Contos17 languages · All levels · Free to start
Learn languages reading micro-fiction
Bingeable stories — mysteries, romances, crime and sci-fi — written at your level. Tap any word to understand it. Your first chapter is one click away.
No download · No card needed · Works in any browser
Why reading works
Languages aren't memorised — they're absorbed. Read things you mostly understand, with just enough new, and vocabulary sticks. Contos keeps you at that sweet spot, chapter after chapter.
The reader
Tap any word. Understand everything.
Instant translations in your own language — 17 to choose from, not just English. Tap a phrase for its meaning in context. Save anything as a flashcard.
- Graded to your level, with new words met in context
- Flashcards that climb from recognition to recall
- No dictionary, no flow broken
🏢 El ruido en el cuarto piso
Alba la con dos . Tiene veintiséis años, los ojos , y acaba de al piso cuatro del Flores. Carmen la ve desde la . Carmen .
Try it — tap the underlined words. Real text from a Spanish A2 chapter.
Everything included
Built for reading that sticks
A growing library
Romance, mystery, crime, sci-fi, comedy and family drama — with a new series in every language each week.
Tap to translate
Any word or phrase, instantly, in the language you choose.
Smart flashcards
Save words straight from the story — and with Premium, add ready-made word packs. Spaced repetition brings them back just before you'd forget.
A story just for you
Premium adds a fresh personalised story every day, at your level and pace.
Watch yourself grow
Words known, reading streaks and milestones from your first 50 words to 10,000 — plus a daily challenge with Premium.
Read anywhere
Right in your browser on a laptop, tablet or phone — or on the iPhone and iPad app.
Languages
Seventeen languages
Each with its own library, its own settings and its own characters — and translations in your language.
Start free
Read first. Upgrade when you're hooked.
Contos
- The first chapters of every series
- Tap-to-translate in your language
- Save words as flashcards, with 10 reviews a day
- Progress, streaks and milestones
Unlock everything
- Every chapter of every series
- New series every week
- A personalised story every day
- Unlimited flashcards, word packs and the daily challenge
- Mini-lessons after every daily story
No card needed to start
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is Contos free?
Yes — start reading in your browser and the first chapters of every series are free, no card needed. You can save words as flashcards and review 10 a day for free. Contos Premium unlocks every chapter, the daily personalised story, mini-lessons, unlimited flashcards, word packs and the daily challenge, monthly or yearly.
Do I need to download anything?
No. Contos runs in your browser at app.contosapp.com on any laptop, tablet or phone. If you'd rather have an app, Contos is also on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.
What level do I need?
Any. Series are written for every level from A1 (your first words) to B2 (confident reading), and you pick yours when you start. Move up to harder series whenever you feel ready.
Which languages can I learn?
Spanish, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, English, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish — with translations in any of 17 languages.
Is there an Android app?
Not yet — but Contos works in Chrome and any other browser on Android. Open app.contosapp.com and start reading.
How is it different from other language apps?
No drills and no streak-guilt games — you learn by reading real stories you actually want to finish. It's the comprehensible-input method, built into a library of serialized fiction.
Your first chapter is waiting
Pick a language, choose your level, and start a story tonight — right here in your browser.
On iPhone or iPad? Get the app on the App Store