The best Catalan vocabulary app depends on where you want your words to come from. LingQ saves the words from Catalan texts you read, Bilinguae and Drops give you ready-made word sets, and Anki holds cards you write yourself. This page compares how each app gets words to you, how it brings them back, and what stays free. For courses, tutors and speaking, see our Catalan app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Catalan. You learn from Catalan you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Catalan 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 that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- Catalan lessons are written at your level, so you meet each word inside a full sentence.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Saved words come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™, and you can send them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- The read-aloud voices are made by software, so a Catalan word's audio has no human speaker behind it.
- 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
Other Apps We Looked At (6)
- LingQTap a word in a Catalan text from the library or one you import, and save it with its meaning. The text stays with the word when you review. The free plan keeps 20 saved words and 5 imported lessons.
- BilinguaeCatalan words sorted by level and topic, with example sentences and exercises. Each noun shows its gender and plural, and revision adapts to your answers. The developer says it has native-speaker audio. It downloads free and sells in-app purchases.
- DropsCatalan words with a picture and audio, learned through short matching games. Free play is capped, and Premium removes the cap.
- ClozemasterCatalan words are learned by filling the gap in a full sentence, and the sentence returns later on a spaced schedule. It is free to start.
- uTalkTopic words and phrases with native-speaker recordings, then memory games. Starter words are free, and the full course is paid.
- AnkiMake cards with a Catalan word, its English meaning and your own sentence or sound. Anki does not come with a Catalan word list. Desktop Anki and AnkiWeb sync are free, and AnkiMobile on iPhone costs $24.99 once. For help setting up decks, read [Is Anki good for language learning?](/blog/is-anki-good-for-language-learning).
| App | Word source | Review | Sentence and audio | Noun gender and plural | English help | Free boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Lessons Poppy writes | Saved words return in new lessons | Words appear in new sentences | Not confirmed | Partly | Lessons by other learners are free to read; unlimited custom lessons need Pro |
| LingQ | Texts you import and the library | Saved words are reviewed | Matching text, and audio where the text has it | Not confirmed | Yes | 20 saved words, 5 imported lessons |
| Bilinguae | Words by level and topic | Revision adapts to your answers | Example sentences; developer-stated native audio | Shown | Not confirmed | Free download with purchases |
| Drops | Topics made by Drops | Matching games | Pictures and audio | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Free play is capped; Premium removes the cap |
| Clozemaster | Sentences with a gap | Spaced repetition | Whole sentences | Not confirmed | Partly | Free to start |
| uTalk | Topics made by uTalk | Memory games | Native-speaker recordings | Not confirmed | Yes | Starter words free; full course paid |
| Anki | Cards you make | SM-2 or FSRS | Only if the card has them | Whatever you type | Your own cards | Desktop and AnkiWeb free; AnkiMobile paid once |
If you read Catalan before you save words, our Catalan comprehensible input app comparison covers reading and listening apps, and the best way to learn Catalan gives a full path.
Which Catalan vocabulary app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Catalan, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or choose Bilinguae or Drops for a ready-made word set. Choose Anki if you want to make your own cards from the Catalan you meet.
Can I keep the sentence a Catalan word came from?
LingQ keeps the text a saved word came from, so you see it in context when you review. Bilinguae gives each word example sentences, and Clozemaster teaches words inside whole sentences. An Anki card carries a sentence only if the card holds one, whether you wrote it or imported the deck.
Do I need to pay for a Catalan vocabulary app?
Anki on desktop and AnkiWeb sync are free, and Clozemaster is free to start. LingQ's free plan keeps 20 saved words, and uTalk gives starter words free with a paid full course. Bilinguae and Drops are free to download, with purchases for the full course.
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
- LingQ: learn Catalan
- LingQ: what's free
- LingQ: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Drops: Catalan
- Drops: Premium
- Drops: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Bilinguae: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Clozemaster: Catalan
- Clozemaster: FAQ
- uTalk: Catalan course
- uTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- AnkiMobile: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Anki: what's free
- Anki manual: scheduling and cards
- Bubblegum
