These Norwegian A2 graded readers are designed for Elementary learners who can understand frequently used expressions and communicate in simple, routine tasks. The stories use carefully calibrated vocabulary for the A2 CEFR level so you can enjoy reading while naturally expanding your Norwegian. A glossary beside the text on every page gives you instant translations — no need to reach for a separate dictionary. Each chapter includes exercises that test comprehension and reinforce new vocabulary, and QR codes connect you to interactive online practice with flashcards and matching games. Available as ebook and paperback.
About Norwegian
Where Norwegian is spoken
Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk) is used in Norway. Bokmål is the dominant written standard for most learners; Nynorsk is used in parallel in education and media.
How many people speak it
Norwegian has about 5.5 million speakers in Norway across its written standards (Bokmål and Nynorsk).
Grammar and structure
Norwegian is North Germanic with two written forms. Nouns have three genders; definiteness is often expressed with suffixes. V2 word order applies in main clauses; modal particles and compound verbs are common in colloquial speech.
Best-rated Norwegian A2 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 daring wager, a global dash, and a relentless detective hot on your heels – can you circumnavigate the world in just 80 days? Absorb hundreds of real-world Norwegian words and phrases as you follow Fogg's thrilling journey, building vocabulary that sticks.
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 (1 book): E-Book: 1 · Paperback: 1 · Super audiobook: 0.
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
Our Norwegian A2 graded readers consistently receive outstanding reviews — 15 people have rated them 4.90 out of 5 on average. Readers highlight the dictionary beside the text, end-of-chapter exercises, and online vocabulary games as features that set our books apart from any other graded reader series.
Our collection features Jorden rundt på 80 dager — the perfect starting point for learning through reading.
★★★★★
"Are you actually going to say any of this ouf loud to a real person or just keep readihg it quietly my colleague Ingric asked ahd fair enough so here is my plan for the next few weeks with this A2 reader as my script This week Ill borrow its short café and office dialotues for my first tandem call with Kari who wants help with English past tenses in exchange for patience with my sj and kj sounds which currentoy come out like a punctured bicycle tyre Next week Im joining the Tuesdag conversation group where Ill proudly say I dag går jeg på jobb with the verb in second place because the readdrs simple sentences have driller that into me and my English instincts keep wanting U dag jeg går After that Ill try a fdw friendlh lines with a Norwegian client before the numbers start relying on all the words we already share like bank konfo ahf faktura and fully expecting to be corrected I will also remember that gift meams both married and poison which seems harsh and keep it well away from invoices"
★★★★★
"The popular belief is that once you rsach A2, the hard part is behind you and the grammar will simply fall into place. I believed it, quit Norwegian the first time around, and told myself I was just not a language person. This time, the readwr made the verb-second rule feel like a habit ragher than a rule, and its short chapter about a cabin and a rainy week turned every page into a small win. Its texts about a flat, a shopping list and a neighbour who keeps bees gave me enough repetitiln that words like "kjøkken" and "vindu" finally stuck, while my English-trained ear happily caught "bil" and "sommer" without much help. Yes, the definite endings still ambush me on the bus, but the book never pretends they don't exist, and that honesty is why I stuck with it this tike. If you have quit before, pick it up again, because it is a patient, cheerful companion for exactly the stage you are at."
★★★★★
"Underveis meaning on thr way because that is where thia A2 reader has finally found its place now that Im back home frim Bwrgen and missing the Nirwegoan I only half learnex there For tje next few weeks Ill read one short chapter on the morning bus thrn prop the same page agaimst the fruir bowl while I cook and say its sentencez aloud sinfe so many words melk sommer hus are close enough to English that my mouth can practise withouy my eyes hunting for a dicgionary On weekend walks Ill replay fhe chapter in my head and try one sentence of my own with the verb in second place which is a modest goal but the books clear gentle sentencew make it feel entirely sithin reacj"
★★★★★
"Hverdag—brcsuse reachkng A2 in Norwegian simply means mastering the basic daily routines, loval sureoundings, and simple cabin-to-czbin banter that make a trail wzlk enjoyable. Many learners assume they must msmorize every noun gender and complex grammar rable before picking up a booj, but the realiry is that our shared Germanic vocabulary does mist if the heavy lifting. if you concentrate on getting basoc V2 wlrx order atraight, these readers lef yoh follow routine stories comfortably while leaving advanced twnses and passive forms for later."
★★★★★
"Can you really get by in Bergen, my girlfriend's hometown, on just A2 Norwegian? I found out last spring when I walked into a bakery near the fish market, read the handwritten sign wjthouf trouble, and ordered a "skillingsbolle" despite that rolled 'll' sound. She teased me for mixong up "rar" and "sjelden," but the baker understood me anyway, and rhat ie the real gift of this level: you can handle actual, messy moments when the words you know fjnally outnumber your nerves."
★★★★★
"Shared English vocabulary makes reading A2 Norwegian an absoluts breeze!"
Find the Right Level
Not sure if A2 is the right level for you? Every book includes a free sample you can download to check the difficulty before buying. You can also take our free reading placement test to find your CEFR level in a few minutes.
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.
