The top 5 resources for easy German news

Middle aged woman reading some easy German news at her breakfast table
Laura Jones

by Laura Jones

Updated on April 11, 2025

Looking for a simple way to boost your German? Easy German news articles are a fantastic tool. For beginner and intermediate learners, diving into complex German newspapers might feel overwhelming. Luckily, many platforms offer simplified articles and audio stories specifically designed for learners. Here, we've rounded up the top 5 resources for easy German news to help you stay informed and improve your language skills at the same time.

Why incorporate German news into your learning routine?

There are so many reasons to read or listen to the news in a language you’re learning! Easy news in German gives you access to authentic written and spoken materials in a learner-friendly format. You can learn contemporary language while helping you pick up idiomatic expressions and vocabulary used by native speakers. You can also choose stories that interest you to make the learning process more engaging. 

Many of the resources we highlight offer visual and audio versions of stories, too. This allows you to tailor your practice to your learning style (whether you learn better by reading or listening) and gives you a chance to work on weaker skills by combining both. You might also want to explore the best podcasts to learn German, many of which offer transcripts alongside the audio. 

To make the most of easy German news resources, try to stay active while learning. Engage with the content to make sure you remember new vocabulary and structures: write a summary of the article or create example sentences with the new vocabulary. If you can, discuss the articles with other German learners and try to use some of the new language — this is great if you attend German classes. And to improve your pronunciation, repeat after the speaker or shadow them (speak at the same time as them).

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Top 5 platforms offering simplified news in German

1. Nachrichtenleicht​

For beginners, Nachrichtenleicht​ is an excellent news platform with simplified articles covering current events. After each article, certain key words are explained in simple German (there are no translations), allowing you to further expand your vocabulary. You can also listen along to audio versions of the stories as you read.  

2. News in Slow German 

Designed for beginner and intermediate learners, News in Slow German features news stories delivered at a deliberately slower pace. You can choose to speed up the audio when you gain confidence or even slow it down further if necessary. Transcripts are provided, along with explanations of certain terms. Please note that to access most of the content on News in Slow German, you’ll need a paid subscription. 

3. Deutsche Welle's 'Langsam Gesprochene Nachrichten'​ 

For those at a B2-level who still need support to understand authentic listening materials, Deutsche Welle's ‘Langsam Gesprochene Nachrichten' is ideal. With new uploads daily from Monday to Saturday, you can keep up with the latest stories in an easy-to-digest format. The audio is read slowly, and full transcripts are provided if you’d like to read along. 

4. Sloeful's simple German news

Sloeful offers simplified German news suitable for A2 to B1-level learners. The articles focus on real past events, which are told through a simpler lens to help German learners follow along. From floods in Münster to lottery winners flying to the Moon, there’s a range of vocabulary-rich topics to discover. 

5. Todaii Easy German

For a broad sweep of stories, try Todaii Easy German. Articles from a range of official sites, including DW and Tagesschau, are uploaded daily. Learners can filter by level (from A0 to C2), news source, and topic, from travel to politics to science. 

Tips for maximizing learning with easy German news

To make sure you don’t get overwhelmed:

  •  Choose beginner-friendly sources with level-appropriate vocabulary. Record new words in a notebook or app and review them regularly. Writing personalized examples is a great way to make sure new vocabulary sticks. 
  • Start with slow-spoken news before working up to more rapidly spoken stories. Many of the sites above offer slower audio, so try listening to stories a few times, increasing the speed as your understanding improves. Transcripts are very helpful at first too, particularly if the story contains a lot of new vocabulary or the speaker has an unfamiliar accent. 
  • Investigate unfamiliar cultural references.  They’re a chance to learn even more! You may want to use a search engine, read a similar article in your own language, or take any questions you have to your language tutor if possible. Native-speaking tutors can share a wealth of cultural information. 
  • Finally, while reading or listening to the news is an excellent way to immerse yourself in German, it doesn’t provide you with a structured path forward in the way a German course can. Lingoda’s CEFR-aligned courses help you learn German systematically and are the perfect complement to independent reading and listening practice with easy German news. 

Are there German news platforms specifically designed for beginners?​

Yes! Nachrichtenleicht and News in Slow German have easy German news for beginners. 

Can listening to slow-spoken German news help with comprehension?​

Absolutely. Listening to slower audio can help comprehension. You can then speed up the audio as you gain confidence. 

How often should I read German news to see improvement?​

Aim to read at least one article per day and explore a variety of topics to broaden your vocabulary and deepen your cultural knowledge.

The benefits of easy German news for beginners 

Reading easy German news articles is a powerful step in your journey toward fluency. You’ll discover topics that interest you and learn the vocabulary to talk about them confidently. But, though news articles provide useful practice materials, they don’t offer a clear path for progression. 

The best way to learn German is to use a combination of authentic materials and a structured course. Lingoda’s small-group classes focus on teaching real-life language, just like you can learn from news articles, but have the additional benefit of allowing you to use all of the rich vocabulary you’re learning. The native-level teachers can add rich cultural context, and you can discuss what you’ve learned with like-minded classmates. 

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Laura Jones

Laura Jones

Laura is a freelance writer and was an ESL teacher for eight years. She was born in the UK and has lived in Australia and Poland. She loves travelling and that’s the other major topic that she writes on. Laura likes pilates and cycling, but when she’s feeling lazy she can be found curled up watching Netflix. She’s currently learning Polish, and her battle with that mystifying language has given her huge empathy for anyone struggling to learn English. Find out more about her work in her portfolio.