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French · Recommended resources

The best books to learn French

The site is free and frequency-first, but a good book still earns its place on the desk. These are the French textbooks, grammar guides, graded readers and references we would actually recommend, grouped by what they are for so you can pick the one gap you need to fill. Every pick links to both Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Some links below are Amazon affiliate links: if you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list books we would genuinely recommend, and the picks are never paid placements.

All-in-one courses

  • Cover of Complete French

    Complete French

    Top pick

    Gaelle Graham (Teach Yourself)

    Beginner

    A full self-study course to a solid B1, with dialogues, drills and answer keys. Structured and demanding in the way an adult beginner actually needs, not gamified.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US
  • Cover of Easy French Step-by-Step

    Easy French Step-by-Step

    Myrna Bell Rochester

    Beginner

    A clear, sequential beginner course that prioritises high-frequency structures. An affordable, less intimidating alternative to a full Teach Yourself volume.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US
  • Cover of Assimil French With Ease

    Assimil French With Ease

    Assimil

    Beginner

    The cult daily-immersion method: a short dialogue a day, absorbed through repetition rather than grammar drills. Divisive and quirky, adored by the people it clicks with.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US

Grammar

  • Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar

    Top pick

    Annie Heminway

    All levels

    Concise explanations followed by heaps of exercises with answers. The workbook that turns passively-understood grammar into something you can produce on demand.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US
  • Cover of English Grammar for Students of French

    English Grammar for Students of French

    Jacqueline Morton

    Beginner

    Not a French book at all: it teaches you the English grammar you half-forgot so the French explanations finally click. A quietly essential companion for adult beginners.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US

Verbs

  • Cover of 501 French Verbs

    501 French Verbs

    Christopher Kendris and Theodore Kendris

    Reference

    The standard French verb reference: one page per verb, every tense and mood. You will not read it cover to cover, but you will reach for it constantly once conjugation gets real.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US

  • Practice Makes Perfect: French Verb Tenses

    Dorothy Richmond

    All levels

    A friendly workbook that drills the French tense system with clear explanations and answer keys. A softer route into conjugation than a straight verb-table reference.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US

Vocabulary

  • 2000 Most Common French Words in Context

    Top pick

    Lingo Mastery

    All levels

    The 2,000 most useful French words, each in an example sentence rather than a bare list. Frequency-first vocabulary building, straight down our line.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US
  • Cover of A Frequency Dictionary of French

    A Frequency Dictionary of French

    Deryle Lonsdale and Yvon Le Bras (Routledge)

    Reference

    The 5,000 most frequent French words ranked from a real corpus, with parts of speech and examples. The evidence base for learning French in the order that pays off fastest.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US

Graded readers

  • Cover of Short Stories in French for Beginners

    Short Stories in French for Beginners

    Top pick

    Olly Richards

    Beginner

    Graded stories built on the most common words, with word lists and comprehension aids. The gentlest way to start reading whole French texts without drowning in a dictionary.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US
  • Cover of French Short Stories for Beginners

    French Short Stories for Beginners

    Top pick

    Lingo Mastery

    Beginner

    Twenty graded stories with summaries, vocabulary lists and comprehension questions. A best-selling French reader and a painless way to read a little every day.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US
  • Cover of French Short Stories for Beginners

    French Short Stories for Beginners

    Frederic Bibard (Talk in French)

    Beginner

    Bilingual short stories with parallel English, built-in vocabulary lists and audio. A good second reader alongside Olly Richards: the side-by-side text is reassuring if reading French still feels daunting.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US

Phrasebooks

  • Cover of Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary

    Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary

    Beginner

    The travel phrasebook that earns its place in a bag: real situational phrases, a two-way dictionary and sane pronunciation hints.

    Buy on Amazon: UK US

Book cover images via Open Library.

Prefer to start for free?

A book is a fine companion, but you do not need one to begin. Our French curriculum walks you through the most common words in frequency order, with the grammar and a graded story built in.

Start the French curriculum