7 Language Learning Apps to Get You Sounding Fluent — Fast

French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, you name it! There are countless languages to learn.

Whether you're traveling in a new country on vacation or working for a diverse company with colleagues and clients all over the world, language skills can serve you well. After all, being able to communicate clearly with others helps you to navigate unfamiliar situations, establish rapport, build trust and collaborate together.

Of course, learning a new language is certainly challenging, but it can also be fun. Nowadays, there are tons of gamified apps out there to help you learn a new language fast and easy — and have a good time doing it from anywhere, any time. 

So long as you have access to a smart device, you can download a language-learning app to become conversational or even fluent in a new language. How good you get depends entirely on how much time you're willing to put into learning the language! The apps can teach you new vocabulary, instruct you on how to form sentences, guide you through simple conversations and test your knowledge and memory — but it's up to you to put what you learn into practice and keep at it in order to really learn the language.

So what is the most popular language-learning app? There are quite a few! Here are seven of our favorites. 

What is the best program to learn a language?

Here are seven of the best options out there to learn a new language fast and easy.

1. Babbel

iTunes rating: 4.6

Google Play rating: 4.6

Price: Free to try, then $6.95 to $12.95 per month

With Babbel, you can choose to learn the basics of a new language or focus in on specific topics like travel, culture and business. The app offers interactive dialogues on real-life topics to give you the confidence to use the language skills you develop in everyday situations. In fact, 92% of Babbel users have reported that their language proficiency had improved in just two months of using the program.

2. Duolingo

iTunes rating: 4.7

Google Play rating: 4.7

Price: Free

Learn more than 30 new languages on Duolingo! With Duolingo, you can earn points for correct answers, race against the clock to test your knowledge and level up. The lessons are quick and gamified! And, if you don't log in for a few days, Duolingo will send you reminders to get on your game.

Is Babbel or Duolingo better? Babbel focuses more on conversations, while Duolingo focuses more on vocabulary. Which one is better depends on what time of learner you are. That said, Duolingo tends to be cheaper. And Duolingo research has shown that just 34 hours of Duolingo are equal to one university semester of language courses. This means that you can truly learn a language with Duolingo if you are willing to put in the time — and you don't have to go to any class to do it!

3. Rosetta Stone

iTunes rating: 4.8

Google Play rating: 4.6

Price: $179+

Rosetta Stone is one of the most popular language-learning program out there. It's a trusted program that's been around for more than 25 years. And you can start with a three-day free trial before you commit if you don't believe it!

Is Babbel or Rosetta Stone better? Again, that depends entirely on you! Rosetta Stone is a bit more expensive, however.

4. Mondly

iTunes rating: 4.7

Google Play rating: 4.6

Price: $39.99 for lifetime access

Mondly touts itself for combining solid neural science with cutting-edge technologies to get you talking new languages fast. In fact, 50 million users are giving it a go! Just select your native language and then select the language you want to learn to get started.

5. Lingoda

iTunes rating: 4.0

Google Play rating: 2.7

Price: $8+

With Lingoda, you can take live online classes with native-speaking teachers. Classes are 60 minutes long and available 24/7.  This means that you really just need the basics: A strong internet connection, a device to connect to the internet and the free-to-use video conferencing tool Zoom. Then you just have choose a time, choose a class and join in! You'll even have access to downloadable, easy-to-follow materials along the way and you can walk away with a CEFR certificate. (The CEFR is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages — a framework that describes international language ability from A1-C2. A1 being basic and moving up to C2 proficiency.) In fact, when you finish each level with Lingoda, you will receive a language certificate issued in accordance with the CEFR and accepted by many institutions worldwide. 

6. Pimsleur

iTunes rating: 4.6

Google Play rating: 4.1

Price: Free to try, then $150+

Learn 50 languages on Pimsleur, which says: "Give us 30 minutes a day and we’ll have you speaking your new language in no time!" In fact, over 75% of Pimsleur users learned a new language on the go. With reading lessons, role-playing challenges, speed round games and more, you'll learn a new language at the intermediate level in just 30 days. Try a free lesson to test it out for yourself! Plus, if you’re not absolutely thrilled with your new language skills and/or can't speak it confidently after a month, you can return your course within 30 days for a full refund. 

7. Rocket Languages

iTunes rating: 3.2

Google Play rating: 3.8

Price: $99.90-$259.90

Rocket Languages offers you three levels from which to choose.

Level one will take you from a beginner to an intermediate speaker with the following offerings:

• 134 hours of lesson time
• 2,666 phrases with voice recognition
• 34 Interactive Audio lessons
• 33 Language & Culture lessons
• 1 BONUS Survival Kit worth $49.95

Level two will take you from a beginner to an advanced speaker with good conversational skills with the following offerings:

• 244 hours of lesson time
• 5,807 phrases with voice recognition
• 66 Interactive Audio lessons
• 56 Language & Culture lessons
• 2 BONUS Survival Kits worth $99.90

Level three will take you from a beginner to an advanced speaker with fluent conversational skills with the following offerings:

• 370 hours of lesson time
• 10,004 phrases with voice recognition
• 98 Interactive Audio lessons
• 87 Language & Culture lessons
• 3 BONUS Survival Kits worth $149.85

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