Why Plain English?

You’ll get fun lessons, tons of practice, and a supportive community so you can improve your English every day.

What is it?

An English learning platform like you’ve never experienced

Plain English is built with the modern learner in mind. Our lessons are based on current events and trending topics, so you’ll never be bored learning English and you can start using what you learn right away.

You won’t waste time with inauthentic scenarios and you won’t be learning from a cartoon.

You will learn real-world English, from a real person, at a pace that works for you. And if you’re ready to dig deeper, we’re here to give you personalized help.

Fun lessons, a supportive community, and interactive exercises are why Plain English is the tool of choice for learners around the world.

Heard enough? Get started today

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What’s inside?

Lessons you’ll love

Follow your passions or explore new interests in English with 460+ lessons about business, technology, science, health, travel, culture, politics, and more.

Explore lesson topics →

See why Plain English is so interesting: Lessons cover topics ranging from art to business to politics to travel and history.
Discover the meaning behind English phrases like "no such thing" and "better off"

Tools to speak English like a native

English is full of confusing expressions and phrasal verbs like ‘No such thing’ and ‘Better off’. So we show you exactly how to use them in conversation, with tons of easy-to-follow examples. And it’s all in the warm and friendly style we’re known for.

Browse the Expressions library →

Something new all the time

New lessons come out every Monday and Thursday, so you’ll always have something fresh to explore. Seen all our lessons? Take the weekly review quiz to brush up on what you’ve learned.

Read: What does Plain English mean?

Use interactive exercises to improve your English pronunciation, listening, grammar, and vocabulary.
Why Plain English? Apart from our lessons, you can also benefit from a supportive community of learners.

Help when you need it

Over 15,000 English learners independently follow our weekly lessons. But if you’re ready to upgrade your English with a supportive community, we offer these great resources to Plus+ members:

  • A special practice area to get feedback on your own writing
  • An exclusive area to ask any question in English
  • ‘Question of the Week’ to help you practice your writing
  • Live conversation calls on Zoom 3x/month

My understanding of English has improved significantly.

PiotrPoland

Who is Plain English for?

No matter your reason for learning, you can upgrade your skills with Plain English

Climbers

Advance in your career with the international language of business

‘Business English’ is real English. With Plain English, you’ll learn the language of the real world (including the business world) with fascinating topics and an easy-to-use interface.

Explorers

Enrich your travel, make new friends, and enjoy music and movies in English

Turn off the subtitles and put away your translator: with Plain English, you’ll be more prepared than ever to explore the world in English (without Google’s help).

Lifelong learners

Re-connect with English and enjoy learning a language for its own sake

Life is better when you can speak a second language. It’s never too late (or too early) to discover the benefits of language learning.

Frequently-asked questions

Don’t see your question below? Send us a note.

What level should I be before I join Plain English?

To get the most out of Plain English, you should have a basic working vocabulary in English, usually associated with level A2 on the Common European Framework scale.

If you don’t know your level, don’t worry. If you can understand this page, you can benefit from Plain English.

Who makes the lessons?

Each lesson is made by Jeff, the founder of Plain English. He’s a native English speaker with a passion for language. He writes each lesson and personally records the audio and video lessons, so you’re always learning from a native speaker.

Is it American or British English?

The content is written and narrated by a native English speaker from the United States, so the accent and some of the terminology will have an American perspective. However, the content is useful for anyone learning English.

Who should NOT join Plain English?

We created Plain English for a wide variety of English learners. We think it can help almost anyone looking to upgrade their skills in English.

However, Plain English won’t be a good fit if you:

  • …are a true beginner in English. You will need at least a basic understanding of English to benefit from our great lessons.
  • …don’t like independent learning. We’ll help you get started and explore the site, but you’ll get the most out of Plain English if you’re willing to explore the site and discover your own interests.
  • …are looking for a quick-fix that will “make you fluent” in a short period of time. At Plain English, we’re not about false promises or shortcuts.
  • …prefer one-to-one teaching. While we think Plain English can be part of your language learning journey, we do not offer one-on-one private instruction.
Do you guarantee I’ll be fluent after joining Plain English?

Learning a language is a long-term process and everyone moves at their own pace. What’s more, being “fluent” is not everyone’s goal in English. We don’t believe in making false promises or in one-size-fits-all solutions.

But here’s what we can say: You can use Plain English to upgrade your skills in English. We’ll help you get there, but you have to do the work!

How much does Plain English cost?

The majority of our content is free. You can sign up for a free membership today in 3 minutes, without providing a credit card. Click here to get started.

However, to enjoy the full benefits of Plain English, including translations, videos, two-speed audio, interactive exercises, and community support, you’ll want to join as a Plus+ member, which is $19/month or $189/year. Learn more about the Plus+ membership here.

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