diff --git a/doc/specs/stdlib_io.md b/doc/specs/stdlib_io.md
index 46befe2ea..751d23964 100644
--- a/doc/specs/stdlib_io.md
+++ b/doc/specs/stdlib_io.md
@@ -246,6 +246,55 @@ Read a whole line from a formatted unit into a string variable
 ```fortran
 {!example/io/example_get_line.f90!}
 ```
+## `input` — read a line from standard input
+
+### Status
+
+Experimental
+
+### Description
+
+Reads a line from standard input, optionally displaying a prompt.
+
+The function returns the input as an allocatable character string.
+Trailing spaces and tabs are preserved.
+No numeric conversion is performed.
+
+### Syntax
+
+`line = ` [[stdlib_io(module):input(function)]] `([prompt][, iostat][, iomsg])`
+
+### Arguments
+
+`prompt` (optional):  
+A `character` scalar containing a prompt to be displayed before reading input.  
+This argument is `intent(in)`.
+
+`iostat` (optional):  
+Default `integer` scalar that contains the status of reading from standard input.
+The value is zero if the operation succeeds; otherwise the value is non-zero.
+If this argument is not provided and an error occurs, an `error stop` is triggered.
+This argument is `intent(out)`.
+
+`iomsg` (optional):  
+Deferred-length `character` variable containing an error message if `iostat` is non-zero.
+This argument is `intent(out)`.
+
+### Return value
+
+Returns a deferred-length allocatable `character` variable containing the input line.
+
+### Notes
+
+- Trailing spaces and tabs are preserved
+- No type conversion is performed
+- To convert to numbers, use `to_num` from `stdlib_string_to_num`
+
+### Example
+
+```fortran
+{!example/io/example_input.f90!}
+```
 
 ## Formatting constants
 
diff --git a/example/io/example_input.f90 b/example/io/example_input.f90
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdb01e447
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/io/example_input.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+program example_input
+  use stdlib_io, only : input
+  implicit none(type, external)
+
+  character(len=:), allocatable :: name
+
+  name = input("Enter your name: ")
+  print *, "Hello:", name
+
+end program example_input
diff --git a/src/stdlib_io.fypp b/src/stdlib_io.fypp
index 6ba82ad12..913249717 100644
--- a/src/stdlib_io.fypp
+++ b/src/stdlib_io.fypp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ module stdlib_io
   !! Provides a support for file handling
   !! ([Specification](../page/specs/stdlib_io.html))
 
-  use, intrinsic :: iso_fortran_env, only : input_unit
+  use, intrinsic :: iso_fortran_env, only : input_unit, output_unit
   use stdlib_kinds, only: sp, dp, xdp, qp, &
       int8, int16, int32, int64
   use stdlib_error, only: error_stop, state_type, STDLIB_IO_ERROR
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module stdlib_io
   implicit none
   private
   ! Public API
-  public :: loadtxt, savetxt, open, get_line, get_file
+  public :: loadtxt, savetxt, open, get_line, get_file, input
 
   !! version: experimental 
   !!
@@ -82,6 +82,13 @@ module stdlib_io
     module procedure :: get_line_input_string
   end interface get_line
 
+  !> Version: experimental
+  !>
+  !> Read a line from standard input with an optional prompt
+  interface input
+    module procedure :: input_char
+  end interface input
+
   interface loadtxt
     !! version: experimental
     !!
@@ -597,6 +604,37 @@ contains
     call get_line(input_unit, line, iostat, iomsg)
   end subroutine get_line_input_char
 
+  !> Version: experimental
+  !>
+  !> Read a line from standard input with an optional prompt.
+  !!
+  !! - Preserves trailing whitespace
+  !! - Returns allocatable character string
+  !! - Does not perform any type conversion; the input is returned as character data
+  !! - If `iostat` is present, errors are reported via `iostat`/`iomsg` instead of triggering `error_stop`
+  function input_char(prompt, iostat, iomsg) result(line)
+    character(len=*), intent(in), optional :: prompt
+    integer, intent(out), optional :: iostat
+    character(len=:), allocatable, optional :: iomsg
+    character(len=:), allocatable :: line
+
+    integer :: stat
+
+    ! Print prompt without newline
+    if (present(prompt)) then
+      write(output_unit, '(a)', advance='no') prompt
+    end if
+
+    ! Read line from standard input
+    call get_line_input_char(line, stat, iomsg)
+
+    if (present(iostat)) then
+      iostat = stat
+    else if (stat /= 0) then
+      call error_stop("input: error reading from standard input")
+    end if
+  end function input_char
+
   !> Version: experimental
   !>
   !> Read a whole line from the standard input into a string variable
diff --git a/test/io/CMakeLists.txt b/test/io/CMakeLists.txt
index 4e19b5fbe..d6d43d6fb 100644
--- a/test/io/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/io/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,3 +17,4 @@ ADDTEST(get_line)
 ADDTEST(npy)
 ADDTEST(open)
 ADDTEST(parse_mode)
+ADDTEST(input)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/io/test_input.f90 b/test/io/test_input.f90
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b8cda9e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/io/test_input.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+module test_input
+  use testdrive, only : new_unittest, unittest_type, error_type, check
+  use stdlib_io, only : input
+  implicit none
+  private
+  public :: collect
+
+contains
+
+  subroutine collect(tests)
+    type(unittest_type), allocatable, intent(out) :: tests(:)
+
+    tests = [ &
+      new_unittest("input preserves whitespace", test_input_whitespace), &
+      new_unittest("input with prompt",           test_input_prompt), &
+      new_unittest("input with iostat",           test_input_iostat), &
+      new_unittest("input with iomsg",            test_input_iomsg), &
+      new_unittest("input without optional args", test_input_no_args) &
+    ]
+  end subroutine collect
+
+
+  subroutine test_input_whitespace(error)
+    type(error_type), allocatable, intent(out) :: error
+    character(len=:), allocatable :: s
+
+    call feed_stdin("  abc  ")
+    s = input()
+    call assert_equal(error, s, "  abc  ")
+  end subroutine test_input_whitespace
+
+
+  subroutine test_input_prompt(error)
+    type(error_type), allocatable, intent(out) :: error
+    character(len=:), allocatable :: s
+
+    call write_test_input("abc")
+    s = input("Enter value: ")
+    call assert_equal(error, s, "abc")
+  end subroutine test_input_prompt
+
+
+  subroutine test_input_iostat(error)
+    type(error_type), allocatable, intent(out) :: error
+    character(len=:), allocatable :: s
+    integer :: ios
+
+    call write_test_input("abc")
+    s = input(iostat=ios)
+    call assert_equal(error, ios, 0)
+    call assert_equal(error, s, "abc")
+  end subroutine test_input_iostat
+
+
+  subroutine test_input_iomsg(error)
+    type(error_type), allocatable, intent(out) :: error
+    character(len=:), allocatable :: s
+    character(len=:), allocatable :: msg
+
+    call write_test_input("abc")
+    s = input(iomsg=msg)
+    call assert_equal(error, s, "abc")
+  end subroutine test_input_iomsg
+
+
+  subroutine test_input_no_args(error)
+    type(error_type), allocatable, intent(out) :: error
+    character(len=:), allocatable :: s
+
+    call write_test_input("abc")
+    s = input()
+    call assert_equal(error, s, "abc")
+  end subroutine test_input_no_args
+
+end module test_input
+
+
+program run_test_input
+  use testdrive, only : run_testsuite
+  use test_input, only : collect
+  implicit none
+
+  call run_testsuite(collect)
+end program run_test_input