Bubblegum writes lessons in Canadian English, and uTalk has a Canadian English word course. Most other English apps teach American or British English. This page compares the apps and says how each one sounds. For tutors, free LINC classes, and CBC radio, read our Best Ways to Learn Canadian English.
Canadian English spells many words like British English, such as colour and centre, and spells others like American English, such as organize. The grammar is the same English you may already know.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Canadian English. You learn from Canadian 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 Canadian 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.
Ask Poppy why Canadians say washroom for a public toilet, or what a is.
- Lessons are in Canadian English, read aloud by voices chosen for Toronto and Vancouver English.
- Lessons spell colour, centre, and organize the Canadian way, and use Canadian dollars, kilometres, and degrees Celsius.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Lessons teach standard Canadian English, not every region's own speech.
- 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™
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uTalk
Topics include transport, restaurants, shopping, accommodation, and business. You can record yourself copying a speaker and compare the two.
- uTalk has a separate Canadian English course, and its page says native Canadian speakers recorded it.
- The audio slows down so you can hear each word.
- The course has more than 2,500 words and phrases, and reaches about A1 to A2.
MobileWeb
Preply
You pick the tutor, so you pick the accent. Choose one whose work or city matches the life you're planning in Canada.
- Preply has a page for Canadian English tutors.
- Watch a tutor's intro video before you book.
MobileWeb
italki
Ask your teacher to practise the calls and forms you'll face when you arrive, like a bank visit or a job interview.
- Filter English teachers by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one video lessons.
MobileWeb
Tandem
You hear how people really talk, but there is no lesson plan.
- Tandem has a page for English in Toronto.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- MaurilA free app from CBC and Radio-Canada for people living in Canada. It has eight levels, and you learn from CBC and Radio-Canada clips. It does not work outside Canada.
Rosetta Stone has American and British English courses, and Drops and Memrise offer British English. None of their pages mention Canadian English. They work well for general English. Pair them with Bubblegum or a tutor from Canada for the spelling mix, Canadian words, and the accent.
| App | Free? | What's Free |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Free version | 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. |
| uTalk | Some lessons free | Every language has free starter words, and getting full marks in the games opens one more topic for free. For the rest, you subscribe or buy a language or topic. |
| Preply | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each tutor sets their own price. If your first tutor isn't a good fit, you can try two more for free. |
| italki | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each teacher sets their own price. Practicing with the community and taking the level test are free. |
| Tandem | Free version | Signing up is free, and Tandem reviews each new member first. Many features are free, and Tandem Pro gives you all of them. |
| Mauril | Free | Mauril is free, with no ads. It works only in Canada. |
Try one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Supported language pairs |
| uTalk | 140+ | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | App Store |
| italki | 19 | App Store |
| Tandem | 14 | App Store |
| Mauril | 2 | Mauril support |
Which Canadian English app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Canadian English, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with uTalk if you'd like to learn everyday Canadian words first.
Which accent will I hear in each app?
Bubblegum uses voices chosen for Toronto and Vancouver English. uTalk says native Canadian speakers recorded its Canadian course. Rosetta Stone, Drops, and Memrise teach American or British English, and a tutor or partner teaches you their own accent.
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.
Sources
- Bubblegum: Canadian English
- uTalk: Learn Canadian English (recorded by native Canadian speakers)
- Mauril: iPhone App Store listing (free, Canada only)
- Mauril: learn English or French with CBC shows and podcasts
- Mauril: can I use it outside Canada? (FAQ)
- Mauril: which languages you can use the app in (support)
- Mauril: teaching guide 2025 (eight levels)
- Preply: Canadian English tutors
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: Learn English in Toronto
- Rosetta Stone: Learn English (American or British English)
- Drops: Learn British English
- Memrise: British English course
- Cambridge Dictionary: toque (Canadian English)
- italki: what's free
- Tandem: what's free
- uTalk: what's free
- Preply: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Tandem: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- uTalk: Languages you can learn from
