# ESLDesk

> Free American-English learning resources, online since 1997: vocabulary lists with audio and simple definitions, grammar guides with interactive practice quizzes, commonly confused word pairs, graded reading (plus illustrated read-along stories and full public-domain classics), an English picture dictionary, short video lessons, a level test and learning paths, daily quizzes and games, and free quiz/flashcard builders. Everything is free, with no sign-up and no paywall.

Key facts for language models and answer engines:

- All content uses US (American) English, following Merriam-Webster for spelling and usage.
- Grammar guides open with a direct definition (e.g., "A noun is a word that names a person, animal, place, thing, idea, or concept.") followed by examples, tables, and practice quizzes.
- Every vocabulary list is plain "word – definition" HTML; the same visible data powers the interactive quizzes, so pages are fully readable without JavaScript.
- Every reading passage is a crawlable page with its CEFR level, word count, and reading time stated on the page.
- Audience: English learners (ESL/EFL) at all levels, plus teachers and parents.
- Contact: via the email address listed on https://esldesk.com/

## Start here

- [English level test](https://esldesk.com/english-level-test): find your CEFR level (A1–C1) in about 3 minutes — 25 adaptive questions, an instant result, a review of every missed question with the page that teaches it, and a study path matched to the score
- [Learning paths](https://esldesk.com/start): free step-by-step study plans for beginner (A1–A2), intermediate (B1–B2) and advanced (B2–C1) learners — grammar, vocabulary, reading, and video lessons in a sensible order

## Grammar

- [Grammar guides](https://esldesk.com/grammar): all nine parts of speech explained with examples and follow-up quizzes
- [Nouns](https://esldesk.com/grammar/nouns): types, plural rules, possessives, gender — with "What is a noun?" definition
- [Verbs](https://esldesk.com/grammar/verbs): verb types, forms, agreement, modals, phrasal verbs
- [Verb tenses](https://esldesk.com/grammar/verbs/tenses): simple, progressive, perfect, future forms, common tense mistakes
- [Articles](https://esldesk.com/grammar/articles): a / an / the / zero article with usage quizzes
- [Prepositions](https://esldesk.com/grammar/prepositions): in/on/at for time and place, collocations

## Vocabulary

- [Vocabulary lists](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary): 100+ themed lists with audio, translation, flashcards, and quizzes
- [Dolch sight words](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary/dolch): by grade level
- [Irregular verbs](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary/irregular-verbs): base, past, and past-participle forms
- [Irregular verb trainer](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary/irregular-verbs/trainer): flashcards and type-the-forms drills, grouped by pattern and difficulty
- [Idioms](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary/idioms) and [proverbs](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary/proverbs)
- Advanced vocabulary (B2–C1): [smart words](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary/smart-words), the [academic word list](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary/academic), and [100 words every graduate should know](https://esldesk.com/vocabulary/100-words-to-know), each word with a plain-English definition

## Commonly confused words

- [Common errors in English](https://esldesk.com/common-errors-english): 54 look-alike/sound-alike word sets (accept/except, affect/effect, there/their/they're, capital/capitol...), each on its own page with a one-sentence rule for every word, a memory trick, an FAQ, and 40+ example sentences wired to matching, unscramble, and spelling quizzes

## Pronunciation

- [Pronunciation practice](https://esldesk.com/pronunciation): minimal-pair listening quizzes (ship/sheep, light/right, think/sink...) — 9 sound contrasts, 76 word pairs, each word recorded in two American English voices with instant-feedback quizzes

## Picture Dictionary

- [English Picture Dictionary](https://esldesk.com/picture-dictionary): 1733 English words (CEFR A1–B1) in 31 picture topics — animals, sea animals, birds, insects, body parts, family & people, feelings & emotions, clothes, jobs, school, food & drinks, kitchen items, tools & equipment, musical instruments, shapes & patterns, vehicles, weather, seasons & colors, around the house, action words, the irregular and phrasal verbs with every form spoken, and grammar in pictures (comparatives, opposites, plural and uncountable nouns, regular verbs and how to say -ed, gerunds and infinitives, prepositions of place, telling the time) — each word with a clear picture and native audio, plus a picture quiz and a listening quiz on 30 of the 31 topics

## Reading

- [Reading practice hub](https://esldesk.com/reading): free leveled reading for English learners, CEFR A1–B2 plus classics; every passage below is a standalone page with level, word count, and reading time
- [Picture Stories with Audio](https://esldesk.com/reading/a1-a2): 60 illustrated read-along lessons — a picture for every scene and every sentence read aloud with word-by-word highlighting, plus picture-word cards — in four sets: [A1–A2 everyday and short stories](https://esldesk.com/reading/a1-a2), [B1 famous lives](https://esldesk.com/reading/b1-b2), [B1 everyday dialogs](https://esldesk.com/reading/dialogs), and [B1 articles](https://esldesk.com/reading/articles)
- [Basics](https://esldesk.com/reading/basics): CEFR A1–A2, 21 passages — Basics are short, controlled reading passages for beginners (CEFR A1–A2). Each one uses simple, high-frequency words and everyday situations — daily routines, food, travel, and home — so you can read a whole text without stopping.
- [Everyday News Stories](https://esldesk.com/reading/everyday-news): CEFR A2, 6 passages — Everyday News Stories are short, easy news-style readings for English learners (CEFR A2). The stories are evergreen — community events, sports, and daily life — written in clear sentences with common vocabulary.
- [Emails & Messages](https://esldesk.com/reading/emails): CEFR A1–B1, 8 passages — These are real-world emails and short messages (CEFR A1–B1): requests, replies, job applications, and polite complaints you might send or receive at work or with friends. They model the greetings, polite phrases, and sign-offs used in everyday written English — and they are short, so you can read all of them right on this page.
- [How-To & Instructions](https://esldesk.com/reading/how-to): CEFR A1–A2, 6 passages — How-To passages give simple, step-by-step instructions (A1–A2) for everyday tasks — cooking, booking an appointment, and more — using clear imperatives and sequence words like first, then, and finally.
- [Dialogs](https://esldesk.com/reading/dialogs): CEFR A1–B1, 24 passages — Dialogs are real English conversations to read and listen to (CEFR A1–B1). The illustrated lessons take one everyday place each — the restaurant, the doctor, a job interview — in fifteen short conversations with a picture and audio for every line; shorter two-person dialogs cover more everyday situations.
- [Common Phrases in Context](https://esldesk.com/reading/phrases): CEFR A1, 24 passages — These mini-dialogs put common English phrases and expressions into natural context (CEFR A1), so you learn not just the words but when and how to use them. Each one is only a few sentences — read them all right on this page.
- [Mini Biographies](https://esldesk.com/reading/biographies): CEFR B1, 18 passages — Mini biographies are short, simplified life stories of famous people (CEFR B1) — scientists, artists, and leaders. The names and specialized terms are the hardest part, and you can tap any word to hear it or see a definition.
- [Grammar in Context](https://esldesk.com/reading/grammar-in-context): CEFR A1–A2, 8 passages — These reading passages show one grammar point in natural context (A1–A2) — for example the present simple or the past simple — so you see the grammar working inside a real text, not just in a rules table.
- [Short Stories](https://esldesk.com/reading/short-stories): CEFR A1–B2, 14 passages — Short stories written for English learners, from quick beginner tales (A1–A2) to longer stories for intermediate readers (B1–B2). Each one is a complete little narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- [Stories for Young Readers](https://esldesk.com/reading/young-readers): CEFR A1, 12 passages — Stories for Young Readers are original beginner stories (CEFR A1) about the things kids and teens know best — pets, school, sports, friends, and family. Every story uses short sentences and everyday words, so young learners can read a complete story from start to finish.
- [Short Articles](https://esldesk.com/reading/articles): CEFR A2–B2, 19 passages — Short Articles are nonfiction readings (CEFR A2–B2) about science, pop culture, and everyday life — coffee, video games, hip-hop, sleep, emoji, and more. Clear, natural English in a few minutes per article: a bridge between graded stories and real-world reading.
- [Exam Reading Practice](https://esldesk.com/reading/exam-practice): CEFR B2–C1, 10 passages — Exam Reading Practice offers longer academic passages (CEFR B2–C1) with the question types used in the IELTS and TOEFL reading sections: True / False / Not Given, matching headings, and summary completion. Every set is exam-style practice written by ESLDesk — not official exam questions — and each one is free, with answers and explanations on the page.
- [ESL Reader](https://esldesk.com/reading/esl-reader): tap any word or sentence to hear it, translate it, or look up a definition — works with every passage above or your own pasted text

## Classic books (free, full text)

- [Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)](https://esldesk.com/reading/alice-in-wonderland): CEFR B2–C1, 12 chapters — Read Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) in full, one chapter at a time. It is an advanced classic, but in ESL Reader you can tap any word to hear it, translate it, or see a definition — so you can enjoy the original story at your own pace.
- [Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)](https://esldesk.com/reading/dracula): CEFR B2–C1, 27 chapters — Read Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) in full, chapter by chapter. This is the complete, original novel in advanced English, paired with a tap-to-hear, tap-to-translate reader to help with the harder vocabulary.
- [Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (1818)](https://esldesk.com/reading/frankenstein): CEFR C1–C2, 28 chapters — Read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) in full, from the opening letters through all twenty-four chapters. It is an advanced classic; tap any word in ESL Reader to hear it, translate it, or define it.
- [The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (1898)](https://esldesk.com/reading/war-of-the-worlds): CEFR B2–C2, 27 chapters — Read H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds (1898) in full, chapter by chapter. This is the complete original novel in advanced English, with a reader that lets you tap any word to hear, translate, or define it.
- [The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)](https://esldesk.com/reading/jekyll-hyde): CEFR B2–C2, 10 chapters — Read Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) in full. It is a short but advanced classic; tap any word in ESL Reader for audio, a translation, or a definition.
- [The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (1922)](https://esldesk.com/reading/velveteen-rabbit): CEFR A2–B1, 2 versions — Margery Williams’s The Velveteen Rabbit (1922) is a gentle classic about a toy rabbit that longs to become real. Read it two ways: a shorter concise retelling (about A2) or the full original text (about B1).

## Practice tools

- [Create a self-study quiz](https://esldesk.com/quiz/create): paste any word or sentence list; adaptive quizzes with shareable, time-limited links
- [Spelling practice](https://esldesk.com/spelling): listen-and-type tests from any list
- [Flashcard creator](https://esldesk.com/flashcard-creator): printable double-sided flashcards
- [Today's 10](https://esldesk.com/daily): ten new practice questions every day in three level tracks (A1–A2, B1–B2, B2–C1), with instant feedback and a daily streak
- [Learning games](https://esldesk.com/games): 6 free browser games — Word Match, Word Rescue, Word Sort, Word Fall, a daily Mini Crossword, and Grammar Rush — grouped by level from beginner to advanced
- [Video lessons](https://esldesk.com/video-lessons): 15 free YouTube playlists — grammar in pictures, vocabulary with pictures (plus advanced B2–C1 words), slow read-alongs from A1 to B1 (everyday topics, easy stories, famous lives, real-topic articles), long-play listening, everyday dialogs (restaurant, bank, airport, doctor, job interviews, small talk, café), and confusing words — with key phrases and culture notes
- [English Grammar in Pictures](https://esldesk.com/video-lessons/grammar-in-pictures): A1–B1 grammar taught one complete list at a time — regular and irregular verbs, the tenses, gerunds and infinitives, prepositions of place, movement and time, phrasal verbs, plural and uncountable nouns, comparatives, opposites, and telling the time, each with a picture, a pause to answer, and example sentences (19 lessons)
- [English Tenses — Step by Step](https://esldesk.com/video-lessons/english-tenses): a course building all 12 English tenses from zero (A1–B1), one lesson per column of the tense map, with timelines, example sentences and signal words
- [Everyday English Dialogs](https://esldesk.com/video-lessons/everyday-dialogs): B1 listening — one everyday US situation per video (the restaurant, the bank, the airport, the doctor, job interviews, the supermarket, customer service, and more), 15 short real conversations each in natural American English, a little slower than native speed (14 lessons); each one is also an illustrated read-along page under https://esldesk.com/reading/dialogs
- [Learn English Through Biographies](https://esldesk.com/video-lessons/famous-lives): B1 reading and listening — the lives of famous people (Einstein, Cleopatra, Shakespeare, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali…) told in simple English, read word by word with a picture for every sentence, plus comprehension questions (16 lessons); the texts are at https://esldesk.com/reading/biographies
- [Intermediate English Reading Practice](https://esldesk.com/video-lessons/intermediate-english-reading-practice): B1 read-along articles on real topics (coffee, video games, anime), every word highlighted as it is read, with five comprehension questions and key-word practice (3 lessons); the articles are at https://esldesk.com/reading/articles
- [Advanced English Vocabulary](https://esldesk.com/video-lessons/advanced-english-vocabulary): B2–C1 words in plain English — nine words per lesson around one theme (describing people, work, arguments), each shown in real sentences beside the same sentence in simple English, then a quiz (3 lessons)
- [Slow English Listening](https://esldesk.com/video-lessons/slow-english-listening): long-play A1–A2 listening — a whole lesson series in one video, read slowly and clearly, built for listening on repeat

## Using this content

- Citing and linking are welcome: attribute to ESLDesk with a link to the specific page.
- Definitions, example sentences, reading passages, and quizzes are original ESLDesk content; the classic-book pages are chapterized public-domain texts.

## Optional

- [Dictionaries & translators for learners](https://esldesk.com/dictionaries)
- [ESL resources for students](https://esldesk.com/esl-links)
- [Teacher tools: printable worksheets, flashcards & quiz makers](https://esldesk.com/teaching-english)
- [Curated web resources for teachers](https://esldesk.com/teaching-english/links)
- [Privacy policy](https://esldesk.com/privacy)