Six apps can get you speaking Hausa: Bubblegum, one app where you record yourself, one AI tutor, two exchange apps and a site for paid teachers. The exchange apps and the teacher site put you in a conversation with a person. The tables show who gives feedback, what is free, and what works in English. For courses that cover more than speaking, see our Hausa app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Hausa. You learn from Hausa you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Hausa 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.
To practice with a person, try the apps in Talk With Hausa Speakers.
- Ask Poppy about any sentence in a Hausa lesson, and she explains it in English.
- Ask Poppy to roleplay a conversation in Hausa.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Bubblegum is built around reading and listening, and its speaking practice is roleplay with Poppy.
- 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
uTalk
uTalk suits beginners who want to say short Hausa phrases out loud. The Hausa course page says it helps English-speaking learners.
- The Hausa course supplies phrases and audio from native speakers.
- You record yourself and compare your voice with the model.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
On HelloTalk you can trade Hausa for your own language with a partner. The exchange costs nothing, and VIP is a separate paid plan.
- HelloTalk has a page for learning Hausa.
- Text, voice and video messages, calls, voice rooms and corrections from your partner.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem pairs you with a Hausa speaker who wants to practice your language. Signup and the basic exchange are free, and Pro is optional.
- Hausa is on Tandem's supported-languages list.
- Voice notes, calls and video, plus correction and translation between you and your partner.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (2)
- TalkpalAn AI tutor whose Hausa page advertises conversation practice, speech recognition, and feedback on pronunciation, intonation and rhythm. It has a Basic and a Premium plan, and its page does not promise a complete free Hausa course.
- VerblingPrivate online lessons with Hausa teachers. One profile is a native Hausa teacher from Kano who offers Hausa-to-English help. Lessons are paid, and the site advertises one free 30-minute trial.
| App | How you speak | Feedback from | English help | What is free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Ask Poppy to roleplay | Poppy's explanations | Poppy answers in English | Reading lessons Poppy wrote for other learners |
| uTalk | Record phrases | You, against the model | Declared on the Hausa course page | A few starter words |
| HelloTalk | Messages, calls, voice rooms | Your partner | Depends on your partner | Exchange |
| Tandem | Voice notes, calls, video | Your partner | Depends on your partner | Signup and basic exchange |
| Talkpal | AI conversation | AI, as its page advertises | — | A Basic plan, with limits unconfirmed |
| Verbling | Live lessons | Your teacher | Depends on your teacher | One 30-minute trial |
A dash means the app's own pages do not say.
Each number is how many languages you can use the iPhone app in, including script variants.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Full list
|
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| HelloTalk | 16 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
| Talkpal | 51 | Full list |
| Verbling | — | — |
Which Hausa app should a beginner choose for speaking?
If you are serious about learning Hausa, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. If you want to say Hausa aloud from your first session, uTalk's course gives you short phrases to record and compare.
Does any app score my Hausa pronunciation?
Talkpal's Hausa page advertises feedback on pronunciation, intonation and rhythm, and that is the company's own description. uTalk has you record yourself and compare with the model, and HelloTalk, Tandem and Verbling give you corrections from people. Our Hausa comprehensible input comparison covers how to hear Hausa before you speak it.
Can I practice speaking Hausa for free?
Yes, with limits. HelloTalk and Tandem have free exchange, and uTalk gives you a few starter words. Verbling offers one 30-minute trial lesson, and its regular lessons are paid.
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
- uTalk: Hausa course
- uTalk Hausa: Google Play listing
- HelloTalk: learn Hausa
- Tandem: supported languages
- Talkpal: learn Hausa
- Talkpal: pricing
- Verbling: Hausa teachers
- uTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- HelloTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Tandem: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Talkpal: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Bubblegum
- HelloTalk
- Tandem
