Read Real Literature in Any Language
Polyglot Reader is a completely free bilingual reading application designed to bridge the gap between language learning and natural book reading. Open an EPUB, PDF, or text file, pick a free classic from the catalog, or read an article or news story, then translate any paragraph with one tap, look up words in context, listen to a narrator, simplify hard passages to B1, review saved words with flashcards, and play word games built from the page you are reading — 100% free, with no sign-up or subscription.
The 5-Step Path to Fluent Reading
A frictionless learning loop that turns foreign books into your personal language tutor.
Load book or text
Import EPUB, TXT, or PDF (scans included), or paste your own text.
Read with translation
Tap Translate under a paragraph, or tap any word for a contextual definition.
Listen
Hear paragraphs read aloud with your choice of voice and speed.
Learn with flashcards
Save unfamiliar words and practice them in 4-choice quizzes.
Set daily goal
Track reading minutes or pages and build a daily streak.
Translate on Demand, Look Up in Context
Tap Translate under any paragraph to open its translation right below the original, and tap again to hide it. Tap a single word to see its meaning in that sentence, with phonetics and synonyms. Translations are cached, so reopening one is instant.
Classic Books Catalog
Browse free public-domain classics in many languages and filter by language and genre. You can also search all of Project Gutenberg by title or author; the search forgives typos. Open any book and read it right away, no download or upload needed.
Articles for Quick Practice
Short explainers from Wikipedia on science, space, medicine, politics and more, in the language you are practising. Pick a topic, read with the same translation, lookup, audio and flashcard tools, and save any article to your library.
Real News in Your Target Language
Read the newest stories from Global Voices (CC BY) by topic, in each language edition. It is a great way to practise current vocabulary with the same paragraph translation and word lookup you use in books.
Narrator Audio
Listen to paragraphs read aloud with highlighting. Pick a narrator voice from the voices on your device, set the speed from 0.8× to 2×, or turn on auto-play when you turn the page.
Vocabulary Flashcards
Select any unfamiliar word to see its definition, phonetics, and synonyms, then add it to your deck. Practice with 4-choice quizzes that show native audio and the original sentence from your book.
Simplify to B1
Make classic literature easier to read. Switch between the Original text and a clearer B1 (Intermediate) rewrite, cached paragraph by paragraph.
Word Games from Your Reading
Press Play in the reading toolbar to turn the page you are on into a game: fill the blanks, type the missing word (with a Say it hint that speaks it), fill the gaps, unscramble a sentence or guess a word from its letters. Earn points, streaks and stars. Games are built on your device from your own text, so they use no translation requests, and scores last for the session.
The games also estimate your reading level from the books you have read, using word frequency lists, and pick words that fit it. Your level is worked out on your device and is never sent anywhere. The lists come from FrequencyWords by Hermit Dave (built from OpenSubtitles) and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. We shortened them to the 10,000 most common words of each language, and those files stay under the same licence (details).
Reading Modes: Original and Simplified (B1)
Switch between the authentic text and a clearer rewrite with one tap
Classic literature often features archaic vocabulary, convoluted sub-clauses, and idioms that can frustrate intermediate readers. Use the Mode selector in the reading toolbar to rewrite a book at the B1 (Intermediate) level of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), keeping the story, characters, and plot intact.
The unaltered text of the book with all literary nuances, historical prose, metaphors, and rich syntax intact.
Turns complex sentences into everyday syntax and accessible vocabulary while preserving every narrative detail and character interaction.
Upload Your Own Books or Paste Custom Texts
EPUB, TXT, PDF (including scanned), and a built-in editor
Import your favorite books as EPUB, plain text, or PDF. Scanned PDFs are recognized right in your browser (OCR): choose the book’s language and each page is read on your device, so nothing is uploaded. You can also paste articles, essays, and stories into the built-in editor. Jump between chapters any time with the Table of Contents button in the reading toolbar.
100% Free to Use
No SubscriptionPolyglot Reader is completely free with no paywalls, hidden charges, or premium tiers. Enjoy book uploads, paragraph translation, word lookup, narrator audio, B1 simplification, flashcards, and word games at zero cost.
Private & Offline Ready (PWA)
IndexedDBYour books, vocabulary decks, and reading progress are stored locally in your browser’s IndexedDB database, with no account needed. Text you translate, look up, or simplify is sent to our translation service to produce the result. Install it as a Progressive Web App to open your library offline.
Why Bilingual Reading with Instant Translation Accelerates Fluency
Traditional language learning often isolates vocabulary into abstract word lists. Polyglot Reader combines Comprehensible Input, Dual-Coding Audio Feedback, and Active Recall into a seamless reading experience.
✦Krashen's Comprehensible Input Hypothesis
Linguist Stephen Krashen demonstrated that humans acquire language most effectively when exposed to content slightly above their current level (i + 1). By offering on-demand translations and a simplified B1 mode, Polyglot Reader ensures you remain in the optimal flow state where language is comprehensible, engaging, and memorable.
✦Contextual Word Acquisition
Words encountered in compelling narratives form stronger associative neural pathways than isolated flashcard drills. When you select a word in a book, Polyglot Reader preserves the original sentence context, allowing you to learn nuanced connotations and real syntax patterns naturally.
✦Dual-Coding Audio & Visual Integration
According to Paivio’s Dual-Coding Theory, processing visual text and auditory pronunciation simultaneously stimulates two distinct cognitive subsystems. Polyglot Reader’s narrator audio provides immediate acoustic feedback, accelerating phonemic awareness and listening comprehension.
✦Habit Formation with Daily Micro-Goals
Consistency is the decisive factor in foreign language fluency. Setting a modest daily goal of 10 to 15 minutes of reading builds an unbroken learning streak, generating compound language gains without causing cognitive burnout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Polyglot Reader free to use?▾
Yes, Polyglot Reader is 100% free! There are no subscriptions, ads, paywalls, or hidden charges. All core capabilities — including paragraph translation, word lookup, narrator audio, simplified B1 reading mode, flashcards, word games, and custom book uploads — are fully accessible at zero cost.
What file formats can I read?▾
You can upload EPUB (.epub) ebooks, plain text (.txt) files, or PDF (.pdf) documents, including scanned PDFs, which are read with in-browser OCR after you pick the book’s language. You can also paste any custom text into the built-in editor.
Which languages are supported?▾
Polyglot Reader supports translation between English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, Turkish, Dutch, Polish, and Ukrainian.
How does Simplified mode work?▾
When reading any book, use the Mode selector in the top toolbar to switch between Original and Simplified. Simplified rewrites paragraphs at the CEFR B1 (Intermediate) level, with everyday vocabulary and shorter sentences, while keeping the storyline and plot. Rewritten paragraphs are cached in your browser.
Are there word games?▾
Yes. Press Play in the reading toolbar to choose a game: fill the blanks, type the missing word, fill the gaps, unscramble a sentence or guess a word. Games are built in your browser from the page you are reading, original or simplified, so they use no translation requests. Scores last for the session and are not saved.
How does the daily reading goal work?▾
You can configure a daily reading target in minutes (e.g. 15 minutes) or pages (e.g. 10 pages). Active reading time is tracked while the tab is focused, and your streak grows each day you reach the goal.
Ready to dive into a book?
Browse the classics catalog, read an article or today's news, try a sample book, or upload your own text.