The best French listening app depends on what you want to hear and what you read along with. TV5MONDE EDU, Lingopie and Language Reactor give you video with subtitles, News in Slow French gives you slowed news, and LingQ gives you audio next to text. This page compares the audio and transcript in each app, the playback controls, offline use, the voices and what stays free. For all kinds of input, see our French comprehensible input comparison, and for courses, our French app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn French. You learn from French you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your French 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 French lesson is written at your level, about things you like.
- Ask Poppy to explain any French sentence you do not follow.
- 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.
- Bubblegum plays no shows or videos, so all your French listening comes from lessons.
- 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
TV5MONDE EDU
TV5MONDE EDU suits learners who want to hear French first and check the transcript afterwards. The publisher says everything in it is free, and the speakers come from across the Francophone world, so not all of them are from France.
- French videos come with subtitles, a French transcript and comprehension exercises.
- You can download the video content to watch offline.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Lingopie
Lingopie suits learners who want to listen to the original cast of a French show.
- French movies and TV come with subtitles you can tap for a meaning.
- English subtitles are available for French viewing where a title has them.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Language Reactor
Language Reactor suits learners who already watch French on Netflix and want to replay a line or look up a word.
- Two lines of subtitles, a popup dictionary and precise playback controls sit on top of Netflix video.
- The extension installs free.
Browser extension
News in Slow French
News in Slow French suits learners who want a spoken French podcast at a slower pace.
- Native-speaker hosts read French news and talk slowly.
- The app gives you two stories each week free, with no signup or payment.
MobileWeb
LingQ
LingQ suits learners who bring their own French audio and texts. Its voices are library or imported recordings plus AI voices.
- You play French audio from the library or your own imports next to the text and tap unknown words.
- Offline study is listed on the official page.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (2)
- Yabla FrenchFrench videos with bilingual subtitles, integrated dictionaries and human translations. It has a loop and pitch-corrected slow playback, and a limited selection of videos is free. Full access is a paid one-time or recurring subscription.
- BeelinguappFrench audiobooks with a parallel text in another language, highlighted in time with the narration, which the publisher describes as native-speaker narration. The app downloads free and sells a subscription.
| App | Audio and transcript | Speed | Replay | Offline | Voices | English help | Free boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Lessons Poppy writes, with read-aloud voices | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | AI voices | Partly | Lessons by other learners are free to read; unlimited custom lessons need Pro |
| TV5MONDE EDU | Video, subtitles, French transcript | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Yes | Francophone speakers | Partly | Free |
| Lingopie | Shows with tappable subtitles | Slowed playback | Line replay | Unconfirmed | Original cast | Yes | 8 minutes a week free |
| Language Reactor | Netflix video, two subtitle lines | Playback controls | Playback controls | Unconfirmed | Original programme audio | Partly | Free extension, Netflix paid separately |
| News in Slow French | Slow news podcast | Slowed by the hosts | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Native-speaker hosts | Partly | Two stories a week free |
| LingQ | Audio next to text | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Listed | Recordings and AI voices | Unconfirmed | Restricted free account |
| Yabla French | Video, bilingual subtitles | Slow playback | Loop | Unconfirmed | Original video speech | Yes | Limited free videos |
| Beelinguapp | Audiobook, parallel text | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Native-speaker narration | Unconfirmed | Free download, subscription |
To pick between reading, listening and watching, see our French comprehensible input comparison. To practice saying what you hear, see our French speaking app comparison.
Which French listening app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning French, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or choose News in Slow French if you want a podcast at a slower pace.
Which French listening apps work offline?
TV5MONDE EDU lets you download its video content, and LingQ lists offline study on its official page. For the other apps here, offline use is not confirmed.
Can I listen to French for free?
TV5MONDE EDU is free. News in Slow French gives you two stories each week, and Lingopie gives you 8 minutes each week on the US listing. Yabla and LingQ have free parts, and Language Reactor installs free, though Netflix needs its own subscription.
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
- TV5MONDE EDU: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- News in Slow French: official site
- Linguistica: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- LingQ: official site
- LingQ: sign up
- Lingopie: official site
- Lingopie: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Language Reactor: Chrome Web Store
- Yabla French: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Beelinguapp: official site
- Bubblegum
- TV5MONDE EDU
- Lingopie
- Language Reactor
- LingQ
