Short stories in English

A short story is English you can finish today

A short story fits into one sitting, and a finished story is the best reason to open the next one. This page puts the stories in order of difficulty: fifteen tales written for learners at A2, B1 and B2, then stories you already know from books and films, retold at B1, and at the end the classics as their authors wrote them.

English has a rich shelf of short fiction because for a hundred years it was written for magazines, one complete story in each issue. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is twelve such stories, each a whole case in about 8,000 words. That makes the classics a realistic goal: you do not have to read a novel to read Conan Doyle.

How to choose an English story at your level

If you are not sure of your level, open an A2 story and read the first page. If you tap fewer than one word in ten, the story is right for you. If you tap almost nothing, move up a shelf.

In a classic, do not let old words stop you. Conan Doyle wrote in the 1890s, and you will not need hansom, gasogene or billycock at work. Tap them, read on, and save only the words you expect to meet again.

Read with the audio on when you can. A short story is short enough to hear twice, and the second time you follow it without looking at the text.

Questions beginners ask

How long does one story take?

The stories written for learners take ten to twenty minutes each. The retellings take from half an hour. A classic story of 8,000 words is an evening, and nothing obliges you to finish it in one.

Are the classic stories simplified?

No. The classics are the full original text. Only the first three shelves are written or retold for learners, and each title there shows its level.

I am a complete beginner. Where do I start?

With the A1 retellings and dialogues on the page of English short stories for beginners. Come back here for the A2 shelf.