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
Bubblegum suits learners who want Albanian built around their own lives. 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 does not replace real Albanian voices. For 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.
- Read Albanian lessons for free.
- 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.
- Lesson audio uses AI voices, not recordings of Albanian speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- 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.
- A course of 50 units and 200 lessons, from beginner to intermediate.
- 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
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. Profiles show what each tutor teaches, and one tutor lists both the Gheg and Tosk dialects.
- Choose an Albanian tutor and book lessons around your schedule.
- Get feedback while you speak.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply lists 54 Albanian tutors from more than one country, including Kosovo. 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. Words R Us has free audio lessons in both the Gheg and Tosk dialects, with 100 lessons in six parts. For a textbook, Colloquial Albanian is a step-by-step course for beginners, and Discovering Albanian I comes with a workbook.
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 |
Other Apps We Looked At (9)
- 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.
- Memrise word listsAlbanian word lists made by other learners, which you can study in the Memrise app.
- 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?
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. Bubblegum suits learners who want lessons around their own interests. 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. You can read the free lesson library and ask Poppy for one new custom lesson each day on iPhone and Android. Become a Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons and to support our team.
Sources
- Five Colleges Language Resource Center: Albanian
- Constitution of Albania (rev. 2016), Article 14
- Constitution of Kosovo (rev. 2016), Article 5
- Britannica: Albanian language
- Bubblegum
- Ling
- Pimsleur
- uTalk
- Clozemaster
- italki
- Preply
- HelloTalk
- Tandem
Checked on October 4, 2026 against each app's own pages.
