Latin words often come from the chapter list in your textbook, the author you are reading, or cards you make yourself. Apps handle each one differently, and they differ in whether they keep a verb's principal parts, the forms a textbook lists for each verb. Below, one app saves words from your reading and seven more cover lists and cards. For courses and pronunciation, see Best Apps to Learn Latin.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Latin. You learn from Latin you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Latin 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.
- The Latin dictionary has more than 53,000 entries with English meanings.
- Poppy's Latin grammar notes cover 361 topics in English.
- Latin words you save from a lesson come back in new lessons, in new sentences.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Latin lessons are written without macrons, the marks that show long vowels.
- You can't turn your own Latin textbook into lessons. However, you can paste a passage in the chat, and Poppy will explain 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
DICTA follows the chapters of Learn to Read Latin and Lingua Latina per se Illustrata. Liberation Philology drills vocabulary for authors such as Vergil and Cicero. Anki and Quizlet take cards you make or sets someone shared, so the Latin form and principal parts depend on who made the card. Legentibus has you read Latin texts and tap the words you do not know.
Other Apps We Looked At (7)
- DICTA LearningChapter lists for Learn to Read Latin and Lingua Latina per se Illustrata keep each word's spelling, principal parts and English meaning. You study with flashcards, typing, matching and handwriting. It is free on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The Learn to Read Latin audio is recorded by the app's founder.
- Liberation Philology LatinMultiple-choice drills with Latin and English vocabulary, including sections for Aeneid Book I and selections from Cicero. Wrong answers are corrected right away, and the drills can be repeated. It costs $3.99 on iPhone and iPad.
- AnkiMake your own Latin cards, with the principal parts, a sentence or audio if you want them, or import a shared deck, and Anki shows each card again on a schedule. Desktop Anki and AnkiWeb are free, and AnkiMobile on iPhone costs $24.99 once. Anki is not a Latin course.
- QuizletType or paste Latin words into a set, then study with flashcards and adaptive review. A teacher or learner writes the principal parts and macrons. Flashcards are free to start, and Quizlet Plus is paid.
- ClozemasterYou fill the missing Latin word in a sentence, with English translations and text-to-speech audio. Custom collections need Pro. Signup is free.
- uTalkTopic lists of Latin words and phrases with games and audio. Oxford graduates voice the Classical Latin. The starter words are free, and more topics are paid.
- LegentibusLatin texts with English definitions on tap, English translations and synchronized audio. Some books and the first three course modules (15 lessons) are free, and the rest of the course is paid.
| App | Usable in | Learning help in | Words come from | Principal parts and macrons | Review | Free or paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Yes | Partly | Lessons Poppy writes | Lessons have no macrons | Words return in new lessons | Lessons written for others |
| DICTA Learning | Yes | English meanings | Textbook chapters | Principal parts shown, macrons visible | Flashcards, typing, matching, handwriting | Free |
| Liberation Philology Latin | Yes | English meanings | Author sections and word lists | — | Multiple choice, repeated drills | $3.99 on iPhone |
| Anki | Yes | PartlyWhat you write | Your own cards | What the card maker types | SM-2 or FSRS schedule | Desktop and AnkiWeb |
| Quizlet | Yes | PartlyDepends on the set author | Your sets or shared sets | What the author types | Flashcards, adaptive review | Flashcards |
| Clozemaster | Yes | English translations | Sentences with a gap | — | Sentence review | Signup |
| uTalk | Yes | English prompts | Topic lists | — | Games | Starter words |
| Legentibus | Yes | English definitions | Latin texts | — | — | Some books, first 3 course modules |
A dash (—) means you should check it in the app.
Which Latin vocabulary app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Latin, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. If your class uses Learn to Read Latin or Lingua Latina per se Illustrata, DICTA is free and lists words by chapter.
Who speaks the Latin audio in uTalk?
Oxford graduates voice uTalk's Classical Latin. These are modern voices, not speakers from ancient Rome. For Latin you can read and hear, see our comparison of Latin reading and listening apps.
Can I keep principal parts on Anki cards?
Yes, because you decide the fields. Put the principal parts on the back of the card, with any macrons you want. Copy them from your textbook. Is Anki good for language learning? covers how its schedule works, and Do flashcards work for language learning? covers the method.
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
- Bubblegum: Latin and English language pair
- DICTA Learning
- DICTA Learning: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Anki manual
- Anki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Quizlet: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Liberation Philology Latin: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Clozemaster: Latin sentence lists
- uTalk: Learn Latin
- Legentibus
- Bubblegum
