Simple English Wikipedia
Basic/Special English edition of Wikipedia
The Simple English Wikipedia is a modified English language edition of Wikipedia written primarily in Basic English and Learning English. It is one of ten Wikipedias written in an Anglic language or English-based pidgin or creole. The site has the stated aim of providing an encyclopedia "for everyone, such as children and adults who are learning English".
Simple English Wikipedia's basic presentation style makes it helpful for beginners learning English. Its simpler word structure and syntax, while missing some nuances, can make information easier to understand when compared with the regular English Wikipedia.
History
The Simple English Wikipedia was launched on 18 September 2001.
In 2012, Andrew Lih, a Wikipedian and author, told NBC News' Helen A.S. Popkin that the Simple English Wikipedia does not "have a high standing in the Wikipedia community", and that it had never had a clear purpose. Popkin felt it was unclear whether the site was aimed at younger users, or intended to present simpler versions of complex articles.
Material from the Simple English Wikipedia formed the basis for One Encyclopedia per Child, a project in One Laptop per Child that ended in 2014.
In 2018, a proposal was raised on the Wikimedia Foundation's Meta-Wiki that the Simple English Wikipedia be closed on the grounds that there was no proof that the target audience was reading it.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Simple English Wikipedia” is basic/Special English edition of Wikipedia. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Simple, English and Wikipedia, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “basic/Special English edition of Wikipedia” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q200183. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2001, 2012, 2014 and 2018.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Simple English Wikipedia”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Simple English Wikipedia primary sources, Simple English Wikipedia archive and Simple research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Simple English Wikipedia”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Simple English Wikipedia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.