunciation series is clear even if you are aiming for an American accent.

beginner · intermediate · advanced · British

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

Best for: Conversation topics and dictation practice based on current events.

beginner · intermediate · advanced · British

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

Best for: Finding the reduced words (gonna, wanna, 'em) your ear is still missing.

beginner · intermediate · advanced · American

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

Best for: Getting used to many different accents, which is what real international English sounds like.

beginner · intermediate · advanced · Many world accents

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

Best for: Checking a grammar point quickly and practicing it with exercises at your level.

beginner · intermediate · advanced · British

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

Best for: Training your ear for connected speech in a fun way.

beginner · intermediate · advanced · Mixed

Paid language app that many US public libraries offer free to cardholders, including English courses taught from Spanish.

Best for: Anyone with a US library card: check if your library provides it.

beginner · intermediate · American

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

Best for: Quick minimal-pair practice (ship/sheep, full/fool) and vocabulary drills.

beginner · intermediate · American

Each news story is rewritten at three difficulty levels, with audio.

Best for: Reading the same story at your level, then stepping up.

beginner · intermediate · Mixed

Hundreds of everyday-situation listening activities (renting, shopping, job interviews) with comprehension quizzes and scripts, sorted by difficulty.

Best for: Practical listening for real-life situations in the US.

beginner · intermediate · advanced · American

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.

Best for: Adult immigrants starting from zero or low intermediate who want a full course, not scattered videos.

beginner · intermediate · American

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

Best for: Beginners and intermediate learners who want American English news they can actually follow.

beginner · intermediate · American

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.

Best for: A short daily listening slot (commute, coffee) with natural conversational speed.

intermediate · advanced · British

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

Best for: Natural American conversation and small talk.

intermediate · advanced · American

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

Best for: Structured university-level courses if you don't need the certificate.

intermediate · advanced · American and others

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

Best for: Career-focused English courses from universities.

intermediate · advanced · American and others

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

Best for: Turning shows you already watch into listening practice.

intermediate · advanced · Any

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.

Best for: Read-along and shadowing practice with long texts.

intermediate · advanced · Mixed

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.

Best for: Advanced speakers who want to understand why American speech sounds the way it does.

intermediate · advanced · American

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

Best for: Intermediate speakers who freeze when they talk.

intermediate · American

Friendly American teacher focused on natural, everyday spoken English: phrasal verbs, fast speech and conversation.

Best for: Sounding more natural and less textbook in casual conversation.

intermediate · advanced · American

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

Best for: Hearing how a word really sounds inside a sentence, with natural stress and reductions, not just a dictionary recording.

intermediate · advanced · American, British and more

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

Best for: Studying a specific regional American accent in depth.

advanced · Regional accents worldwide

Long, entertaining episodes by a British teacher and comedian, ideal for upper-intermediate and advanced listeners.

Best for: Long-form listening at native speed.

advanced · British

Thousands of people from different language backgrounds read the same English paragraph, with phonetic transcriptions. Includes many native Spanish speakers and American English speakers.

Best for: Comparing a Spanish-accented reading with an American reading of the exact same text.

advanced · Hundreds of accents

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

Best for: Advanced listening and shadowing practice with polished, well-paced speakers.

advanced · Many