Books by level / English books
After Twenty Years: reading level, length and free edition
After Twenty Years by O. Henry is a short story adapted for learners in English. Our team rates it A2. It runs to 1,128 words with 358 different word forms, about 6–11 min of reading at 200 to 100 words per minute, and it is free from VOA Learning English.
- Author
- O. Henry
- Language
- English
- Level
- A2
- Form
- short story, adapted
- Words
- 1,128
- Different word forms
- 358
- Forms for 95% / 98%
- 302 / 336
- Reading time
- 6–11 min
- Free edition
- VOA Learning English
Is After Twenty Years right for your level?
To recognise 95% of the running words in After Twenty Years, you need its 302 most frequent word forms; for 98%, the share at which most readers manage a novel without a dictionary, 336. The median English A2 book in our table needs 415 forms for 95%, so by this measure the book is easier than most for its level: number 2 of 60, easiest first.
A word form is any spelling that appears in the text, so “walk” and “walked” count twice, and names count too. These numbers are a guide to how much vocabulary the book asks for, not a test. The level itself was set by hand by our team. Before you commit, read one page of the free edition and count the words you do not know: the one-page test takes two minutes.
How does it begin?
The cop moved along the street, looking strong and important. This was the way he always moved. He was not thinking of how he looked. There were few people on the street to see him. It was only about ten at night, but it was cold. And there was a wind with a little rain in it.
From the VOA Learning English edition, which is in the public domain. If this paragraph already feels slow, try a book one level lower.
How long does it take to read?
| Words | 100 wpm | 150 wpm | 200 wpm | 250 wpm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,128 | under 1 h | under 1 h | under 1 h | under 1 h |
Learners reading a book at their level often manage 100 to 150 words per minute, and readers in their first language 200 to 250. Where these speeds come from, and a calculator for your own: How long does it take to read a book?
Where can you read it for free?
This is not the original text but an adaptation for learners of English by VOA Learning English (Voice of America), from its American Stories series: shorter sentences, a limited vocabulary and an audio recording read at a slower speed. Text and audio are free on the VOA site. Material produced by the Voice of America, a U.S. government broadcaster, is in the public domain.
To read it with a translation over every word you tap, open it in Readlang Mobile on iPhone or iPad.
What to read next at A2
English books at the same level that ask for a similar amount of vocabulary:
- An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Ambrose Bierce: 1,174 words, 308 forms for 95%
- A Piece of Red Calico, Frank Stockton: 1,440 words, 274 forms for 95%
- The Devil and Tom Walker, Washington Irving: 1,363 words, 339 forms for 95%
- To Build a Fire, Jack London: 1,339 words, 345 forms for 95%
- Feathertop, Nathaniel Hawthorne: 1,319 words, 348 forms for 95%
- The Count and the Wedding Guest, O. Henry: 1,532 words, 348 forms for 95%
See also all English books by level and books at A2 in all five languages.