Learn English with Podcasts — Free Transcripts

Real English podcasts with a transcript that follows the audio. Tap any word for its meaning and pick episodes at your level.

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How learning English with podcasts works here

Podcasts are real people speaking natural English about things they care about. The hard part for a learner is keeping up. FlexiLingo puts the words on screen while you listen, so you can follow along, check a word without losing the thread, and choose episodes you can actually understand.

Right now the catalogue holds 760 English podcast shows.

Synced transcripts

Every ready episode has a full transcript. The line being spoken is highlighted as the audio plays, so you can read along and pause whenever you need to.

Tap any word

Tap a word in the transcript to see its meaning and translation without leaving the player. With a free account you can save it to a flashcard deck and review it later with spaced repetition.

A CEFR level per episode, not just per show

Each analysed episode gets its own CEFR level, from A1 to C2, worked out from the words actually spoken in it. Show cards also give the speaking speed in words per minute, so you can choose by difficulty and by pace.

English podcasts by CEFR level

Start one level below where you feel comfortable: you should understand most of an episode on your own and use the transcript to fill the gaps. The shows below come straight from our catalogue, ordered by how well they suit learners and how many episodes are ready to study.

Want hand-picked shows and the reason behind each pick? Read our guide: Best Podcasts to Learn English (by Level)

A1 Absolute beginner

Slow, clear speech, short episodes and the most common everyday words. Read the whole transcript as you listen and tap every word you do not know.

Our picks for this level: Best English Podcasts for A1 Absolute Beginners

A2 Beginner

Podcasts made for learners, about daily life, work and travel, spoken a little slower than natural speech. Listen once with the transcript, then once without it.

Our picks for this level: Best English Podcasts for A2 Beginners (2026)

B1 Intermediate

The step from learner podcasts to native ones: stories, short news and conversation shows. You will follow the main idea, and the transcript helps with the fast or unclear parts.

Our picks for this level: Best English Podcasts for B1 Intermediate Learners (2026)

B2 Upper intermediate

The largest group in our catalogue: news, history, science and interviews at natural speed. Use the transcript for names, idioms and the words you keep hearing but cannot catch.

Our picks for this level: Best English Podcasts for B2 Upper-Intermediate Learners (2026)

C1–C2 Advanced

Fast, dense talk: specialist topics, long interviews, literature and humour. The transcript is there for rare words and for the references a textbook never taught you.

Our picks for this level: Best English Podcasts for C1 Advanced Learners (2026)

Why listen with a transcript?

When you listen without text, you only know that you missed something. With the transcript you can see what it was: a word you have never met, a phrase where the sounds run together, or a name. Once you have seen it, it is easier to hear the next time.

How to use transcripts without leaning on them: Best English Podcasts With Transcripts (and How to Use Them)

Podcasts in other languages

The same transcripts and clickable words, in more languages.

Questions about learning English with podcasts

Are the podcast transcripts free?

Yes. You can play any ready episode, read its synced transcript and tap words for their meaning without paying and without signing up. A free account adds saved words, flashcard review and your listening history.

What level of English do I need?

Any level from A1 upwards. Each analysed episode is labelled with a CEFR level, from A1 (beginner) to C2 (near-native), so you can start with easier episodes and move up as your listening improves.

Does every episode have a transcript?

Not yet. Episodes marked Ready have a full transcript. For an episode without one, a signed-in user can start the transcription, within the transcription time their plan includes.

Which podcasts are in the catalogue?

Real, publicly available podcasts: shows made for English learners as well as native news, history, science and storytelling shows. The audio comes from each podcast's own public feed; FlexiLingo adds the transcript, the word lookups and the level.

How is this different from a normal podcast app?

A normal podcast app gives you the audio. Here the transcript follows the audio, every word can be tapped for its meaning, and analysed episodes carry a CEFR level, so you know before you press play whether one suits you.

Podcast data provided by PodcastIndex.org