The best Afrikaans listening app depends on how much help you want while you listen. LingQ and AfrikaansPod101 put text beside the audio, Fluent Fiction replays each story sentence by sentence in English, and RSG and Schink Stories play Afrikaans made for Afrikaans speakers. This page compares the audio and text in each app, replay, offline use and what stays free. For courses and reading, see our Afrikaans app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Afrikaans. You learn from Afrikaans you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Afrikaans lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so you review them in new contexts.
- Poppy writes each Afrikaans lesson at your level, and the read-aloud voices speak it while the text stays on screen.
- The Afrikaans dictionary has more than 17,000 entries with English meanings, and Poppy's grammar notes cover 325 topics in English.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- The Afrikaans you hear in Bubblegum comes from read-aloud voices, and the app plays no radio or videos of people talking.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
LingQ
LingQ suits you if you want Afrikaans audio to read along with, from its library or from audio you import.
- The Afrikaans course page lists audio with matching transcripts, playlists, and study online or offline.
- You can import your own Afrikaans audio and save the words you look up.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
AfrikaansPod101 teaches with English help, and NowFluency adds tap-to-translate transcripts. Fluent Fiction and Schink Stories tell stories, and RSG is a South African radio broadcaster, so its Afrikaans is not slowed down for learners.
Other Apps We Looked At (5)
- AfrikaansPod101Native-speaker conversations with lesson notes, line-by-line dialogue, autoplay, looping and downloads. A free account has the new lessons and the first three of each series, and the notes need a trial or a paid plan.
- Fluent FictionFree story podcasts that play in Afrikaans first and then again sentence by sentence with the English translation. Each episode page has a transcript and a word list.
- NowFluencyAfrikaans videos, dialogues and stories with tap-to-translate transcripts, sentence shadowing and dictation. Premium removes ads and unlocks unlimited lookups, saves and imports.
- RSGLive shows and catch-up podcasts from a South African broadcaster. It is real Afrikaans speech with no English explanations, so it fits you once the basics are familiar.
- Schink StoriesAfrikaans family audio stories with favorites, playlists and resume, and downloads for offline listening where offered. Some stories need a subscription or school access.
| App | Usable in English | Learning help in English | Audio with text | Replay | Offline | Free boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Yes | Partly | Lessons with read-aloud voices | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Lessons by other learners are free to read; unlimited custom lessons need Pro |
| LingQ | Yes | Unconfirmed | Audio with matching transcripts | Playlists | Offline study listed | Free account limited; Premium adds imports and lookups |
| AfrikaansPod101 | Unconfirmed | Yes | Conversations with notes and line-by-line dialogue | Autoplay and loop | Lesson downloads | Free account has some lessons; a 7-day Premium trial |
| Fluent Fiction | Unconfirmed | Yes | Stories with transcript and English translation | Sentence-by-sentence replay | Unconfirmed | Story podcasts free; Plus is separate |
| NowFluency | Yes | Unconfirmed | Transcripts with tap-to-translate | Sentence shadowing | Unconfirmed | Free download; Premium unlocks more |
| RSG | Yes | No | Radio and podcasts, no transcript confirmed | Catch-up podcasts | Unconfirmed | Free download |
| Schink Stories | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Audio stories | Playlists and resume | Downloads where offered | Free download; some stories need a subscription |
For more reading and viewing, our Afrikaans comprehensible input app comparison covers texts, stories and video. To say Afrikaans aloud, see our Afrikaans speaking apps.
Which Afrikaans listening app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Afrikaans, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or choose Fluent Fiction if you want free story podcasts that replay each sentence with the English translation, or AfrikaansPod101 if you want lessons taught in English.
Which apps show a transcript while I listen to Afrikaans?
LingQ matches audio with transcripts, and AfrikaansPod101 has lesson notes and line-by-line dialogue. Fluent Fiction gives every episode a transcript and a word list, and NowFluency shows tap-to-translate transcripts.
Can I listen to Afrikaans offline?
LingQ lists offline study, AfrikaansPod101 offers downloads for eligible lessons, and Schink Stories lets you download stories where they are offered. For the other apps, check the app before a trip.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bubblegum: Afrikaans and English language pair
- Bubblegum: Afrikaans language hub
- LingQ: learn Afrikaans online
- LingQ: iPhone App Store listing (US)
- AfrikaansPod101: Afrikaans learning app
- Fluent Fiction: Afrikaans
- NowFluency: Speak Afrikaans, iPhone App Store listing (US)
- RSG: iPhone App Store listing (US)
- Schink Stories: iPhone App Store listing (US)
