Learn Français
Learn French by reading
French and English share an enormous amount of vocabulary — centuries of borrowing in both directions — which makes French unusually approachable to read. bleam translates French news, culture and Wikipedia to your level, so you build a reading habit in the language instead of grinding flashcards.
How hard is French to learn?
French is one of the easier languages for English speakers, especially for reading, thanks to the huge shared vocabulary. The challenges are pronunciation (less relevant when reading) and verb conjugation. Silent letters and liaison matter for listening, but on the page French is friendlier than it sounds.
What to read in French
The best material is whatever you'd genuinely enjoy. A few places to start, all readable with bleam at your level:
- Le Monde and France 24 for current affairs
- French Wikipedia for topics you already follow
- r/france and r/AskFrance for natural, contemporary French
French FAQ
How does bleam help me learn French?
bleam is a browser extension that weaves French into the pages you already read — news, Reddit, Wikipedia — at the difficulty you choose (A1 to C2). You hover any word for its meaning, base form, part of speech, an example and pronunciation, and every word you engage with is tracked and scheduled for review with FSRS-6 spaced repetition, so it comes back right before you'd forget it. It's free for 14 days with no card required, then $8/month.
Is French or Spanish easier to read?
Both are among the easiest languages for English speakers and the Foreign Service Institute places them in the same difficulty band (~600–750 hours). French has more shared vocabulary with English; Spanish has more consistent spelling. For reading specifically, many learners find French slightly easier because so many words are recognisable on sight.
Can reading really improve my French?
Yes. Wide reading at a level just above your comfort — comprehensible input — is one of the best-evidenced ways to grow vocabulary and grammatical intuition. bleam's whole design is to make that reading effortless to find and to keep.
Start reading French today
Install bleam, choose French and your level, and the next page you open starts teaching you. Free for 14 days — no card required.
Try bleam free for 14 days