# Best free language learning apps? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 26, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577 "2019-03-26T20:20:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JakeRS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/1 "2019-03-26T20:20:15Z")
What are some good interactive language learning apps that are free, without (too much) freemium stuff like “here’s 1 free lesson, pay to unlock the remaining 4999 lessons”? Even if it were to cost 0,0001 cents, Google play purchases are not available in my country, so I am looking for an app where I get as many lessons as available right of the bat. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/2 "2019-03-26T21:33:21Z")
Duolingo is completely free, but they do pester you to sign up for Duo+. I’ve been using it for quite a few years now. My Spanish vocabulary is pretty decent, but I have no ear for it. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/3 "2019-03-26T21:35:01Z")
Forgot to add - another good thing is that it is both an app and a website, althoguh lessons in both are the same. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/4 "2019-03-26T21:40:46Z")
Duolingo’s OK, though some of the lesson choices are a little odd at times. I’ve only used it to try learn enough to get by on holiday for reading menus and the like though, not to seriously study. ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2019, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/5 "2019-03-27T05:39:57Z")
What language(s) do you want to study? ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/6 "2019-03-29T17:20:40Z")
Another recommendation for Duolingo. What language are you learning? Duolingo has a number of languages, some cover more ground than others. They say their Spanish and French at least (I can’t speak towards any of their other offerings) cover all of the standard material through CEFR level A2, and I believe those are some of their longer courses. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2019, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/7 "2019-03-30T08:59:48Z")
Chiming in to say, I’d like to (re-)learn Portuguese, specifically Brazilian. Is there a particular course or app that’s good for that one? (Sorry to piggyback, OP, I hope you don’t mind.) ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/8 "2019-03-30T16:57:16Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Chiming in to say, I’d like to (re-)learn Portuguese, specifically Brazilian. Is there a particular course or app that’s good for that one? > > (Sorry to piggyback, OP, I hope you don’t mind.) It appears that Duolingo’s Portuguese teaches the Brazilian dialect. Don’t know if it’s the _best_ app for that language, but since it’s free it’s easy to try out. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/12 "2025-05-09T16:54:43Z")
When someone says “I want a free language app” posting about an alternative that is NOT free is not helpful. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-free-language-learning-apps/831577/13 "2025-05-09T17:02:20Z")
Closing old spam bait thread.