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13 Free English Learning Apps
I’m going to tell you a secret: I taught myself English totally for free, with nothing else but my smartphone.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there are many free English learning apps out there.
They also make it fun, easy and convenient for you to learn!
Read on to learn about the 13 best free English learning apps out there, so you can advance your English while saving your money for other things!
Contents
- Complete Free English Learning Apps
- Free English Vocabulary Apps
- Free English Grammar Apps
- Free English Speaking Apps
- Free English Reading and Listening Apps
- Free English Writing Apps
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Complete Free English Learning Apps
1. Duolingo
Duolingo is the best, right?
It’s a super popular language-learning platform that offers free interactive lessons in English and many other languages. Through its user-friendly interface and fun gamified approach, Duolingo suits learners of all levels with exercises that cover vocabulary, grammar, listening and speaking skills.
Its easy-to-conquer bite-sized lessons, progress tracking, and rewards system make it an enjoyable and effective tool for individuals looking to improve their English proficiency at their own pace.
- Thousands of learner friendly videos (especially beginners)
- Handpicked, organized, and annotated by FluentU's experts
- Integrated into courses for beginners
Read our full review of Duolingo here.
2. Busuu
Busuu is a super effective all-around language-learning app that provides free comprehensive English courses. What’s not to like, right?
With its emphasis on research-backed interactive exercises, personalized study plans and real-life conversation practice with native speakers, Busuu offers a dynamic and immersive learning experience that’s sure to keep you coming back.
You can enhance your English skills through writing, speaking and listening activities– and you can always receive feedback from Busuu’s vibrant and active community of language learners. It’s like the best of language learning with the best of social media, wrapped into one!
Read our full review of Busuu here.
- Interactive subtitles: click any word to see detailed examples and explanations
- Slow down or loop the tricky parts
- Show or hide subtitles
- Review words with our powerful learning engine
3. Simpler
The Simpler English app simplifies written English for non-native speakers and those who struggle with complexity. It rephrases text using shorter sentences, common words and simpler grammar while preserving the original meaning.
Features include vocabulary assistance, grammar checks and reading aids like text-to-speech. It aims to make English more accessible and understandable for all users, bridging the gap between complex texts and those who need a clearer version to engage effectively.
Free English Vocabulary Apps
The more words and phrases you know, the better you’ll be able to express yourself in English. So, check out some of these vocabulary-focused apps.
4. Memrise
Do you love playing games? How amazing would it be if learning a language was similar to setting out on a journey to discover a hidden treasure?
Well, Memrise is designed to make you feel just like that. Created like a game, Memrise is a pretty good app for learning useful and everyday vocabulary that you can immediately use in conversations.
- Learn words in the context of sentences
- Swipe left or right to see more examples from other videos
- Go beyond just a superficial understanding
There are many different courses to choose from based on themes or specific vocabulary, such as IELTS vocabulary or even common English idioms and slang words. You can also create your own course by adding the vocabulary you want to learn.
Memrise has a paid subscription option, but the free version is good enough for all your vocabulary needs!
Read our full review of Memrise here.
5. Word of the Day – Vocabulary Builder
Well, now there are countless apps that’ll help you do just that. With these apps, you’ll learn a new word a day, along with its synonyms (words that mean the same thing) and opposites. Word of the Day is great because it also shows you how to use the vocabulary word in context.
By the end of the year, you’ll have learned over 365 new words, from just one app alone!
Start building sentences.
- FluentU builds you up, so you can build sentences on your own
- Start with multiple-choice questions and advance through sentence building to producing your own output
- Go from understanding to speaking in a natural progression.
Free English Grammar Apps
Building a really strong foundation in English grammar is important. It’ll help you to communicate better and with more confidence. Here are some great apps for grammar practice.
6. Hello English: Learn English
Hello English is a beautiful app, especially great for people who are just starting to learn English.
This app has detailed English grammar tips. Plus, they provide a chat helpline where you can directly ask questions to teachers. It’s brilliant for non-native speakers from all around the world because you have the option to learn English from over 20 languages, with the help of accurate translations.
The app comes with state-of-the-art speech recognition software, an audio dictionary, interactive lessons and even some games. Not only will you end up learning English grammar pretty fast, but you’ll also build a strong base in speaking, reading and listening. Your vocabulary will improve as well.
Read our full review of Hello English here.
- Images, examples, video examples, and tips
- Covering all the tricky edge cases, eg.: phrases, idioms, collocations, and separable verbs
- No reliance on volunteers or open source dictionaries
- 100,000+ hours spent by FluentU's team to create and maintain
7. English Grammar Book
Sometimes, the best approach to learning grammar rules is to follow a textbook. If this sort of learning suits you, then the English Grammar Book app is the right app for you.
You can choose to browse by topic or by difficulty level. The explanations for each subject are very simple and easy to understand. And unlike a traditional grammar book, you get points and medals for completing levels and quizzes.
Free English Speaking Apps
Now that the grammar and vocabulary bits are already taken care of, it’s time to focus on your speaking skills.
8. HelloTalk
Speaking with a native speaker or even someone who is also learning the language is a great way to improve your language skills and help you gain confidence in using the language.
I started FluentU to build a new kind of language app. Want to learn more about how FluentU got started?
If you’re having difficulty finding the right expert or study partner, there’s an app to save the day.
On HelloTalk, you can look for native speakers in English and communicate with them, via text, voice and video messages, for free.
HelloTalk is similar to a social media app. You can follow other language learners and post “Moments” which can be anything from questions you may have about a language to photos you have taken.
The free version of the app lets you learn one language at a time. The HelloTalk VIP subscription allows you to learn multiple languages and access extra features such as unlimited translations.
You never know: you might make a wonderful friend in the process of practicing English.
Read our full review of HelloTalk here.
9. Speaky
Does the idea of chatting with a friend and learning a language sound like a dream to you?
In that case, you need to download Speaky. You simply choose a language and your current level. Then, find a partner with the right profile for you. You can find people who are online and begin talking to them right away!
And once you’ve gained confidence, you can offer to teach languages you’re fluent in. This means you can use Speaky like a language exchange!
Free English Reading and Listening Apps
Developing strong reading and listening skills is very important. The easier it is for you to read and understand English, the more fluent you’ve become!
10. Voice of America Learning English
VOA Learning English provides a wealth of listening material in the form of stories and news reports. When reading the articles you will find an audio player, enabling you to listen to the article being read aloud. The speed of the audio is pretty slow, and on the app, the audio transcripts are automatically highlighted (like a karaoke screen). This will help you follow the audio.
After you finish reading or listening to the article you can find a list of key words used in the story below it.
Try spending 10 or 15 minutes on this app each day, and both your language skills and knowledge of American culture will quickly improve.
11. Book Dash
Reading children’s storybooks is a marvelous way to improve language skills and have fun.
This app offers over 200 African storybooks, entirely free and available in 11 different languages. The books are written and illustrated by a team of volunteers. So, if you read these stories, you’ll support a great volunteer project as well as improve your reading skills.
Accessing the stories isn’t difficult, since they are available online or on an Android app. (They are working on creating an iOS app.) Moreover, the uniquely African stories will introduce more diversity into your learning curriculum.
Free English Writing Apps
Many people have a passion for writing because it’s a wonderful way to express yourself. Why not try writing in English?
12. Grammarly Keyboard
If you’ve been scared to express yourself because you’re scared of making mistakes, then you need this special keyboard in your smartphone. It’ll alert you when you make mistakes. Grammarly can help you correct punctuation and even find the right words for a particular context.
Whether you have to write an email to your boss or text a friend in English, Grammarly will help you type with confidence. And if you keep track of your mistakes and try to avoid repeating them, you’ll notice your writing skills will improve too.
13. Prompted Journal
When I was very young, my parents encouraged me to keep a diary and write down my own thoughts. That habit helped me express my emotions and learn about myself. It also helped me become a better writer! To practice your English writing, try keeping an English diary and writing in it regularly. This will encourage you to “think” in English and find better ways to express your thoughts.
However, it can be difficult for you to get started. In that case, Prompted Journal’s app is the perfect solution. The app provides you with many ideas and topics to write about. Just pick one and write a paragraph or two each day.
If video is your thing, you can learn by watching authentic videos on FluentU:
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
If you’re interested in improving your English, the first thing you need to do is identify your weak spots and focus on them. Choose an English app that addresses the area you need to work on. Then download the app and start learning right away.
The best part is that you can learn everywhere that you take your phone thanks to these free English learning apps. Be sincere, revise often and practice as much as you can. You’ll be fluent in no time!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing...
If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials, as you can see here:
If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.
The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.
FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.
For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:
FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.
FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.
The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
