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Learn Old English

Read þ, ð and æ, decline nouns and work your way toward Beowulf in the original.

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Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, was spoken in England from roughly the fifth century to the twelfth and is the ancestor of modern English, yet it reads almost like a foreign language. It uses letters like þ (thorn), ð (eth) and æ (ash). Nouns have grammatical gender and four main cases, the article se, sēo, þæt changes form, and verbs split into strong verbs that change their vowel, like singan and sang, and weak verbs that add -de. Learnr builds a personalized Old English course from one prompt and teaches grammar and reading through short lessons.

How to learn Old English, step by step

Learn the letters and sounds. Learn þ and ð, both used for th, æ as in cat, and the edited marks ċ (ch) and ġ (y). Sc sounds like sh, so scip is ship. Pronounce every letter, including the final e, to hear the language properly.
Master pronouns and the article. Pronouns are close to modern English, so learn them first, then se, sēo, þæt in all cases. The article tells you the gender and case of the noun beside it, which is how you parse a sentence.
Learn noun declensions through common words. Start with strong masculine nouns like stān (stone) and neuter ones like scip, then weak nouns ending in -a, like nama. Practice spotting the dative, which often marks the object of prepositions.
Sort verbs into strong and weak. Strong verbs change their vowel and fall into seven classes, as in rīdan, rād, ridon, riden. Weak verbs add -ode or -de. Learning the classes lets you predict forms instead of memorizing each one; short Learnr drills help.
Read prose before poetry. Ælfric's Colloquy and Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entries use plain language and familiar topics. Read with a glossary at first, then shift to the Bosworth-Toller dictionary online as your skill grows.
Read poetry with its meter. Old English verse alliterates and splits each line in two halves. Start with Cædmon's Hymn, The Wanderer or The Dream of the Rood before Beowulf, and read aloud to hear the rhythm.

What you'll learn

Read and pronounce Old English letters, including þ, ð, æ and ċ
Decline nouns, adjectives and the article across four cases
Conjugate strong and weak verbs in the present and past
Read short prose such as Ælfric and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Approach poetry like Cædmon's Hymn and passages of Beowulf

What's inside your Old English course

A sample path Learnr builds for Old English. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. Letters, sounds and spelling
2. The article, pronouns and noun cases
3. Strong and weak noun declensions
4. Strong and weak verbs and their classes
5. Reading prose: Ælfric and the Chronicle
6. Poetry, alliterative meter and Beowulf

How long does it take to learn Old English?

Grammar basics usually take 4 to 8 months at 3 to 5 hours a week, roughly one university semester or two. Reading Beowulf with a glossary often takes a year or more of steady study, while reading it fluently takes longer.

What you need before you start

Fluent modern English and comfort with grammar terms such as case and gender help most. German, Icelandic or Latin make the case system feel familiar.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating Old English as quaint modern English and guessing meanings; many words are false friends, so check the glossary.
Ignoring the article and noun endings, then misreading who did what; let case endings guide every sentence.
Starting with Beowulf, whose poetic vocabulary and syntax are hard; begin with prose and shorter poems.

How Learnr builds your course

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Old English questions, answered

Is Old English the same as Shakespeare's English?

No. Shakespeare wrote Early Modern English, which is mostly readable today. Old English is centuries older, with cases, grammatical gender and vocabulary that looks foreign.

What textbooks are used for Old English?

Popular choices include Mitchell and Robinson's A Guide to Old English and Peter Baker's Introduction to Old English. Learnr can complement them with short daily grammar and reading practice.

Does knowing German help with Old English?

Yes. German keeps cases, gender and strong verbs that work much like those in Old English, and many words are related, so it is a real advantage.