English listening practice

English listening online: short recordings with comprehension questions, levels from A1 to C1. Listen to the recording, answer the questions and check yourself.

The text is not shown on the screen while you listen — you work with sound only, just like in a real conversation. The transcript opens after you check your answers so you can compare what you heard. Free, no sign-up, no install, works in the browser.

47 recordings British · American Free, no signup

Language of the texts:
EnglishSpanishGermanFrenchItalianPortuguese
A1

Beginner

12 recordings

Very short texts with simple words and present-tense sentences.

A1 0:50 Clinic Procedure Advice 5 questions Listen → A1 0:50 Clinic Visit List 5 questions Listen → A1 0:52 Coastal Weather Update 5 questions Listen → A1 0:45 Driving Licence Message 5 questions Listen → A1 0:52 Food Bank Help 5 questions Listen → A1 1:00 Food Bank Needs 5 questions Listen → A1 0:48 Football Training Plan 5 questions Listen → A1 0:44 Letting Agency Message 5 questions Listen → A1 0:52 Missed Delivery Message 5 questions Listen → A1 0:48 Road Closed Today 5 questions Listen → A1 0:43 Salon Appointment Message 5 questions Listen → A1 0:42 Taxi Booking Message 5 questions Listen →
A2

Elementary

8 recordings

Short everyday stories with common vocabulary and past tenses.

A2 0:51 Flight Delay Notice 5 questions Listen → A2 0:47 Form Filling Guide 5 questions Listen → A2 1:08 Fresh Market Stall 5 questions Listen → A2 0:58 Hospital Check Reminder 5 questions Listen → A2 0:41 Landlord Repair Message 5 questions Listen → A2 1:01 Parents Evening Message 5 questions Listen → A2 0:49 Pharmacy Repeat Message 5 questions Listen → A2 1:04 Prescription Pickup 5 questions Listen →
B1

Intermediate

10 recordings

Longer narratives with a wider range of tenses and linking words.

B1 1:08 Changed Coffee Plans 5 questions Listen → B1 1:22 Clinic Prep Talk 5 questions Listen → B1 1:03 First Lesson Outline 5 questions Listen → B1 1:12 Flight Delay Update 5 questions Listen → B1 1:11 Insurance Claim Requirements 5 questions Listen → B1 1:08 Interview Arrangement Message 5 questions Listen → B1 1:21 Library Card Rules 5 questions Listen → B1 1:37 Lost Property Alert 5 questions Listen → B1 1:21 Prescription Collection Guide 5 questions Listen → B1 1:07 Term Plan Briefing 5 questions Listen →
B2

Upper-intermediate

9 recordings

Detailed texts with richer vocabulary and more complex sentences.

B2 1:44 Bank Terms Update Message 5 questions Listen → B2 1:35 Cat Care Instructions 5 questions Listen → B2 1:22 Delayed Departure Update 5 questions Listen → B2 1:45 Hotel Breakfast Call 5 questions Listen → B2 1:37 Library Membership Talk 5 questions Listen → B2 1:22 Refund Policy Hotline 5 questions Listen → B2 2:01 Return Policy Call 5 questions Listen → B2 1:28 Settlement Offer Briefing 5 questions Listen → B2 1:33 Solicitor Next Steps Message 5 questions Listen →
C1

Advanced

8 recordings

Nuanced, near-native texts with idiomatic and abstract language.

C1 2:08 Borrowing System Overview 5 questions Listen → C1 2:22 Claim Assessment Update 5 questions Listen → C1 2:09 Museum Excursion Details 5 questions Listen → C1 2:00 Museum Visit Briefing 5 questions Listen → C1 2:02 Planning Refusal Notice 5 questions Listen → C1 2:22 Recycling Update 5 questions Listen → C1 2:26 Repayment Plan Assessment 5 questions Listen → C1 1:44 Tribunal Hearing Procedure 5 questions Listen →

How the exercise works

  1. Choose an audio text at your level.
  2. Listen to the entire recording without stopping.
  3. Answer the questions about the content — each question can be played on its own.
  4. Press the check button once.
  5. Open the transcript and compare the parts where you made mistakes.

The transcript is deliberately hidden until after checking. If the text is visible, the exercise quietly turns into reading and the skill of understanding by ear is not trained.

British and American pronunciation

English recordings are available in two accents — British and American. The same text can be heard in either and you can compare how the vowels, rhythm and intonation change.

Recordings in the other languages are read by one voice: when the variable being studied is accent, it is better to keep timbre and tempo unchanged.

English listening by level

  • A1–A2 — short announcements, voicemail messages, simple everyday situations; speech is measured and the vocabulary is familiar.
  • B1 — longer recordings with details you need to keep in your head: times, prices, addresses, sequences of actions.
  • B2 — coherent monologue where it is important to understand not only the facts but also the speaker’s attitude.
  • C1 — complex speech with idioms and subtext, closer to how the language sounds outside a textbook.

How to learn to understand spoken English

If you only understand speech partially, that is a normal stage and not a lack of ability. The skill grows from regularity rather than the length of a session: a few minutes every day give more than an hour once a week.

Do not translate every word. First catch the overall meaning, then listen a second time for details — in a real conversation there is no rewind and you have to fill in what is missing from context on the fly. If a phrase is difficult, lower the playback speed or replay the recording from the start: both controls are under the player.

Listening not only in English

Recordings with questions are available in 29 other languages — Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Polish among them. The language is switched above the catalogue.

Read this text: English reading practice