Arabic is spoken by more than 400 million people, and it is an official language in more than 20 countries and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Many apps teach Arabic, but they teach different kinds of it, and fewer give you things to read and listen to once you know the basics.
Arabic has one shared standard, Modern Standard Arabic, which is used in news, books, and formal speech. People learn it in school and speak a local dialect at home, and the dialects differ a lot from country to country. Each card names the kind of Arabic an app teaches when the app's page does. If you want a spoken dialect, we also have pages for Egyptian Arabic and Moroccan Arabic (Darija).
Here are the apps and services that teach Arabic, 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 Modern Standard Arabic 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 Arabic to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about. Bubblegum also has separate journeys for Egyptian Arabic and Moroccan Arabic.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum does not replace real Arabic voices. For recorded speakers, Pimsleur and uTalk are the better fit, and for conversation, try the apps in Learn With People.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Arabic 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 Arabic speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
Mobile
Follow an Arabic Course
If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. These apps give you an ordered path through Arabic. Arabic has its own alphabet, and these courses teach it from the first lessons: Duolingo with tracing exercises, Busuu with a separate alphabet course, LingoDeer with an Alphabet section, Memrise with Abjad lessons, and Ling with writing lessons.
Duolingo
Duolingo has an Arabic course for English speakers. It teaches Modern Standard Arabic in a spoken style, like a newscaster chatting with a guest.
- Every unit has sound exercises that match Arabic letters to their sounds.
- Lessons adjust to your level and pace.
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
MobileWeb
Busuu
Busuu's Arabic course covers the first four CEFR stages, from A1 to B2. Native speakers in the Busuu community give feedback on your practice.
- More than 135 lessons and 60 hours of content.
- Dialogues followed by comprehension questions.
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
MobileWeb
Memrise
Memrise teaches the Arabic words and phrases people use in real conversations. You can also practice speaking in private with an AI language partner.
- More than 400 lessons on topics such as travel and work.
- More than 200 videos of native speakers.
MobileWeb
Mango Languages
Mango Languages suits learners who already know which kind of Arabic they want. Check your local library first, since many libraries include Mango.
- Courses in Modern Standard, Egyptian, Iraqi, and Levantine Arabic.
- A Modern Standard Arabic course with 78 lessons, plus a short course on Arab etiquette.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Ling
Ling offers short Arabic lessons that mix listening and writing practice with quizzes.
- Each lesson has native speaker audio, pictures, and quizzes.
- Lessons are built around everyday situations.
- Flashcards
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
Mobile
LingoDeer
LingoDeer teaches Arabic grammar one step at a time. You can download the whole course to learn offline.
- Every word and sentence is voiced by native speakers.
- Grammar Notes explain how sentences work.
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
MobileWeb
AlifBee
AlifBee starts with letters and moves into words, grammar, and everyday dialogues. Its placement test helps you find a starting point if you already know some Arabic.
- A Modern Standard Arabic course with ten levels.
- The first level teaches you to read and write Arabic letters.
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
MobileWeb
Kaleela
Kaleela has separate courses for Modern Standard Arabic and five spoken dialects. Choose MSA for this page, or Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian, Syrian, Iraqi, or Saudi Arabic for everyday speech in those places. Its Arabic Alphabet course teaches letter shapes and vowels.
- Separate MSA and Egyptian Arabic courses, so you choose your variety.
- Grammar, comprehension, and alphabet lessons alongside speaking practice.
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
Mobile
Practice Speaking and Listening
Pimsleur
Pimsleur suits learners who want to start speaking before they read much. It has separate courses in Modern Standard Arabic, Eastern Arabic, and Egyptian Arabic.
- Modern Standard and Eastern Arabic each have three levels of 30-minute audio lessons.
- Spaced review brings words back as you go.
MobileWeb
Glossika
Glossika has you listen to a sentence, repeat it, and record yourself saying it. Its training adjusts to your speed and level.
- Courses in Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic, each with more than 5,000 words and sentences.
- Every sentence is reviewed and recorded by a native speaker.
MobileWeb
ArabicPod101
ArabicPod101 lets you study through short recordings and lesson notes. Choose a lesson pathway and work through it at your own pace.
- Audio and video lessons taught by real teachers.
- Lesson notes explain the words and grammar in each dialogue.
- Flashcards
- Teaches the Arabic Alphabet
MobileWeb
Build Vocabulary
Drops
Drops teaches Arabic words through quick, illustrated games. Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic are separate options, so you can choose the one you need.
- More than 2,000 Arabic words, each with a picture.
- Audio from native speakers.
Mobile
Clozemaster
Clozemaster shows an Arabic sentence with one word missing, and you choose or type the word. It also has a separate course for Algerian Arabic.
- Arabic sentences ordered by how common each missing word is.
- Hear the sentence first, then fill in the missing word.
MobileWeb
uTalk
uTalk has separate courses for Modern Standard Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Moroccan Darija, Lebanese Arabic, and Gulf Arabic.
- More than 2,500 everyday words and phrases.
- Native speaker audio in short lessons and memory games.
MobileWeb
Read and Listen to Arabic
LingQ
LingQ has a library of Arabic lessons to read and listen to.
- Courses for Modern Standard Arabic and for Levantine and Palestinian Arabic.
- Library lessons include Al Jazeera texts and LingQ Mini Stories.
- Flashcards
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 lists many Arabic tutors, and each profile says which kind of Arabic the tutor teaches. Pick a tutor who matches the Arabic you want.
- Tutors teach Modern Standard Arabic and dialects such as Levantine and Iraqi.
- Book lessons around your schedule.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply has pages of Arabic tutors for adults, beginners, and advanced learners. Read profiles to find a tutor who fits your level and goals.
- Filter Arabic tutors by dialect, country, and specialty.
- Tutors teach Modern Standard Arabic, dialects, Qur'anic Arabic, and exam preparation.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk connects you with Arabic speakers who want to practice other languages. You can share posts in Arabic and get corrections from the community.
- Chat with native Arabic speakers by text or voice.
- Join voice rooms to practice speaking with other learners.
Mobile
Tandem
Tandem lists Arabic among its languages. Agree with your partner on which Arabic to practice and how to split time between your two languages.
- Find partners in cities such as Cairo, Riyadh, Damascus, and Fez.
- Practice with messages and voice notes.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and time.
MobileWeb
Free Courses, Books, and Dictionaries
Al Jazeera Learning Arabic is a free site with lessons in Modern Standard Arabic for learners from beginner to advanced. The Madinah Arabic books were first taught at the Islamic University of Madinah, and they combine modern vocabulary with the Islamic terms used in the Qur'an. Al-Kitaab is a textbook series from Georgetown University Press with audio and video you can stream online. It teaches Modern Standard Arabic and gradually adds Egyptian and Levantine Arabic. For looking up words, Almaany shows English and Arabic translations with examples.
Learn Arabic 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
|
| Duolingo | 32 | Full list |
| Busuu | 15 | Full list |
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
| Mango Languages | 2 | Full list |
| Ling | 67 | Full list |
| LingoDeer | 15 | Full list |
| Pimsleur | 3 | Full list |
| Glossika | 2 | Full list |
| Drops | 16 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| HelloTalk | 16 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
| ArabicPod101 | 1 | Full list |
| AlifBee | 11 | Full list |
| Kaleela | 1 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- TalkpalAI conversation practice in many languages, with speech recognition that gives feedback on your Arabic pronunciation.
Common Questions
Which Arabic app should a beginner choose?
Decide first whether you want Modern Standard Arabic for reading and formal speech or a spoken dialect, then pick an app that teaches it. Start with Duolingo if you want a free course in Modern Standard Arabic, or Mango if your library offers it and you want a dialect. Add Pimsleur if you want to speak from the start. Bubblegum suits learners who want Modern Standard Arabic lessons around their own interests. Arabic is written from right to left, and each letter changes shape depending on where it sits in a word.
Can I learn Arabic for free?
Yes. Duolingo's Arabic course is free, and many libraries give free access to Mango. Al Jazeera Learning Arabic has free lessons, and the Madinah Arabic books are a free three-book course on the Internet Archive. Bubblegum's lesson library is free to read too.
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
- United Nations: World Arabic Language Day
- UNESCO: World Arabic Language Day
- Duolingo: What makes Arabic hard (and why that shouldn't stop you from learning it)
- Busuu: The Arabic alphabet, all the letters explained
- Duolingo: What are Arabic dialects, and what are the differences between them?
- Mango Languages for libraries
- Al Jazeera Learning Arabic
- Madinah Arabic Books (Internet Archive)
- Georgetown University Press: Al-Kitaab Part One
- ArabicPod101: current iPhone listing
- Innovative Language: mobile app study tools
- AlifBee: features and access
- AlifBee: current iPhone listing
- Arabic learner discussion: AlifBee
- Kaleela: features and access
- Kaleela: current iPhone listing
- Arabic learner discussion: Kaleela
- Bubblegum
- Duolingo
- Busuu
- Memrise
- Mango Languages
- Ling
- LingoDeer
- Pimsleur
- Glossika
- ArabicPod101
- Drops
- Clozemaster
- uTalk
- LingQ
- italki
- Preply
- HelloTalk
- Tandem
Checked on October 5, 2026 against each app's own pages.
