The apps below give you an AI, a recorded voice, a teacher, or another learner to talk with.
There are 15 of them, sorted by who answers you.
Talk With Poppy
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is the best app for serious learners. You learn from text and audio you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor, fits each lesson in Bubblegum's 60 languages to your level.
When you're ready to answer back, open a voice chat and talk with her about what you just read.
- Have a live voice chat with Poppy in most of the languages Bubblegum teaches.
- Listen to a lesson first, so the words already sound familiar when you say them.
- Ask for a lesson about a talk you have coming up, like checking in at a hotel.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Poppy is an AI, so for a talk with a person you'll need a tutor or exchange app.
- Live voice chat isn't offered for Toki Pona, Luxembourgish, Javanese, Nigerian Pidgin, Shanghainese, Ningbo Wu, or the regional Mandarin dialects, such as Northeastern Mandarin.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Have a Conversation With an AI
An AI partner answers at any hour. It can make mistakes, so look up any word that sounds strange.
Speak
Each Speak lesson moves in a loop: learn the phrases people really use, practice them until they feel natural, then use them in conversation. It teaches seven languages, including Korean, Japanese, and Italian.
- Talk freely with the Speak Tutor and go again as many times as you need.
- Get real-time feedback on your pronunciation and grammar.
Mobile
Praktika
Praktika gives you an AI tutor with its own personality and accent. Praktika says its tutor remembers your context and gently fixes your pronunciation, grammar, and word choice.
- Choose how your tutor talks to you: soft, balanced, or strict.
- Turn your own photos, PDFs, videos, or voice notes into a lesson.
- Role-play a scene, such as being a tourist or calling a sports match.
Mobile
Talkpal
Talkpal covers more than 130 languages. Besides chatting, you can act out scenes such as travel or dating.
- Call Mode is speaking practice with audio only.
- Debates let you discuss a topic and practice answering on the spot.
MobileWeb
Univerbal
Univerbal says it is made for people who know the words but freeze when it's time to talk. You can speak or type, and it rewrites what you were trying to say and adds a short explanation.
- Rehearse talks you expect to have, like a job interview or an exam.
- It keeps track of where you did well and where you hesitated.
MobileWeb
ELSA Speak
ELSA Speak is an AI coach for English speaking. Beginners can start a chat in their own language before switching to English.
- Speech Analyzer gives detailed feedback while you speak freely.
- Choose the accent you want to practice, such as American, British, or Australian.
Mobile
Speak Up Inside a Course
These courses ask you to answer out loud as you go.
Pimsleur
Pimsleur's audio lessons work on your pronunciation and speaking, and it has courses in 50+ languages for people who speak English. A hands-free mode works while you drive.
- Voice Coach lets you practice right after a recorded speaker and gives you a score.
- Speak Easy lets you role-play a conversation from the lesson.
MobileWeb
Babbel
Babbel builds each course for speakers of your first language, in 14 languages. With Babbel Speak, you practice a conversation with an AI and get feedback on what you said.
- Speech recognition helps you say words more clearly.
- Guided Conversations come first, and then you talk freely with Babbel Speak.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Rosetta Stone Sapphire
Rosetta Stone teaches through its Dynamic Immersion method, with lessons as short as five minutes. A subscription to its Rosetta Stone Sapphire app covers all 25 of its languages.
- TruAccent compares your voice with speech from millions of people who speak the language.
- Chat Missions give you open conversations in scenes like a restaurant or a bookstore.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Memrise
Memrise teaches with short videos of people saying everyday words and phrases. People who speak each language check its words and phrases.
- Copy a video of a real person, then record yourself to compare.
- Talk with AI Buddies after you learn new phrases.
MobileWeb
Book a Tutor
A tutor is a real person who can slow down and pick a topic with you.
italki
italki is a site for booking one-on-one lessons and group classes. It offers more than 150 languages.
- Choose a lesson length from 30 to 90 minutes.
- Take a free test to check your level.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply says you can study over 90 languages with live tutors, who shape lessons around your goals.
- Filter tutors by language, specialty, budget, or open times.
- Book and join lessons from your phone.
MobileWeb
Cambly
Cambly connects English learners with tutors for real conversations. After your lessons, it gives you practice activities based on what you covered.
- Talk with tutors at any hour of the day.
- Build a team of tutors who suit how you learn.
MobileWeb
Talk With Other Learners
These apps connect you with learners who want to practice the language you already speak.
HelloTalk
More than 70 million learners use HelloTalk. You can text, call, or video chat once you find a partner.
- Voicerooms are live group talks where you only need your voice.
- Search for partners by the language they speak or the city they live in.
MobileWeb
Tandem
On Tandem, you can search for a partner by language, location, or interests.
- Practice speaking through voice notes and calls.
- Meet a partner in person if you both want to.
MobileWeb
Languages and Menus at a Glance
| App | Languages It Covers | Menu Languages |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 60 | 74 |
| Speak | 7 | 16 |
| Praktika | 13 | 15 |
| Talkpal | 130+ | 51 |
| Univerbal | 20+ | 1 |
| ELSA Speak | 1 | 1 |
| Pimsleur | 50+ | 3 |
| Babbel | 14 | 9 |
| Rosetta Stone | 25 | 6 |
| Memrise | 139 | 22 |
| italki | 150+ | 19 |
| Preply | 90+ | 19 |
| Cambly | 1 | 12 |
| HelloTalk | 260+ | 16 |
| Tandem | 300+ | 14 |
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- SeyoAn AI partner from Talk To Me In Korean for Korean speaking practice, moving from repeating phrases to real conversations.
- BusuuA course app with pronunciation and conversation practice, from level A1 up to C1.
- Language TransferFree audio courses for languages such as Spanish, Greek, and Swahili, with no ads and no sign-up.
Common Questions
Which speaking app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning a language, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Pimsleur if you'd like to answer a recorded voice while you drive or do the laundry, or with Praktika if you'd like quick five-minute chats with an AI tutor.
How can I practice speaking if I feel shy?
Start where nobody else can hear you. Univerbal gives you corrections without the pressure of talking to a person. When you feel ready for people, Tandem lets you send a voice note before you try a call.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bubblegum: Every language you can learn
- Speak: Home page (the Speak Method and the Speak Tutor)
- Speak: App Store listing (7 languages, 16 menu languages)
- Praktika: Home page (gentle corrections, tone settings)
- Praktika: App Store listing (13 languages, 15 menu languages)
- Talkpal: Home page (130+ languages)
- Talkpal: App Store listing (Call Mode, Roleplays, Debates, 51 menu languages)
- Univerbal: Home page (20+ languages)
- Univerbal: App Store listing (English menus)
- ELSA Speak: Home page (bilingual AI tutor, role-play)
- ELSA Speak: App Store listing (Speech Analyzer, accent choices)
- Pimsleur: Home page (Voice Coach, Speak Easy, 50+ languages)
- Pimsleur: App Store listing (3 menu languages)
- Babbel: Home page (speech recognition, interactive dialogues)
- Babbel: App Store listing (Guided Conversations, Babbel Speak, 9 menu languages)
- Rosetta Stone Sapphire: App Store listing (TruAccent, Chat Missions, 6 menu languages)
- Memrise: Home page (record yourself and compare)
- Memrise: App Store listing (AI Buddies, 22 menu languages)
- italki: Home page (150+ languages, lesson lengths)
- italki: App Store listing (19 menu languages)
- Preply: App Store listing (over 90 languages, 19 menu languages)
- Cambly: Learn real English
- Cambly: App Store listing (12 menu languages)
- HelloTalk: Home page (Voicerooms)
- HelloTalk: App Store listing (16 menu languages)
- Tandem: Home page
- Tandem: App Store listing (300+ languages, 14 menu languages)
- Seyo: Speak Korean with your AI partner
- Busuu: Home page (feedback from the Busuu Community)
- Language Transfer: Free audio courses
- Bubblegum
- Speak
- Rosetta Stone Sapphire
- Preply
- Tandem
Checked on October 15, 2026 against each app's own pages.
