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Plain English

Improve your English and learn about the world at the same time. Plain English brings you short, modern stories about culture, science, travel, business, and everyday life, all told in clear, natural English designed for learners. You’ll grow your vocabulary, improve your listening skills, and build your confidence one episode at a time. Like the show? Sign up free at PlainEnglish.com and get a personalized learning path.

Expression: Come up with

12 mins; April 02, 2026

Can New York ever fix Penn Station?

16 mins; March 30, 2026

Expression: Up close

11 mins; March 26, 2026

The 'free solo' climb of Taiwan's tallest tower

14 mins; March 23, 2026

Expression: Show up

11 mins; March 19, 2026

America's religious decline may be on pause

13 mins; March 16, 2026

Expression: Come to grips

8 mins; March 12, 2026

Shocks, comebacks, and firsts at the Milan Olympics

14 mins; March 09, 2026

Expression: Turn the tables

12 mins; March 05, 2026

‘Heated Rivalry’ is a steamy export from a frigid place

15 mins; March 02, 2026

Expression: Run out

13 mins; February 26, 2026

How coffee is prepared around the world

13 mins; February 23, 2026

Expression: Get around

13 mins; February 19, 2026

What does it mean to be a ‘millionaire’?

16 mins; February 16, 2026

World Cup tickets: What fans need to know

16 mins; February 09, 2026

Expression: Turn in

12 mins; February 05, 2026

Canada’s oldest company closes its doors

11 mins; February 02, 2026

Expression: Fall for

11 mins; January 29, 2026

The crackdown on scam compounds

16 mins; January 26, 2026

Expression: Get rid of

11 mins; January 22, 2026

LEDs are making our world cooler and bluer

16 mins; January 19, 2026

Expression: To have your work cut out for you

9 mins; January 15, 2026

Winemakers are in trouble

13 mins; January 12, 2026

Expression: Keep your options open

12 mins; January 08, 2026

How Labubus became so popular

13 mins; January 05, 2026

Learn the best expressions at PlainEnglish.com

4 mins; January 01, 2026

Cognitive switching is killing your productivity [archive]

15 mins; December 29, 2025

Who deserves the San Jose's treasure? [archive]

15 mins; December 25, 2025

Five timeless Christmas stories

18 mins; December 22, 2025

'A Man on the Inside' is a sweet, intergenerational comedy

16 mins; December 18, 2025

All about live Christmas trees

12 mins; December 15, 2025

Tracking monarch butterflies as they migrate

15 mins; December 11, 2025

The world’s biggest butterfly migration

12 mins; December 08, 2025

America has minted its last penny

12 mins; December 04, 2025

The zipper is getting an upgrade

14 mins; December 01, 2025

Is 'premium economy' worth it? [archive]

12 mins; November 27, 2025

💰 Black Friday: Get 2 free months of Plain English

2 mins; November 26, 2025

The hot new trend is an ice-cold bath [archive]

12 mins; November 24, 2025

Parkrun is the world’s free running club

14 mins; November 20, 2025

The quest to make snake bites less lethal

15 mins; November 17, 2025

Seniors are the new screen addicts

12 mins; November 13, 2025

The rise and fall of Publishers Clearing House

15 mins; November 10, 2025

Four Seasons hotels win big with ‘White Lotus’

14 mins; November 06, 2025

Louvre robbery: How it happened

12 mins; November 03, 2025

A visit to Dublin [archive]

16 mins; October 30, 2025

What sound should a quiet car make?

13 mins; October 27, 2025

Update episode: BTS, Birkin, NYC trash, Seine swimming & more

12 mins; October 23, 2025

Sagrada Familia nears completion after 140 years

10 mins; October 20, 2025

Keep calm and carry on: the backstory

14 mins; October 16, 2025

Why your AI always thinks you're brilliant

16 mins; October 13, 2025

New discoveries from ancient Pompeii

13 mins; October 09, 2025

More schools are banning cell phones

12 mins; October 06, 2025

Newest status symbol? Your water bottle

12 mins; October 02, 2025

Alcaraz & Sinner: the new rivalry in men’s tennis

14 mins; September 29, 2025

Canada's sweetest export: maple syrup

13 mins; September 25, 2025

⚖️ Emoji in the courtroom

16 mins; September 22, 2025

How stolen vehicles move around the world

15 mins; September 18, 2025

Car theft goes global

14 mins; September 15, 2025

Women are making inroads into officiating men’s sports

14 mins; September 11, 2025

Italy envisions a bridge to Sicily

13 mins; September 08, 2025

The era of slim clothing is over

13 mins; September 04, 2025

‘Coldplay couple’ in a viral nightmare

14 mins; September 01, 2025

How prescription drugs get their names [archive episode]

18 mins; August 28, 2025

What it’s like to stare at a painting for a full hour [archive episode]

13 mins; August 25, 2025

Egypt’s long-awaited mega-museum nears completion

12 mins; August 21, 2025

The poison mushroom and Australia’s sensational murder trial

14 mins; August 18, 2025

Cities are getting that sinking feeling

13 mins; August 14, 2025

Microsoft’s ‘Blue Screen of Death’ is going away

13 mins; August 11, 2025

Alberta flirts with separation from Canada

15 mins; August 07, 2025

What citizenship do you get at birth?

15 mins; August 04, 2025

The last Blockbuster [archive episode]

17 mins; July 31, 2025

How to apologize [archive episode]

15 mins; July 28, 2025

Country music is growing its mainstream appeal

12 mins; July 24, 2025

'Freestyle' chess scrambles the board

13 mins; July 21, 2025

Wave of needle stabbings reported in France

13 mins; July 17, 2025

Drone video shows orcas using kelp as a tool

14 mins; July 14, 2025

How to keep a high passenger rating

16 mins; July 10, 2025

Three words to say exactly where you are

19 mins; July 07, 2025

Which way is home? It’s complicated

15 mins; July 03, 2025

The five-star rating system isn’t working [Archive episode]

21 mins; June 30, 2025

The resurgence of the mullet haircut [Archive episode]

14 mins; June 26, 2025

Gut feeling: the microbiome and our health

13 mins; June 23, 2025

Nate Bargatze’s clean brand of comedy

15 mins; June 19, 2025

Breakfast: should you or shouldn’t you?

14 mins; June 16, 2025

Teaching in the age of ChatGPT

14 mins; June 12, 2025

ChatGPT has upended education

16 mins; June 09, 2025

The protein craze hits grocery shelves

17 mins; June 05, 2025

How books and movies get their local titles

19 mins; June 02, 2025

Did an extinct wolf really come back?

16 mins; May 29, 2025

Why airports have chapels

16 mins; May 26, 2025

How makers of 'Adolescence' made their one-take episodes

15 mins; May 22, 2025

Expression: Figure out

16 mins; May 21, 2025

Legendary investor Warren Buffett to retire

15 mins; May 19, 2025

Canada’s Liberals stage an improbable comeback

16 mins; May 15, 2025

Expression: Make sure

13 mins; May 14, 2025

Dalai Lama leads Tibetan Buddhists from exile

17 mins; May 12, 2025

LinkedIn is now a place to share

15 mins; May 08, 2025

Expression: Make a difference

16 mins; May 07, 2025

How a new pope is chosen

16 mins; May 05, 2025

These new high-rises are made of wood

12 mins; May 01, 2025

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