Extensive reading is one of the most effective ways to build vocabulary and improve fluency. Our Italian graded readers apply the comprehensible input principle: you read stories written just above your current CEFR level, picking up new words naturally from context. Every page features a glossary beside the text so you never break your reading flow to look up a word. After each chapter, comprehension and vocabulary exercises reinforce what you've read, and QR codes link directly to online flashcards and matching games for spaced repetition practice. From A1 beginner to C2 proficiency, every Italian book is available as an ebook or paperback — choose the format that fits your learning style.
About Italian
Where Italian is spoken
Italian is the official language of Italy, San Marino, and Vatican City, and holds official status in parts of Switzerland and Slovenia. It is spoken by communities around the world, notably in Argentina and the United States.
How many people speak it
Italian has about 65–70 million native speakers, mainly in Italy, with several million more in Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, and diaspora communities.
Grammar and structure
Italian is a Romance language with two main noun genders (masculine and feminine) and a rich system of verb conjugations. Word order is relatively flexible; subject pronouns are often dropped. Agreement of past participles with objects (in compound tenses) is a distinctive feature for learners.
Best-rated Italian graded readers
Ranked by average customer rating and number of reviews on our site. Every title below is a Pentecost graded reader: a simplified story at CEFR level with learning supports built in.
A gentleman bets his fortune on a global dash, but a relentless detective believes he's a bank robber, hot on his heels. Absorb hundreds of real-world Italian words and phrases effortlessly, building B1 vocabulary that sticks through this unforgettable global dash.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Imagine betting your entire fortune you can race around the globe in just 80 days, with a detective hot on your heels. Master essential Italian phrases naturally, immersed in this classic adventure, building vocabulary that sticks effortlessly. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Eighty days. That's all the time Phileas Fogg has to circle the globe, pursued by a detective who thinks he's a thief. Unlock B2 Italian fluency as you follow Fogg's thrilling journey, absorbing complex vocabulary and grammar naturally. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
The clock is ticking. Eighty days to circle the world, a detective on your trail, and a fortune at stake. Absorb essential A2 Italian vocabulary and grammar naturally as you race across continents with Phileas Fogg. A margin dictionary keeps you immersed, never breaking your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
A baffling crime, a cryptic clue, and only one man can solve it in the gaslit streets of London. Build advanced Italian vocabulary and comprehension naturally, immersed in Holmes's world. Contextual notes clarify complex Italian phrases without breaking your flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
A baffling mystery unfolds, a life hangs in the balance. Can you piece together the clues before Holmes reveals all? Master essential Italian vocabulary and grammar naturally, immersed in Holmes's thrilling world. Integrated vocabulary support means you never break your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Step into foggy London, where every shadow hides a secret and only one mind can unravel the truth. Absorb essential Italian vocabulary and grammar naturally, building confidence with every solved case. A margin dictionary keeps you immersed, so you never break your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
A stolen jewel, a baffling murder, a secret that could ruin a reputation. Can you unravel the mystery before Holmes does? Immerse yourself in classic tales, absorbing B1 Italian vocabulary and grammar effortlessly as you follow every clue.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Formats: e-book, paperback and super audiobook
Our graded readers come in several formats. The text, the CEFR level and the glossary are the same in each — only the way you read changes. Pick whatever suits your day: the e-book on your phone on the way to work, paper and pencil at your desk, or the super audiobook when you want to read and listen at the same time.
E-book (EPUB and PDF). You can download both files right after purchase and read on an e-reader, phone, tablet or computer. Difficult words have their translation in a pop-up note: one tap and you are back in the story, no dictionary needed. Each chapter ends with vocabulary exercises, and a link takes you to free online practice with the same words.
Paperback. A classic softcover book, printed to order and sent by post. The glossary sits in the margin, right next to the word it explains, so you never have to flip pages. Chapters end with crosswords and vocabulary exercises, and QR codes take you to online practice on your phone. A good choice if you like writing in your books or want a break from screens.
Formats on this list (8 books): E-Book: 8 · Paperback: 4 · Super audiobook: 4.
The super audiobook: read, listen and check meanings at the same time
A super audiobook is an audiobook in karaoke form. A narrator reads the book aloud while the same text is in front of you, with a marker moving along it word by word. You always know which word you are hearing, so you never lose your place — even when the narrator speaks faster than you read. Your ears tell your eyes how a written word sounds, your eyes tell your ears how to spell what you hear, and both routes reinforce the same words at once.
The real difference shows when you meet a word you don't know. In an ordinary audiobook it is gone in a second; in a super audiobook it stays within reach: glossary words are marked in colour, and pressing and holding one shows its translation in your language. You check the meaning, keep listening and never lose the thread. A slider sets the narrator's speed from 0.5× to 1.5× — slow down at first to catch every syllable, then speed up towards natural speech. The words you meet while reading come back later in short exercises in the app, such as a mini crossword or building a word from its letters.
Reading while listening is well supported by research. In a Canadian programme described by Lightbown and colleagues (2002), children who for three years learned English only this way — reading books while listening to their recordings — understood the language as well as or better than peers taught in regular classes. Waring and Takaki (2003) showed that you need to meet a word at least eight times to have even a 50% chance of recognising it three months later. Listening to a chapter again gives you exactly those extra encounters with the same words — without needing a new text.
At A1 and A2 the super audiobook helps you connect spelling with pronunciation — especially valuable in languages that are not read the way they are written, or that use a different alphabet. At B1 and B2 it carries you along at the pace of real speech, so you get used to fluent listening and stop pausing at every sentence. Advanced readers often don't need a narrator at all — which is why you decide when to switch it on and when to read silently.
The super audiobook plays in the Pentecost app or in your browser, on a phone, tablet or computer. You can add it to an e-book: on the book page, tick “Add the audiobook” in the e-book box; if you already own the e-book, you can buy the recording on its own. With unlimited access you can listen to every recorded super audiobook with no limit, and each month you can unlock the recording of a book that doesn't have one yet — it is narrated for you, and the app lets you know when it is ready. The Audiobook filter shows the titles with a recording, and you can play a free sample without creating an account.
What Our Readers Say
Learners worldwide trust our Italian graded readers for effective, enjoyable language practice. 40 people have rated them an impressive 5.00 out of 5. Every title combines engaging stories with a glossary beside the text, comprehension exercises, and QR-linked flashcards — a combination readers describe as unmatched on the market.
Our Italian graded readers collection includes titles such as Il giro del mondo in 80 giorni and Le avventure di Sherlock Holmes. Every book comes with a dictionary beside the text (in the margin in print, a pop-up in EPUB), chapter exercises, and interactive online games.
★★★★★
"The story is easy to follow. Even when the language is hard."
★★★★★
"I read Italian longer without a dictionary every line."
★★★★★
"I read longer without a dictionary. Nice progress."
★★★★★
"The sentences are short. I do not stop every line."
★★★★★
"I follow the Italian story when it is hard."
★★★★★
"The glossary still helps. At chapter end."
Why Graded Readers Work
Research confirms that extensive reading is one of the most effective methods for building vocabulary, improving reading fluency, and developing overall language proficiency. Graded readers make this approach accessible by matching text difficulty to your CEFR level, so you stay in the optimal learning zone. Learn more about the science behind our approach on the Pentecost Method page.
Italian
Glossary: English
