Albanian, or Shqip, is the official language of Albania and one of two official languages of Kosovo, and about 7.5 million people speak it. It is the only living language in its own branch of the Indo-European family. Even so, few language apps teach it, and fewer still give you things to read and listen to once you know the basics.
Here are the apps and services that teach Albanian, grouped by what they help you do. You can start with one and add another when you need it.
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Albanian. You learn from Albanian you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Bubblegum builds Albanian lessons around your own life. Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, what you want to learn. She writes lessons for your level and helps you understand the words and grammar. You can read and listen, and ask her about anything that is unclear. News and stories give you more Albanian to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum is not a person to talk with. For audio lessons with recorded speakers, Pimsleur and uTalk are the better fit, and for a fixed course, try Ling. For conversation, try the apps in Learn With People.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Albanian about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading instead of using flashcards.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- 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
Follow an Albanian Course
If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. This app gives you an ordered path through Albanian words and sentences.
Ling
Ling has a full Albanian course that follows a set order. It also has flashcards for reviewing the words you have learned.
- Short topic lessons with quizzes and vocabulary practice.
- Dialogs let you practice speaking, with native speaker audio.
- Flashcards
Mobile
Practice Speaking and Listening
Pimsleur
Pimsleur suits learners who want to start speaking before they read much. You hear a prompt, answer aloud, and then hear the answer.
- 30-minute audio lessons where you listen and speak out loud.
- Reading lessons and flash cards come with the audio.
MobileWeb
Build Vocabulary
Memrise
Memrise teaches Albanian through lists shared by learners. Pick a list for your goal or make your own. Pair the word practice with a course when you need grammar.
- Find Albanian word lists made by other learners.
- Preview a list and choose words at your level.
MobileWeb
uTalk
uTalk helps you learn words through games and audio, one topic at a time.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases across more than 60 topics.
- Practice speaking and compare your pronunciation with native speakers.
MobileWeb
Clozemaster
Clozemaster asks you to pick or type the missing word in a sentence. You can sign up and play for free.
- Every Albanian word you learn appears inside a real sentence.
- Sentences start with the most common words and move on to rarer ones.
MobileWeb
Learn With People
Choose a tutor if you want teaching and correction. Choose a language exchange if you want a practice partner and are happy to help with English in return.
italki
italki has Albanian tutors for beginners and for more advanced learners. Read profiles and ask which dialect a tutor teaches, especially if you want to speak with family in Kosovo.
- Choose an Albanian tutor and book lessons around your schedule.
- Get feedback while you speak.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply lets you browse Albanian tutors by profile, price, and availability. Read profiles to find a tutor who fits your level and goals.
- Filter tutors by specialty, availability, and background.
- One-on-one lessons focus on speaking practice.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk has a page for Albanian language exchange with native speakers. Start with messages, then move on to voice notes.
- Meet Albanian speakers in Albania and Kosovo who want to practice a language with you.
- Practice with text, voice, or video.
- You need some basic Albanian first, so pair it with a course.
Mobile
Tandem
Tandem lists Albanian among its languages, and its Tirana page shows people there who want to practice. Agree with your partner on how to split time between your two languages.
- Practice with messages, voice notes, and video calls.
- Correct each other's writing.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and time.
MobileWeb
Free Lessons and Books for Albanian
Few apps give you Albanian to read and listen to beyond lessons. Bubblegum's news and stories are one way. The free Peace Corps Albanian guide starts with the alphabet and sounds, then covers greetings, food, family, and other everyday phrases. For a textbook, Colloquial Albanian is a step-by-step course for beginners, and Discovering Albanian I comes with a workbook.
In a 2026 learner discussion, people recommend Discovering Albanian, slow Albanian podcasts, and Pimsleur for speaking practice. An earlier learner liked Pimsleur's first level but wanted more lessons. Its ten lessons are a starting point, so plan what to use next.
For more Albanian you can read, watch, and listen to at your level, see our Albanian comprehensible input comparison.
Learn Albanian in Your Language
These counts cover menu-language choices, including script variants. Other apps’ counts and full lists come from their iPhone listings. Lesson explanations and other platforms may differ.
| App | Supported Display Languages | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Full list
|
| Ling | 67 | Full list |
| Pimsleur | 3 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| HelloTalk | 16 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (8)
- Edualb - Learn AlbanianA free iPhone app with more than 50 lessons on different topics, and audio for the questions and answers.
- Mëso!ShqipOnline one-on-one video tutoring with a curriculum on Albanian language, history, and culture, made for children in the diaspora. The curriculum follows the diaspora curriculum recommended by the education ministries of Albania and Kosovo.
- GegLexInteractive lessons, a dictionary, grammar lessons, and pronunciation guides for Kosovo Albanian, the Gheg dialect.
- ReadlangLists Albanian among its languages, so you can read texts and get AI explanations of words in context.
- Learn Albanian via VideosAn interactive visual dictionary with images and pronunciation, and a phrasebook with recordings.
- Learn Albanian with AIAn AI tutor with voice recognition for speaking practice and personalized lessons. It is new and growing.
- Fol ShqipGames and activities that teach Albanian to children aged 3 to 8. It is new and growing.
- OnAlbanian KidsTeaches Albanian to children through pictures and sounds. It is new and growing.
Common Questions
Which Albanian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Albanian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Ling if you want a course that picks the next lesson, or Pimsleur if you want to speak from the start. Add a tutor from italki or Preply when you want feedback. Albanian uses the Latin alphabet with ë and ç added, so you do not need to learn a new script first.
Should I learn Gheg or Tosk Albanian?
Pimsleur and uTalk teach standard Albanian, which is based on Tosk, the dialect of the south. Gheg is the dialect of the north, and people speak it in Kosovo too. Britannica says the milder forms of the two can be understood across dialects, so most learners can start with the standard. If you plan to talk with people in Kosovo, ask a tutor to teach you some Gheg words as well.
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
- Five Colleges Language Resource Center: Albanian
- Constitution of Albania (rev. 2016), Article 14
- Constitution of Kosovo (rev. 2016), Article 5
- Britannica: Albanian language
- Peace Corps Albania: Albanian for Invitees
- Reddit: Albanian language resources (2026)
- Memrise: current iPhone listing
- Memrise: current Albanian word lists
- Bubblegum
- Ling
- Pimsleur
- uTalk
- Clozemaster
- italki
- Preply
- HelloTalk
- Tandem
Checked on October 10, 2026 against each app's own pages.
