Perhaps the best thing about the technological advances in this day and age is that everybody has a phone or a tablet that they take with them when they’re on the move. To capitalise on this fact, many businesses are developing applications for their products and services, including those who offer ways to learn languages.
On this page I will list and give information about the best language learning apps that I have come across along with the operating system they are available on.
This page is still under construction and I will continue to add to it as I come across more useful apps.
Memrise ( | )
Memrise is my favourite app for learning vocabulary and is consistently mentioned as one of the top free language learning apps out there. Available free on all Apple and Android devices (and their website), there is no limit to what you can learn. The staff at have made it possible to learn from flashcards in a fun way. There are literally thousands of different courses you can take, created by staff and members, in any language you can think of. It works by using spaced repetition and after you have “planted” a word, it then needs watering in order for you to retain it. As time goes by and the more used to each word you get, the less the memories will need watering. I’ve found it to be very addictive and I often lose track of time, but it is the app that I have learnt the most from.
DuoLingo (| |)
DuoLingo is one of the most popular free language learning apps and websites available and there’s a reason for it. It’s addictive, fun and it works. Earn points to level up with the aim to complete your tree, race against the clock or other learners… it’s almost like a game and you learn quickly along the way. With you can learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch or Irish currently, with more languages in the works! The best thing about DuoLingo is that it’s free forever.
Buusu (|)
Buusu is similar to a language-learning social network. You can submit texts for the community to correct and you can correct the texts of others. You get a decent amount of learning material with a free account, but to access the quizzes and more in-depth lessons, you will have to upgrade to premium. is available for learning Spanish, German, Russian, French, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic.
If you want to help your child learn a language, there’s also , currently available in English and Spanish and aimed at children aged 4-7.
Mondly ( | )
is an interactive app available in Spanish, French, German, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Japanese, Norwegian, Romanian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Korean, Afrikaans, Swedish, Vietnamese, Czech, Finnish, Hungarian and Indonesian… PHEW! You get basic lessons for free (greetings and family with 8 lessons in each), but for the real deal you will have to purchase a package. Premium will give you access to all of the lessons (133) and a unique lesson every day of the year. The price of premium seems to change whether you’re on the website or in app. The cheapest I’ve found is £10.99 and the most expensive £19.99. There are frequent discounts offered with up to 40% off the usual price, so keep an eye out for those. If there are just a few things that you want to learn, you can choose select bundles at £3.99/$4.99 each.
Mind Snacks ()
Want to learn a language through games? The guys at make it possible. With apps for learning Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese, these apps are a great way to have fun while learning. The more you learn and the further you progress, the more games you unlock to play. Ideal for children and adults alike, the app features personalised learning algorithms to maximise retention and memorisation. Each app comes with a free lesson, but if you want to unlock all 50 you have to purchase a pass. If you’re only learning one language, then it’s a one off £3.99/$4.99 or if you want to unlock all lessons for all of their apps, it’s a one off £13.49/$19.99. Well worth it for what you get out of it!
CatSpanish ()
An app developed by , CatSpanish teaches vocabulary and phrases using funny image of cats. It makes for a fun experience and the images can help you to memorise the words. While currently only available in Spanish and for Apple devices, CatAcademy is working on developing the app for Android and plan to release more apps in more languages. For updates, fill in the form on their website and include which language you want to learn and the operating system you use and they will email you when your app is ready.