Icelandic is the national language of Iceland, a country of about 394,000 people. It has kept the main parts of its Old Norse system, so Icelanders can still read their earliest literature. About one in five people in Iceland are immigrants, and many of them are learning Icelandic as adults. Even so, only a few apps teach it, and fewer give you real Icelandic to read and listen to once you know the basics.
Here are the apps and services that teach Icelandic, 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 Icelandic 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 Icelandic to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum does not replace real Icelandic voices. For recorded speakers, Pimsleur and Mango are the better fit, and for conversation, try the apps in Learn With People.
- Read Icelandic lessons for free.
- The Icelandic Alphabet course teaches þ, ð, and the other Icelandic letters from the first letter.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Icelandic 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 Icelandic speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches the Icelandic Alphabet
Mobile
Follow an Icelandic Course
If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. These apps give you an ordered path through Icelandic words and sentences.
Memrise
Memrise groups its Icelandic lessons into everyday scenarios such as travel, work, and food. The videos let you hear different voices and accents.
- A free official Icelandic course with more than 110 lessons.
- More than 60 videos of Icelandic speakers.
- Doesn't teach the Icelandic Alphabet
MobileWeb
Mango Languages
Mango's Icelandic course has three units, 15 chapters, and 75 lessons. Check your local library first, since many libraries include Mango.
- Lessons that start with conversations between native speakers.
- Grammar notes and culture notes.
- Flashcards
- Doesn't teach the Icelandic Alphabet
MobileWeb
Ling
Ling's Icelandic lessons are about five minutes long, so they fit between other things you do.
- More than 200 lessons, with native speaker audio.
- Dialogues you can practice like a conversation, and flashcards.
- 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. Its Icelandic course has one level, so you will need something else after it.
- 30-minute audio lessons where you answer out loud.
- Level 1 has 30 lessons.
- Doesn't teach the Icelandic Alphabet
MobileWeb
Build Vocabulary
Drops
Drops teaches Icelandic words in sessions of about five minutes. Topics include greetings, travel, food and drink, and numbers.
- Pictures and short games help you remember words.
- A free version, with Premium for unlimited access.
- Doesn't teach the Icelandic Alphabet
Mobile
Clozemaster
Clozemaster has lists of the 100 most common Icelandic words, each in an example sentence. It suits learners who already know some basics.
- Learn words by filling in the missing word in a sentence.
- A listening mode lets you hear the sentence first.
- Doesn't teach the Icelandic Alphabet
MobileWeb
uTalk
uTalk starts with greetings and common words, then moves on to travel and food. Games and review sessions help the words stick, and the review focuses on the words you find hard.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases in over 60 topics.
- Audio from native speakers.
- Doesn't teach the Icelandic Alphabet
MobileWeb
Read and Listen to Icelandic
LingQ
LingQ is a library of lessons to read and listen to, sorted by level. Pick lessons that match what you can follow now, and move up as they get easier.
- Courses from beginner to advanced levels, including a 62-lesson mini stories series.
- The library has a 24-lesson Super Simple Icelandic course.
- Flashcards
- Doesn't teach the Icelandic Alphabet
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 7 Icelandic tutors, and some of them have taught thousands of lessons.
- Choose an Icelandic tutor and book lessons around your schedule.
- Get feedback while you speak.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply lists 3 Icelandic teachers, including native speakers from Iceland. Read profiles and reviews to find a tutor who fits your level and goals.
- Choose a tutor by profile, reviews, and price.
- Filter tutors by whether they are native speakers.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk has a page for Icelandic learners that connects you with Icelandic speakers. Start with messages, then move on to voice rooms.
- Meet Icelandic speakers who want to practice English.
- Practice with messages and voice rooms.
- It has no Icelandic lessons of its own, so pair it with a course or a tutor.
Mobile
More Ways to Learn Icelandic
Icelandic Online is a set of free courses from the University of Iceland. It starts with a survival course for people who live and work in Iceland and goes up to level C1. RÚV Orð lets you learn Icelandic from shows and news made by RÚV, Iceland's public broadcaster, and Auðskilið is news read in simple, slow Icelandic.
The Árni Magnússon Institute runs BÍN, where you can see how more than 350,000 Icelandic words change their endings, and m.is, which has an Icelandic-English dictionary. For classes, Mímir teaches Icelandic to adults in Reykjavik from level 1 to level 5, and Where to Learn Icelandic lists schools and courses.
Learn Icelandic 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
|
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
| Mango Languages | 2 | Full list |
| Ling | 67 | Full list |
| Pimsleur | 3 | 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 |
Other Apps We Looked At (6)
- Bara talaAn AI Icelandic teacher that listens to you speak and gives feedback on your pronunciation in real time. It has general courses and work courses made for companies in fields such as tourism and trade. It is new and growing.
- GlossikaA course of more than 5,000 Icelandic words and sentences, from A1 to C1.
- TalkpalAn AI tutor you can write or speak with in Icelandic, with feedback on your pronunciation.
- The Icelandic AppAn iPhone app with essential phrases, cultural insights, and exercises.
- Icelandic Language LessonsA step-by-step course with more than 8,000 words and phrases in over 200 topics.
- Learn Icelandic Premium2,287 phrases spoken by a native Icelandic speaker, with no ads and offline use.
Common Questions
Which Icelandic app should a beginner choose?
Start with Icelandic Online if you want a free course, or Memrise if you want short lessons in an app. Add Pimsleur if you want to speak from the start. Bubblegum suits learners who want lessons around their own interests. Icelandic words change their endings, so a course with grammar notes, like Mango's, helps. Icelandic also uses the Latin alphabet with a few extra letters, such as þ and ð, so a short alphabet lesson is a good first step.
Can I learn Icelandic for free?
Yes. Icelandic Online has six courses, and all of them are free. RÚV Orð is a free way to learn from RÚV shows and news, and Memrise has a free plan with its official Icelandic course. Many libraries give free access to Mango. 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
- Statistics Iceland: Iceland's population was 394,324 at the beginning of 2026
- Statistics Iceland: Immigrants 19.6% of the population of Iceland
- Act No. 61/2011 on the Status of the Icelandic Language and Icelandic Sign Language
- Árni Magnússon Institute: The History of Icelandic
- Icelandic Online: About Icelandic Online
- BÍN: Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection
- RÚV Orð: Learn Icelandic with Real Media from RÚV
- Mango Languages for libraries
- Bubblegum
- Memrise
- Mango Languages
- Ling
- Pimsleur
- Drops
- Clozemaster
- uTalk
- LingQ
- italki
- Preply
- HelloTalk
Checked on October 4, 2026 against each app's own pages.
