Esperanto is a language made on purpose, published by L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, and people learn it to talk with others from many countries. Each letter has one sound. Several apps teach it, and Lernu is a free site made for Esperanto alone. This page covers the apps that teach it, the free sites that help, and one textbook.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Esperanto. You learn from Esperanto you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Say you want to write to a friend in another country. Ask Poppy, your AI tutor, for a lesson on introducing yourself, and she writes it at your level, with audio. When a long word stops you, such as malsanulejo (hospital), ask Poppy to split it into its parts and say what each part adds.
- Poppy writes each lesson for your level, on topics you pick.
- Each lesson plays AI audio while you read.
- Tap a word to see what it means, or ask Poppy to explain a whole line.
- Grammar topics explain how Esperanto works, such as the -n on a direct object.
- 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.
- You can't turn your own Esperanto books or articles into lessons. However, you can paste a page in the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- Bubblegum has no practice tests for the Esperanto language exams.
- 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™
Mobile
These give you lessons in a set order, so you don't have to choose what comes next.
Duolingo
Duolingo lists Esperanto among its courses, and its course page says the mobile app and the web version are free. It suits learners who want short lessons in a game-style format.
- A free Esperanto course for English speakers.
- Bite-size lessons that you can finish on a phone.
MobileWeb
50LANGUAGES
50LANGUAGES is a phrasebook course. Each lesson pairs Esperanto text with audio, and you can study on the website or in the 50LANGUAGES apps, which you can use in more than 50 languages.
- 100 short lessons with audio, free on the website.
- Free MP3 downloads let you listen offline.
MobileWeb
uTalk
uTalk teaches Esperanto words and phrases, and its tests and reviews bring back the words you find trickiest.
- A course that takes you to A1 and A2, with topics such as Transport, Restaurant and Directions.
- Free starter words let you try it before you pay.
MobileWeb
LingQ
Esperanto is a beta language on LingQ, which is for reading and listening. You read a text while you hear it, tap the words you don't know, and save them for review.
- Esperanto audio lessons with matching transcripts.
- Bring in your own Esperanto text, and look up words with a tap.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
For more Esperanto you can read, watch, and listen to at your level, see our Esperanto comprehensible input comparison.
italki
italki has Esperanto tutors for video lessons. Pick a tutor who speaks English if you want explanations in English.
- Pick an Esperanto tutor and book a video lesson.
- Each profile shows the tutor's price and the languages they speak.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- MemriseEsperanto word lists made by other learners, and you can make your own. The page does not list an official Esperanto course.
Lernu is a free site for learning Esperanto, with interactive lessons, exercises, sounds and illustrations. The site is available in 40 languages, including English, though some are only partly translated. Edukado.net has ready-to-use materials for learners and teachers, and it has a section on the Esperanto exams. The Esperanto Association of Britain says its exams follow the European language levels, from B1 to C2.
For a first book, Complete Esperanto by Tim Owen has 18 units, and its audio is free to stream or download.
| 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. |
| Duolingo | Free | Every Duolingo course is free. Super Duolingo removes ads and adds extras such as Unlimited Energy, and you can try it free for 14 days. |
| 50LANGUAGES | Free | All the Esperanto lessons on the 50LANGUAGES website are free, with MP3 audio. |
| 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. |
| LingQ | Free version | A free account lets you save up to 20 words and phrases and import 5 lessons of your own. LingQ Premium removes both limits. |
| 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. |
| Memrise | Not stated | These are word lists made by other learners on Memrise. |
Each number is how many languages you can use the app in. Word meanings and lesson explanations may differ, so try one lesson before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Full list
|
| Duolingo | 33 | Full list |
| 50LANGUAGES | 58 | Full list |
| uTalk | 140+ | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Memrise | — | — |
Which Esperanto app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Esperanto, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with the free Duolingo course, or with the free lessons on Lernu, which are made for Esperanto only. The best way to learn Esperanto has a plan for each goal.
Does Duolingo teach Esperanto?
Yes. Duolingo has an Esperanto course for English speakers, and its course page says the app and web version are free.
Do I need to learn special letters first?
No. Esperanto uses the Latin alphabet with six extra letters that have marks: ĉ, ĝ, ĥ, ĵ, ŝ and ŭ. Each letter has one sound, so you learn them as the words appear.
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
- Duolingo: Esperanto for English speakers
- Duolingo: iPhone App Store listing (course list and languages you can use it in)
- 50LANGUAGES: English to Esperanto lessons and MP3 audio
- 50LANGUAGES: iPhone App Store listing (100 lessons, languages you can use it in)
- uTalk: Esperanto course (A1 to A2, free starter words)
- uTalk: iPhone App Store listing
- uTalk: languages you can learn from
- LingQ: Learn Esperanto online
- LingQ: languages (Esperanto is a beta language)
- LingQ: sign-up page (free account saves 20 words and phrases)
- LingQ: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: Esperanto teachers
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Memrise: Learn Esperanto (word lists made by users)
- Lernu: free Esperanto lessons
- Lernu: the Esperanto course
- Complete Esperanto by Tim Owen (Hachette UK, Teach Yourself)
- Wikipedia: Esperanto (Zamenhof published the first book in 1887; speaker numbers are estimates)
- Esperanto Association of Britain: exams at levels B1, B2, C1 and C2
- Edukado.net: materials for Esperanto learners and teachers
- Vikipedio: Esperanto Wikipedia (390,455 articles)
- Monato: monthly magazine in Esperanto
- Libera Folio: independent movement bulletin in Esperanto
- Muzaiko: Esperanto audio (Aŭskulti button)
- Duolingo: what's free
- italki: what's free
- Bubblegum
