Short Stories for English Learners
Short stories for English learners are the easiest way to read in English every day, especially for beginners. A short story takes ten to fifteen minutes, so you can finish it in one sitting, on the bus or before bed, and you get the satisfaction of reaching the end. That feeling is what keeps you reading.
Here are our easy short stories in English for beginners at A2 (elementary) level: six short love stories, six short mysteries and five ghost stories. They are written for adults, not children, and they are all original stories with audio, narrated in British English, with the text on screen as you listen. Prices start at $0.99. If you want longer books, see our graded readers for English learners, from A1 to B2.
Jump to: Short love stories · Short mysteries · Ghost stories · How to read a short story · FAQ
Short love stories for beginners (A2), from the Passport Hearts series
Passport Hearts is our series of love stories about young people starting a new life in another country. The series has two kinds of book: six short stories at A2, and three full-length novels at B1 (see longer stories for intermediate learners below).
Here are the six A2 short stories. Each one is set somewhere different, from fireworks night in London to flat-hunting in Melbourne, takes about 13 minutes, and practises one grammar point; the ebook adds two pages of grammar practice taken from the story. Read them in any order.
You Should Tell Her
Colder than Manila
It Might Snow at Midnight
Every Room Was Too Small
I've Never Seen the Sunrise
If You Lose, I'll Wear Green
Short mystery stories for beginners (A2)
Merrowby is a small town by the sea, and nothing big happens there. But a necklace disappears from a hotel room, a bag waits under a seat on the last bus, and a light comes on every night in a flat where nobody lives. Six short mysteries, about ten minutes each, and every one has a surprise at the end. A good choice if you like puzzles: try to solve each one before the last page.
Short ghost stories for beginners (A2)
In many countries there are nights when the dead come home. In a small hotel in Marrakech, a light comes on every night in a room nobody uses. On the last train in Tokyo, an old woman never gets off. On a mountain road in Mexico, a girl asks for a lift home. Five quiet ghost stories from five countries, about fifteen minutes each: spooky, not scary. Like all our short stories for English learners, every story has audio and the text on screen.
Why short stories for English learners work so well
Reading lots of easy, enjoyable text is what teachers call extensive reading, and the Extensive Reading Foundation recommends it for every level. Short stories for English learners make it easy to start:
- You finish what you start. A novel can take weeks. A short story takes one evening, and finishing builds the habit.
- Everyday English. Our stories use the English people really speak: flat-hunting, small talk, travel, work and love.
- Listen and read at the same time. Every story is an audiobook with the text on screen, so you connect spelling and pronunciation.
- One story, one grammar point. Each Passport Hearts short story practises one structure, so the grammar sticks.
- Easy to re-read. The second time is faster and easier, and that feeling of fluency is real progress.
How to read a short story in English: a 15-minute routine
- Listen first. Play the story once without the text and follow the main events.
- Listen and read along. Play it again with the text on screen. Notice the words you missed.
- Pick five words. Choose five new words or phrases and write the sentence each one is in.
- Do the grammar practice. In the ebook, two pages of exercises use sentences from the story.
- Re-read it tomorrow. Then move on to the next story.
This routine works for any short stories for English learners. Fifteen minutes a day, five days a week, and you’ll finish all six Passport Hearts short stories in under two weeks.
What level are these short stories?
All the short stories for English learners on this page are written for beginners at A2 (elementary, “false beginner”), the second of the six CEFR levels: you understand everyday sentences about family, shopping, travel and work. Not sure of your level? Use our quick guide to English levels.
Intermediate learner? Read the three B1 novels in the Passport Hearts series below, or browse our B1 graded readers.
Want something free first? The Blue Suitcase (A2) is a whole novel you can listen to and read free.
For intermediate learners (B1): longer stories
Finished the short love stories? The Passport Hearts series also has three full-length novels at B1, each about two hours, with the English Learning Guide in the ebook. Each novel is a complete story, so you don’t need to read the short stories first.
Prefer classics? Our lists of free audiobooks for English learners and free ebooks for English learners show which classic novels suit which level.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find short stories for English learners?
Digitalbook has three collections of short stories for English learners at A2: the six short love stories from the Passport Hearts series, It Was Here a Minute Ago (six short mysteries) and The Seat Was Still Warm (five short ghost stories). They are original stories, written at the level from the first page, not shortened classics.
Are these short stories for adults or children?
They are written for adults and young adults: grown-up characters, jobs, flat-hunting, travel and love, in simple English. They are not children’s stories.
Do the short stories have audio?
Yes. Every story is an audiobook narrated in British English, and you can follow the text on screen as you listen. You can also buy the ebook on its own.
What level are the short stories?
They are written for beginners at A2 (elementary) level. If they feel too hard, start with Nobody Saw the Cake (A1). If they feel too easy, try the three B1 novels in the Passport Hearts series: Diwali in the Rain, Only Until September and Two Names on the Door.
How long is each short story?
The Passport Hearts short stories are about 13 minutes each. The mysteries in It Was Here a Minute Ago are about ten minutes each, and the ghost stories in The Seat Was Still Warm about fifteen minutes each.
How much do these short stories for English learners cost?
Each Passport Hearts short story is $0.99 as an audiobook with read-along text, or $0.49 as an ebook with grammar practice. The mystery and ghost story collections are $1.99 as audiobooks and $0.99 as ebooks.
Can I try a short story before I buy?
Yes. Every book page has a free sample you can listen to, and The Blue Suitcase, an A2 novel, is completely free as an audiobook and ebook.
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