Eight options can help you listen to Swedish: Bubblegum, one transcript library, two Swedish broadcasters, an easy-news site, two courses and a browser extension. Some read the text with you, and some play Swedish with no English at all. The tables show what you can replay, what works offline and what is free. To start from a different angle, see our Swedish comprehensible input comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Swedish. You learn from Swedish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Swedish 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 Swedish lesson has text and read-aloud audio, so you can listen first and read after.
- Ask Poppy to explain any sentence in English.
- 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 plays no shows or videos, so use the Swedish broadcasters below for real programs.
- 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
LingQ
LingQ plays Swedish audio next to its text, so you can replay a line and read it right away.
- LingQ has a Swedish audio library with matching transcripts.
- You can import your own Swedish content, and the playlist resumes where you stopped.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
SVT Play
SVT Play is Swedish public television. The app menu is in Swedish.
- SVT Play has Swedish programs and live channels in its US iPhone listing.
- You can continue a program you started.
MobileWeb
Sveriges Radio
Sveriges Radio is Swedish public radio. Pick a podcast with slow, clear speech to start.
- Sveriges Radio plays live national and local radio.
- You can download podcasts and stream them.
MobileWeb
8 Sidor
8 Sidor is a news site for readers who want simple Swedish. Read an article while it plays.
- 8 Sidor writes news in easy Swedish, and the website reads each article aloud.
- You can read it without paying or logging in.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- Erla: Learn Swedish with AIAn iPhone app with Swedish recordings, stories and videos. Its description offers adjustable audio speed and offline downloads, and its Watch Mode reveals the subtitles after two plays.
- SwedishPod101Short Swedish audio and video lessons where the teachers slow down the conversations and explain them.
- Language ReactorA browser extension that shows two subtitle lines on videos, so you can read Swedish next to a translation when the video has subtitles.
| App | What you listen to | Text to check | Speed and offline | English help | What is free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Lessons read aloud | The lesson text | — | Poppy answers in English | Reading lessons Poppy wrote for other learners |
| LingQ | Swedish audio library | Matching transcript | Offline in Premium | Partly | 20 saved words and five imports |
| SVT Play | Programs and live channels | — | — | — | The download, with titles varying by country |
| Sveriges Radio | Live radio and podcasts | — | Podcast downloads | Menu in Swedish | The download |
| 8 Sidor | Easy news read aloud on the website | The article | — | — | Free to read, with no login |
| Erla | Native recordings, stories, videos | Subtitles after two plays | Adjustable speed, offline downloads | — | — |
| SwedishPod101 | Audio and video lessons | — | Speed control, offline lessons | — | Free weekly lessons, 7-day Premium trial |
| Language Reactor | Videos with two subtitle lines | The subtitles | — | — | — |
Which Swedish app should a beginner choose for listening?
If you are serious about learning Swedish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. If you want Swedish news in simple words, 8 Sidor reads each article aloud on its website and shows the text.
Which app shows a transcript for Swedish audio?
LingQ pairs its Swedish audio library with matching transcripts. Erla's Watch Mode reveals subtitles after you play a video twice. SVT Play and Sveriges Radio play Swedish for Swedish listeners, so try them after you can follow slower speech. Our Swedish speaking comparison covers what to use when you want to answer back.
Can I watch SVT Play in the US?
The app is on the US App Store, but rights limit which titles play outside Sweden. Check a program before you plan a lesson around it.
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.
