The 9 Best Books to Learn English: Beginner to Advanced

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Books are an effective way to learn English, but it can be difficult to choose the right one for you.  We’ve compiled some of the best books to learn English that can benefit any type of learner. The best overall book to learn English is English for Everyone. It’s a comprehensive reference that uses visuals to explain concepts in a clear and easy way.

Depending on your level, there are also other high–quality books available, and this article shows you the 9 best options. We take a look at what each book offers and how you can benefit from studying with it. Some books offer a general approach to learning English, while others focus on specific skills like writing and phrasal verbs. No matter what your level or language goals are, you’re sure to find something that’s a good fit for you on this list.

How We Chose and Tested the Best English Books

For any language learning products we’ve tested or researched, we follow a strict testing methodology to make sure our experts make the same considerations. Here are the factors we looked at when specifically testing English learning books:

• Structure and Topics: We not only considered the layout of the book’s content, but we also wanted to see which topics each book covered and how in-depth and accurate the explanations were.
• Quality of Content: We read several chapters of each book to gauge the quality of the content, including the example texts, exercises, and explanations. It’s important that each book contained clear and easy-to-understand content.
• Value for Money: We took the two previous factors and compared them to the price of the book to determine if it offers a good value for the cost. 

Our Top Picks for the Best English Books

Below you’ll find the best books to learn English. Scroll down to learn more about each one.

Best Overall English Book	English for Everyone
Best for Self-Study	Learning English as a Foreign Language for Dummies
Best for Advanced English Learners	Practical English Usage
Best for English Collocations	English Collocations in Use
Best for Vocabulary	The Vocabulary Builder Workbook
Best for Reading	Short Stories in English for Beginners
Best for Writing	ESL Intermediate/Advanced Writing
Best for American English	Advanced English Conversation Dialogues
Best for Phrasal Verbs	100 Phrasal Verbs to Learn for Life

English for Everyone is the best overall book to learn English because it’s a comprehensive reference for English learners and uses a lot of visual teaching methods. The book is entirely in English, and the material is presented with pictures, diagrams, and color-coded explanations so the instructions and examples are clear. The main reason I recommend this book is that it comes with a lot of practical “extras,” like audio files that let you hear native speakers and a sentence formation guide that shows you exactly how to craft the perfect English sentence.

The English for Everyone box set includes both the level 1 & 2 coursebook and practice book. If you are a more advanced learner, English for Everyone also has an Intermediate to Advanced box set. The exercises that I think are most helpful are the ones that ask you to find errors in a sentence and correct them. This helps you remember important points that you learned. You can grab your copy of the book here.

Key Benefits

• You get access to audio files to improve your listening skills
• The sentence formation guide visually shows you how to build perfect sentences
• It’s more expensive than some other English books, but it includes a large amount of helpful study materials

Learning English as a Foreign Language for Dummies is an excellent option if you want to self-study English because it focuses on vocabulary and grammar for everyday situations. All the text is written in English, so it’s best if you have already had some exposure to the language. In fact, the first chapter is called “You already know a little English.” I recommend this book to my friends learning English because it includes a lot of topics most other books never discuss, like making phone calls for work and going through security at the airport.

Another aspect that makes this one of the best English books is its section on phrasal verbs (every English learner’s nightmare!). It walks you through what a phrasal verb is, helps you practice them, and shows you a list of some of the most common phrasal verbs, like “get up” and “lay down.” The book doesn’t focus a lot on grammar, but instead focuses on communicating effectively. This makes it the perfect choice for most English learners who want to sound more natural when they speak. You can take a closer look at the book here.

Key Benefits

• The book teaches you how to navigate different situations that other books ignore
• The phrasal verb section helps you quickly learn essential phrasal verbs without confusing explanations
• The text is simple and straightforward to read and doesn’t use unnecessary and difficult vocabulary

Practical English Usage is the ultimate English reference book for advanced learners or those preparing for a certification test. I recommend it because it’s organized in two logical sections that are easy to navigate: grammar and vocabulary. Practical English Usage has 87 different diagnostic tests, which are especially if you’re preparing for an English certification exam. These diagnostic tests are designed to help you identify your weaker language skills, and the content of the book helps you immediately start improving them.

There are already a lot of specialized books that help you prepare for specific certifications, like TOEFL and IELTS. The reason I prefer Practical English Usage is because it’s more of a catch-all reference that is helpful for exam preparation as well as general English questions. It’s important to note that this book is a reference though – it’s not an actual course. One aspect of Practical English Usage that makes it stand out is its explanation of the subtleties of English, such as the difference between “also” and “as well” or when it’s more appropriate to use “begin” instead of “start.” You can find more information about the book here.

Key Benefits

• The layout of the book makes it easy to navigate and find answers fast
• It teaches you how to use vocabulary correctly in different situations, which makes you sound more like a native speaker
• It’s a comprehensive reference guide that’s useful for exams and general English questions