Australian English is the one to learn if you're moving to Australia, studying there, or working with Australians. Most English apps teach American English, and few teach Australian English, so this page checks, app by app, what is out there and what each one gives you.
Australian English has its own sounds and words, such as for sweets and for a duvet. A good path is a general English course for the shared grammar, plus listening to Australians. For apps that cover English as a whole, see our English app comparison. For free programs, podcasts, and dictionaries from Australia, see the best ways to learn Australian English.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Australian English. You learn from Australian English you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Australian English 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.
Bubblegum focuses on reading and listening more than speaking. For conversation, try the tutors and partners in the best ways to learn Australian English.
- Lessons are written in Australian English and voiced in an Australian accent.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Australian English about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Saved words come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™, and you can send them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't turn your own Australian books or articles into lessons. However, you can paste a paragraph in the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- 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™
- Teaches Australian English
Mobile
uTalk
uTalk sells Australian English as its own course. You record yourself and compare your voice with the speakers'.
- Over 2,500 words and phrases, voiced by real Australian speakers, not computer voices.
- Its page mentions Australian vowel sounds and the rising intonation sometimes called Australian Questioning Intonation.
- Teaches Australian English
MobileWeb
LingQ
LingQ lets you read and listen to lessons and save the words you do not know as you go.
- Mini Stories - Australian English, 62 beginner lessons you can read and listen to.
- Save the words you do not know as you read.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Australian English (partly)
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (4)
- SBS Learn EnglishFree lessons and podcasts about living in Australia, tagged Easy, Medium, or Advanced, with a quiz that finds your level and an Easy podcast series called English on Repeat.
- Aussie EnglishA podcast and courses from an Australian teacher, for intermediate to advanced learners, with Australian slang and pronunciation, and a free 5-day course.
- CamblyA tutor app where you can filter tutors by an Australian accent, beside American and British.
- ELSA SpeakA pronunciation app whose store page lists accent choices that include Australian.
The number of languages you can use an app in isn't the same as the languages its lessons explain things in, so check one lesson in your language before you pay. A dash means the app's own page doesn't say.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Supported language pairs |
| uTalk | 140+ | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| Cambly | 12 | Full list |
| ELSA Speak | 1 | Full list |
| SBS Learn English | — | — |
| Aussie English | — | — |
Most English apps are built around American English, and some have a British course, so check a course's page before you pay. A general course is still good for grammar and everyday words, and you can add Australian voices from the apps above. For the big English apps, see our English app comparison.
Which Australian English app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Australian English, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with uTalk's Australian English course for words and phrases, or with the Easy podcasts on SBS Learn English. For a full path, see the best way to learn Australian English.
Do I need an app made for Australian English?
Not for the grammar, which Australian English shares with other kinds. What a general app leaves out is the accent and local words, like . Add those from an app made for Australia.
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.
