The best Japanese speaking app depends on who you want to answer you. Pimsleur has you reply aloud to recorded prompts, Talkpal answers as an AI, and italki, Preply, HelloTalk and Tandem put you in touch with people. This page compares what you say in each app, what feedback comes back and what stays free. For courses and reading, see our Japanese app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Japanese. You learn from Japanese you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Japanese lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it, or ask her to roleplay a conversation with you.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so you review them in new contexts.
- The Japanese dictionary has more than 218,000 entries with English meanings.
- Poppy's Japanese grammar notes cover 587 topics in English, and in live voice chat you talk out loud in Japanese with her.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter in the free Japanese Hiragana course, with a picture to help you remember each one.
- Bubblegum is built around reading and listening more than speaking. For a tutor or partner who hears your Japanese, see the apps below.
- 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™
- Teaches Kana
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Pimsleur
Pimsleur suits you if you want to say Japanese out loud from the first lesson, without a partner.
- The Japanese course page offers a free sample lesson and a 7-day trial.
- The audio course has you answer aloud before the supplied reply plays, with English help in the app.
- Teaches Kana (partly)
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Talkpal
Talkpal suits you if you want to talk Japanese aloud with an AI instead of a person.
- The Japanese course page offers voice and chat with an AI, with scripted dialogues, calls and scenario roleplays as separate modes.
- Talkpal lists pronunciation and grammar corrections.
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italki
italki suits you if you want live Japanese speaking time with one teacher. Ask the teacher to listen for pitch if it matters to you.
- The Japanese teachers page lets you book a live video lesson, and conversation is one of the lesson focuses.
- A teacher hears you and corrects you as you speak.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk fits you if you want a Japanese partner to message first and call later.
- HelloTalk has a Japanese page, and you can chat with partners by text, voice messages, calls and voice rooms.
- Translation tools and partner corrections help when you get stuck.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem suits you if you want to call a Japanese partner or join a group audio space.
- Tandem has a Japanese page, and partners talk through voice notes and audio or video calls.
- Language parties give you a group audio space.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- PreplyYou choose a Japanese tutor, book a live class and practice real conversations. The app download is free, the classes are paid, and English explanations depend on the tutor.
| App | Usable in English | Learning help in English | Practice type | Voice or recording | Feedback | Free boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Yes | Partly | Voice chat with Poppy; questions about lessons; roleplay | Live voice chat | Poppy's explanations | Lessons by other learners are free to read; unlimited custom lessons need Pro |
| Pimsleur | Yes | Yes | Spoken replies to audio prompts | Speak aloud | Model audio; Voice Coach pronunciation feedback | Free sample lesson and 7-day trial |
| Talkpal | Yes | Unconfirmed | AI chat, calls, roleplay and scripted dialogues | Voice dialogue | Pronunciation and grammar corrections listed | Limited free plan; Premium has a 14-day trial |
| italki | Yes | Partly | Live lesson with a teacher | Live video | A teacher corrects you | Free signup; each lesson is paid |
| Preply | Yes | Partly | Live class with a tutor | Live lesson | A tutor corrects you | Free download; classes are paid |
| HelloTalk | Yes | Partly | Exchange with a partner | Text, voice messages, calls, voice rooms | Partner corrections and tools | Free exchange; VIP is paid |
| Tandem | Yes | Partly | Exchange with a partner | Voice notes, audio and video calls | Partner corrections | Many features free; Pro is paid |
Which Japanese speaking app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Japanese, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Pimsleur's free sample lesson if you want to answer recorded Japanese prompts aloud first.
Will an app correct my pitch and politeness level?
A teacher or partner is the best fit for this. On italki, Preply, HelloTalk and Tandem you can ask the person to use the polite or casual style you want to practice and to listen for pitch. Talkpal lists pronunciation and grammar corrections, and Pimsleur lists Voice Coach pronunciation feedback.
Can I practice Japanese speaking for free?
You can talk Japanese with Poppy by voice chat, and HelloTalk exchanges are free. Many Tandem features are free too, Pimsleur gives a free sample lesson and a 7-day trial, and Talkpal has a limited free plan. Tutor lessons on italki and Preply 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.
