The 11 Best Language Learning Apps of 2023
Language learning game apps provide a fun, interactive way to boost your skills.
Apps for language learners provide a wide array of learning options, whether you’re an iPhone or Android user.
I’ve looked through all types of apps to find the 11 best language learning apps on the market and share them with you!
Contents
- 1. Best for Structured Courses: Babbel
- 2. Best for Native Media: FluentU
- 3. Best for Personalized Learning: Busuu
- 4. Best for Vocabulary: Memrise
- 5. Best For Consistency: Mondly
- 6. Best for Immersion: Rosetta Stone
- 7. Best for Audio-Based Learning: Pimsleur
- 8. Best for Flashcards: Lingvist
- 9. Best App for Gamified Learning: Duolingo
- 10. Best for Visual Learning: Drops
- 11. Best for Language Exchange: HelloTalk
- What to Look for in Language Learning Apps
- Why Use More Than One Language App?
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
1. Best for Structured Courses: Babbel
Summary: Babbel uses several methods to teach practical language in 10- to 15-minute sessions.
Babbel aims to improve your confidence and comprehension through interactive courses for beginning through advanced students.
These courses offer exercises for reading, writing, listening and speaking ensuring a well-rounded language education.
Babbel offers 14 language options. Read our full Babbel review to see if this program is right for you.
2. Best for Native Media: FluentU
Summary: FluentU features authentic media clips with interactive subtitles that explain the meaning of each word.
FluentU teaches you a language through authentic videos that native speakers actually watch.
These include movie trailers, news segments and scenes from popular TV series—all with interactive subtitles to aid your understanding.
You can also see how the word is used in different contexts through example sentences and other videos.
For review, the app has personalized quizzes, speaking exercises and flashcards.
FluentU currently offers 10 languages.
3. Best for Personalized Learning: Busuu
The Busuu app is a versatile language tool for language learners at any level.
A proficiency test will determine your level and then you can start on one of the 150 units available.
Plus, Busuu offers the option to have your exercises corrected by native speakers to give you an edge.
The Busuu app offers 12 language options. You can see our full review of Busuu here to see if it’s right for you.
4. Best for Vocabulary: Memrise
Summary: Memrise teaches you vocabulary through video clips of natives and lots of spaced repetition.
Memrise offers a fun app for beginning through intermediate language learners.
Through a variety of games, videos featuring native speakers and simulated text-message conversations, you’ll use your target language in a number of different entertaining contexts.
Memrise offers over 20 language options. To learn more about Memrise, check out our full review here.
5. Best For Consistency: Mondly
Summary: Mondly uses daily lesson plans and short lessons arranged by topic.
Mondly aims to help you hit the ground running by having you memorize keywords right off the bat.
The Mondly app features audio by native speakers, voice recognition for speaking practice, a dictionary, a verb conjugation tool and more.
By focusing on useful phrases, Mondly’s goal is to prepare you for real conversations with native speakers.
While this makes Mondly an excellent tool for beginners, the app also caters to intermediate and advanced students.
The Mondly app offers 33 language options. Read our complete Mondly review to give you a better sense of everything the program has to offer.
6. Best for Immersion: Rosetta Stone
This program uses practical immersion to help teach you usable language skills.
All your lessons will be completely in your target language.
The app doesn’t require a huge time commitment, but there are plenty of language learning options to pack into a small window.
Plus, speech recognition technology aims to help you improve your accent.
The Rosetta Stone app offers 24 language options. Check out our full review of Rosetta Spanish (written by a native Spanish speaker and long-time teacher).
7. Best for Audio-Based Learning: Pimsleur
Summary: Pimsleur consists of quick audio lessons based on spoken dialogue.
Pimsleur is a classic audio language learning program that provides quick 30-minute audio lessons you can listen to on the go.
Each lesson has speaking prompts to help you develop your basic speaking skills.
Pimsleur is available in 51 languages with various levels and amounts of material.
Not sure if Pimsleur is right for you? Read our review here.
8. Best for Flashcards: Lingvist
Lingvist is a language learning app for busy learners of all levels.
By focusing on the most common vocabulary, Lingvist aims to equip you with highly usable language skills.
Plus, the app adapts to your needs in an attempt to maximize your learning.
The app teaches over 5,000 words in each language, grouped by themes like hobbies, family, medical vocab and much more.
Lingvist offers six languages. See our complete review of Lingqvist here.
9. Best App for Gamified Learning: Duolingo
Duolingo is one of the hottest language learning products on the market and offers over 30 different language options.
The app aims to help you improve your vocabulary and grammar through lessons organized by difficulty and topic.
Lessons cover vocabulary recognition, listening activities and even voice-enabled speaking practice.
The app is free to download and use, with a subscription option that removes ads and other limitations.
You can read our full review of Duolingo here.
10. Best for Visual Learning: Drops
Drops teaches vocabulary through interesting visuals in a way that makes your learning more enjoyable.
The free version of the app only gives you five minutes of learning per day (or every 10 hours).
The premium version offers the option of more time, but you may be surprised by how much you can learn in five minutes.
Drops currently has over 40 language options.
Here you can read about our experience using Drops.
11. Best for Language Exchange: HelloTalk
With HelloTalk, you can chat with a native speaker and participate in group chats and community threads.
You can search for your perfect partner by language, location and more.
Once you find them, the app can also help you connect through text, audio or video.
HelloTalk also offers translation, transliteration, grammar correction and more.
HelloTalk offers these features in over 150 languages. Check out our in-depth review of HelloTalk here.
What to Look for in Language Learning Apps
Every app has something to offer, but the best ones will have certain qualities that make them stand out from the crowd.
When searching for language learning apps, look for these features:
- Interactive functions, including text, audio and video content
- Review options, such as quizzes, study modes and flashcards
- A dictionary or translator that can provide definitions for words
- An appealing interface that’s easy to navigate
- Balanced language lessons that can teach you more than one language skill
Reading the reviews for an app can be a great help in figuring out if it will meet your needs.
Remember that you can always use multiple apps together. Take your time exploring your options and find what works for you.
Why Use More Than One Language App?
When learning a new language, pairing multiple apps is both fun and useful.
Each app has a different focus. Even seemingly similar apps offer slightly different approaches. Some apps may be better for reading practice, others may improve your listening skills while others may help you build your vocabulary.
Using different apps will help you see the language in a different context, making your skills more flexible and applicable in the real world.
Each learner responds differently to each app. Everyone learns differently. Some people are visual learners. Some people prefer audio. Some learners like to study in short bursts while others like longer study sessions.
Now you have 11 great options of apps to learn languages. Try them out and find your favorites!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)