Danish listening practice is easier when you can read along, play a line again, and know who is speaking. This page compares eight tools on those points: the audio and the text, how you replay a line, what works offline, and whose voice you hear. For a wider look at reading, listening and watching, see our Danish comprehensible input comparison. For courses, see our Danish app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Danish. You learn from Danish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Danish 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.
- Every Danish lesson has read-aloud audio beside its text.
- Poppy explains hard Danish sentences in English.
- Words you save from a lesson come back in new Danish lessons.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Unlimited custom Danish lessons need Pro, and Bubblegum plays no shows or videos.
- 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
Duostories
Duostories suits beginners who want short Danish stories they can hear from start to finish.
- Danish stories show their text and play audio.
- Listening mode plays a story on its own and skips the questions.
MobileWeb
LingQ
LingQ suits learners who want to pick their own Danish audio and read along. Its Danish page says the library content is made by native speakers, and audio you import has whatever voice it came with.
- Danish audio plays beside a matching transcript, from the library or from audio you import.
- A playlist picks up where you stopped, and you can listen online or offline.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
DRTV
DRTV is the streaming service of DR, Denmark's public broadcaster. The voices are the presenters and actors of each programme, and you can resume a programme on another device.
- Watch DR's series, documentaries, news and children's shows.
- Programmes come with sound from Danish presenters and actors.
MobileWeb
Language Reactor
Language Reactor suits learners who want to watch Danish YouTube and read each line as it plays. The voices are those in the video.
- Two subtitle lines sit side by side on videos that have captions, with a pop-up dictionary.
- It runs on YouTube, so you choose the Danish channel.
Browser extension
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- DR LYDDR's radio and podcast app, with a playback speed setting, downloads for travel, chapters and a 30-minute rewind on live radio. The voices are DR's presenters, and the listing does not mention transcripts.
- DanishClass101Short Danish audio and video lessons taught in English, with slowed audio and line-by-line breakdowns. Its plan table puts the full library in the paid plans.
- Dansk i ørerneA podcast where Sofie Lindholm talks about Denmark and Danes in slow, clear Danish, with the text of each episode on its website.
| App | English help | Audio and text | Replay and speed | Offline | Voices | Paid part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Partly | Lessons with read-aloud audio | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Read-aloud voices | Unlimited custom lessons need Pro |
| Duostories | Unconfirmed | Story text with audio | Listening mode without questions | Unconfirmed | Text-to-speech | Unconfirmed |
| LingQ | Unconfirmed | Library or imported audio beside a transcript | Playlist resumes where you stopped | Offline listening listed | Native-made library, say its makers | Free plan limits words and imports |
| DRTV | Unconfirmed | Broadcast video | Resume on another device | Unconfirmed | DR presenters and actors | Unconfirmed |
| Language Reactor | Unconfirmed | Dual subtitles on YouTube videos with captions | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Speakers in the video | Unconfirmed |
| DR LYD | Unconfirmed | Radio and podcasts, no transcript listed | Playback speed setting, 30-minute rewind on live radio | Downloads for travel | DR presenters | Unconfirmed |
| DanishClass101 | Yes | Audio and video lessons with line-by-line breakdowns | Slowed audio | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Full library in paid plans |
| Dansk i ørerne | Unconfirmed | Podcast with the text of each episode on its website | Slow, clear Danish | Unconfirmed | Sofie Lindholm | Unconfirmed |
Which Danish listening app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Danish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Duostories if you want a short Danish story you can hear without answering questions.
Which Danish listening tools show a transcript?
LingQ plays Danish audio beside a matching transcript. DanishClass101 breaks its lessons down line by line, and Dansk i ørerne puts the text of each episode on its website.
Which tools can I use without leaving the US?
DRTV and DR LYD both have US App Store listings. DR says that outside the EU and EEA you can't watch live TV or series and films made in other countries on DRTV, so check what plays for you before you plan around it.
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 Danish online
- LingQ: free and Premium plans
- Duostories: Danish stories for English speakers
- Duostories: FAQ
- DRTV: iPhone App Store listing
- DR: watching DRTV and DR programmes abroad
- Language Reactor: Danish YouTube catalogue
- Language Reactor: Chrome Web Store listing
- DR LYD: iPhone App Store listing
- DanishClass101: Danish lessons
- DanishClass101: pricing
- Dansk i ørerne
- Bubblegum
- DRTV
- Language Reactor
