Learning a new language can be incredibly useful, especially if you are planning on traveling to another country.
A lot of people make money teaching English online but you don’t have to necessarily pay to learn a new language.
Skip paying tons on curriculum and classes and check out these highly rated free language learning apps available on iOS and Google Play.
Table of Contents
So what are the best Language learning apps?
They are:
- Hello Talk
- Tandem
- Beelingu
- Clozemaster
- Guess Japanese Words
- Lingo Deer
- Ling
- Memrise
- Duolingo
- Innovative Language
- Busuu
- Babbel
- Spanish SOLO
- ChineseSkill
- Drops
- Mondly
- Easy Ten
We are also going to include the best free apps for translating a foreign language (along with the reason for doing so!).
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Free Apps for Learning a New Language
Listed below are apps you can get that will teach you languages for free. Some of them are already well known, such as Duolingo, but there are also quite many that aren’t as well known. The best features on each app will also be listed.
All of these are apps are free to use. Some of them may have additional features that can be purchased with a subscription, however, these apps are still usable if you decide to only stick to the free stuff.
1. Hello Talk
Where to get the app:
HelloTalk is a language app that has the added benefit of cultural exchange. It connects you with native speakers of other languages for free.
Features of the app include:
- The ability to search for people whose needs match yours
- Practice a language with native speakers via text/audio messages
- Free audio and video call features
- Sharable moments for your social media
- Translation, grammar correction, text to voice, and voice recognition used to improve your skills
- Studying is done through conversation, not repetitive homework assignments
They also have a VIP membership which is $2.99 a month or $21.99 a year.
2. Tandem
Where to get the app:
This one was awarded the title of Best Education App in 2015 and is currently one of the top-ranking video language apps.
There are over 5 million users speaking over 150+ languages on Tandem. You can even learn sign language, which is pretty unique compared to the other apps on the list.
When registering, you select the languages you want to learn. Then you’ll get matched with partners that align with your goals. You can also share your interests to find people you have things in common with.
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The app also has tutors for one on one video chat lessons.
If you subscribe to Tandem Pro for $2.92 per month to get:
- Unlimited translations
- Members near you
- Profile verification and badge
- No ads
3. Beelingu
Where to get the app:
This is a hybrid between audiobooks and language learning. You can read the text of a book in two different languages side-by-side and listen to the text being read at the same time. This helps you avoid long lists of vocabulary and phrases that other programs give their users.
The app features:
- Different short stories, children’s books, and novels to choose from
- Spanish, French, German, and many more language options
- Karaoke-style animation to help you follow along
4. Clozemaster
Where to get the app:
This takes learning a language and turns it into a fun video game. Learn a large vocabulary in the language of your choice through mini-games.
The app has features such as:
- Games where you select a missing word to score points
- Text-to-speech
- Tracking for your progress
- Over 100 languages and more being added all the time
5. Guess Japanese Words
Where to get the app:
- Guess Japanese Words for Android
If you’re learning Japanese, then this is a great app to use to improve your vocabulary.
It contains pictures that you guess what word goes with. There are different types of hints you can get if you need help. The words you can learn come in different categories such as animals, colors, and food.
Features of the apps are:
- Japanese word games
- Practice hiragana vocabulary
- Practice katakana words
- A leaderboard to make learning more social
6. Lingo Deer
Where to get the app:
Learn Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese with Lingo Deer. Each lesson is interactive and created to be done within 10 minutes a day. In order to access all features of the app, you’ll need a membership for $9.99 a month, but there are still things you can use in the app for free.
Features include:
- Get taught the alphabet systems of different Asian languages
- You can use the app in an offline mode
- There are over 2,000 words and phrases in each course
- Recordings from native speakers to help you learn
- Detailed grammar notes for each language
- A flashcard system to help you review what you learned
7. Ling
Where to get the app:
- Ling for iOS
Ling works for people who are trying to learn either Spanish or English. Their program is built around the concept of learning 5 words every day. By the end of a year, you’ll learn 1,825 words.
They organize their words by topics, such as business or travel, and divide them from beginner to advanced. To access the full program, you’ll need to get a subscription for $3.99 a month.
The available languages to learn are:
- English
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Chinese Simplified
- Hindi
- And many more.
8. Memrise
Where to get the app:
This app has over 30 million language learners. You can learn through easy-to-learn games, chatbots, and over 30,000 native speaker videos.
Features of the app are:
- Scan objects with your phone and learn the word for that object
- Learn from native speakers
- Record your own speaking and compare to native speakers
- Offline mode is available for practice
- Set daily goals
In order to access all the features, you’ll need to get a monthly subscription for $8.99. However, there are still features you can access for free.
9. Duolingo
Where to get the app:
This is an entirely free language app with over 30 languages to choose from. You can practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening with various Duolingo activities.
You can track your progress, earn rewards, and join groups of other people also trying to learn.
While everything is free, you can help support the app by purchasing the pro version, which simply removes ads.
10. Innovative Language
Where to get the app:
Learn over 34 different languages with this app. Get access to hundreds of audio and video lessons.
There are different types of memberships, including a free one. Here are the features you can get for free:
- Access a 7-day free premium trial of any of our language courses
- Get new audio and video lessons every week for life
- Offline mode so you can learn even without Wi-Fi
- Daily vocabulary sent to your email
- Switch between computers and your smartphone device without loss of progress
11. Busuu
Where to get the app:
There are twelve major languages you can learn, with skill levels ranging from beginner to fluency. The languages available are:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Portuguese
- Polish
There are several features of the app, but one of the best is that you can become certified in a language with McGraw-Hill.
12. Babbel
Where to get the app:
Babbel has 14 different languages available to be learned. Each 10-15 minute lesson is designed to go straight to your long term memory. Speech recognition technology is there to help keep your pronunciation correct.
After one month, you’ll be able to talk about a variety of different topics, such as shopping and dining. It should be noted that you’ll need a subscription to access all the learning materials, however, there is still free lessons available.
13. Spanish SOLO
Where to get the app:
- Spanish SOLO for iOS
Spanish SOLO is a step-by-step course available for Apple devices. You can play through dozens of learning activities to earn “Solos” which is a virtual currency in the app. Then you can buy additional courses. Basically, the more you earn, the more you learn.
14. ChineseSkill
Where to get the app:
Learn Mandarin Chinese completely free with ChineseSkill.
It’s a game-based learning course with native pronunciation at normal and slow speeds. It will help with both spoken and written Chinese.
According to the app description, you will learn:
- 50+ Chinese skills
- 150+ Chinese grammar points
- 200+ sentence patterns
- 1000+ keywords and phrases
- 2000+ essential Chinese characters
15. Drops
Where to get the app:
Drops has over 31 languages for free. 100% of the content on the app is free, no paywalls.
They have wordlists with 2,600 words that cover about 90% of everyday words. All words are illustrated to help you understand the translations. They also have audio of the words to help with pronunciation.
You only need to spend 5 minutes a day on the app. The 5-minute sprints are designed to be easy to remember and encourages intense focus.
16. Mondly
Where to get the app:
Mondly offers free daily lessons for 33 languages. You can learn core words, form sentences, learn phrases, and take part in conversations with the app. Other features of the app are:
- Voice acted lines
- Speech recognition that gives feedback
- Verb conjugations for all verbs
- Advanced statistics based on your progress
There are also paid sections of the app, which costs $9.99 a month.
17. Easy Ten
Where to get the app:
As the title of the app states, you learn a foreign language with just 10 words every day. You can learn English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and Russian.
It takes about five minutes every day. You can also post your progress to your electronic calendar.
You can also unlock a daily selection of new words with a pro subscription to the app, which costs monthly $7.99.
Translation Apps
Studying a language is one thing but being able to translate the words you or someone else is saying can be incredibly helpful for learning a new language.
Here are some free translation apps that will pair well with the language apps mentioned above.
A few of these have premium subscription options, but they all can still be used for free if you decide not to invest money in them.
18. iTranslate Converse
Where to get the app:
- iTranslate Converse for iOS
This speech translation app can turn your own iPhone into a translation device. The app works for conversations for 38 different languages and can automatically detect the correct language to translate. Just tap & hold for the app to listen. Then release for its translation.
19. Boomerang by Illuminated Bits
Where to get the app:
- Boomerang for iOS
This app can provide translations between over 100 languages. Unlike other translators, this app double checks to make sure there are no mistranslations so that you are conveying things 100% correctly.
The app is free to use, however you can get a subscription to remove ads and get pronunciations for certain languages.
20. Microsoft Translator
Where to get the app:
This free translation app works for 60 languages. It can translate text, voice, conversations, and text in photos. It can also download languages for the app to work when you are offline. You can also have in-person conversations translated with up to 100 people.
21. Translate Me – Live Translator
Where to get the app:
- Translate Me for iOS
This app features several abilities, including:
- 40 languages that can be translated by voice
- 100+ languages that be translated by text
- Automatic voice detection for both voice and text
22. Speak and Translate – Translator
Where to get the app:
- Speak and Translate for iOS
This one has Apple Speech Recognition Technology support. 54 languages are available for voice translation and 117 are available for text translation. The only downside is that the free version does have daily translation limitations.
23. SpanishDict Translator
Where to get the app:
As the name implies, this is a Spanish translation app and specialized in that language. It has:
- A full Spanish to English dictionary
- All the conjugations for every verb, translations
- Vocabulary practice and quizzes
- A Spanish grammar guide
- A Spanish phrasebook for common phrases
- A word of the day for daily vocabulary learning
24. Mate – translate speech and text
Where to get the app:
- Mate for iOS
Mate is unique because it translates iMessages for you. All you have to do is type your message out in English and then it can translate it to over 103 different languages.
This works for more than just messaging though. You can also have it translate in literally any app on your phone.
25. Google Translate
Where to get the app:
Finally, one of the most popular free translators to use on both mobile devices and computers is Google Translate.
It offers text translations between 103 languages and can translate 59 of them completely offline. You can also import photos that have text on them and the app will translate it for you.
Final Thoughts
After checking out these apps, there’s only one last step: start learning!
We hope that this list has been helpful for you.
Are there any free apps you are using to learn a language? Have you had any experiences with the free language learning apps listed above? Let me know in the comments below.
Duolingo is amazing. That’s the one my family and I use and it is just so good! Great list.