Stories, audio, and videos can all help you learn Korean when you can follow what they mean. That is the idea behind comprehensible input: learning from Korean you can mostly understand. These ten apps help you find material at your level or make the Korean you choose easier to follow.
To check the level, read a few sentences. If most have about one new word, keep reading. If you can't tell what's happening, pick something easier.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Korean. You learn from Korean you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Korean 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.
- Read and listen to lessons, news, and stories about things you like.
- New lessons fit your level and what you like.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons.
- Ask Poppy for help as you read.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter in the free Korean Hangul course, with a picture to help you remember each one.
- You can't turn webtoons or Korean books into lessons. However, you can send Poppy a screenshot of a panel, and she'll tell you what the speech bubbles say.
- 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 Hangul
Mobile
TTMIK Stories
TTMIK Stories has over 1,000 short Korean stories across 10 levels. You can read about daily life, Korean culture, and more. Listen to a voice actor read each story, then check the notes when you need help.
- Short stories are sorted by level.
- Voice actors read each story.
- Notes explain the words and grammar.
- Review words with flashcards.
- Flashcards
- Doesn't teach Hangul
Mobile
Dive Korean
Dive Korean is a library of Korean videos made for learners, with a few short stories to read. The teachers speak slowly and use pictures, so you can follow along from your first day. It suits learners who like to watch and listen as much as they like to read.
- Its teachers make every video for learners, sorted into four levels.
- The easiest videos use slow speech and pictures.
- Short stories play audio and light up each word as you hear it.
- See how many hours of Korean you have watched and read.
- Doesn't teach Hangul
Web
Todaii Korean
Todaii Korean has recent Korean news with a dictionary built in. You can listen to each article and look up the words you don't know. It suits learners who can already read some Korean and want to practice with real news.
- Read recent Korean news and look up any word.
- Listen to each article, and slow it down when you need to.
- Say each line after the audio to practice speaking.
- Review words from an article with flashcards.
- Flashcards
- Doesn't teach Hangul
MobileWeb
These apps help you learn from Korean you pick yourself. That can be a book, a web page, a show on Netflix, or a YouTube video. They suit learners who already know what they want to read or watch.
Kimchi Reader
Kimchi Reader is our top pick for learning from your own Korean books, shows, and web pages. It has deep grammar tools and scores how hard each book or show may be for you. It suits keen learners who are past the basics and want to go deeper.
- Bring in your own books, web pages, and shows.
- See how many words you know before you pick what to read or watch.
- See how words are built, with grammar help and Hanja (Chinese characters).
- Review words with flashcards and Anki.
- Flashcards
- Doesn't teach Hangul
MobileWebBrowser extension
LingQ
LingQ lets you read and listen to Korean from its library or bring in your own books, articles, and videos. It highlights the words you have not met yet and the ones you are still learning. Its starter stories help with basic words, but you may want to find your own shows and news to learn more about life in Korea.
- Bring in books, videos, and articles you want to read.
- See which words you know and which are new.
- Review words with flashcards.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Hangul (partly)
MobileWeb
Readlang
Readlang helps you read Korean on the web. Tap a word or short phrase to see what it means. You can then review those words with flashcards.
- Tap words or short phrases to see what they mean.
- Review words with flashcards.
- Flashcards
- Doesn't teach Hangul
WebBrowser extension
Language Reactor and Migaku help most with shows and videos. Shows move fast, so these two work best once you can follow some of what you hear.
Language Reactor
Language Reactor shows Korean subtitles beside a translation on Netflix and YouTube in Chrome. You can choose the language of the translation. You can look up a word, slow the video down, or hear one line again. It is free to install, with paid extras.
- See Korean subtitles beside a translation.
- Pause and replay one line when it goes too fast.
- Doesn't teach Hangul
Browser extension
Migaku
Migaku helps you learn from real shows and books. Turn a word into a card with the sentence, sound, and a picture from the scene. It also has a Korean starter course. The main study loop is to find words, save them, and review the cards.
- Make cards from shows, with sound and pictures.
- A Korean starter course helps you learn common words.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Hangul
MobileBrowser extension
Beelinguapp
Beelinguapp puts Korean beside a language you know. Read the Korean, then check the other text when you need help. You can also listen as you read. It has stories and news, and readers can make their own stories with AI.
- Keep a translation beside the Korean to check what you read.
- Listen to the story as you follow the text.
- Review words with flashcards.
- Flashcards
- Doesn't teach Hangul
Mobile
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- Language LitA reader for books, articles, and videos, with spaced-repetition review of the words you save and a free plan.
To keep the words you meet while reading, compare how each app saves and reviews them in our Korean vocabulary app comparison. To practice speaking once you can read, see our Korean speaking app comparison.
Each number is how many languages you can use the app in, including script variants. Word meanings, lesson explanations, and other platforms may differ.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Full list
|
| Kimchi Reader | 1 | Full list |
| TTMIK Stories | 1 | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| Readlang | 1 | Full list |
| Language Reactor | 27 | Full list |
| Migaku | 4 | Full list |
| Dive Korean | 1 | Full list |
| Todaii Korean | 12 | Full list |
| Beelinguapp | 22 | Full list |
| Language Lit | — | — |
Which Korean app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Korean, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Dive Korean if you like to watch and listen, because its teachers speak slowly and use pictures. Add TTMIK Stories once you know some Korean words, for short stories sorted by level.
Do I need to learn Hangul before I start?
Learn Hangul before reading Korean. You can watch beginner videos and listen while you learn the letters. Bubblegum's Hangul course teaches them right in your browser.
How do I choose Korean at the right level?
Choose a story or video whose main idea you can follow, even if some words are new. If you need to stop at almost every line, try something easier. Our comprehensible-input guide has examples at different levels.
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
- Hu and Nation (2000), Unknown vocabulary density and reading comprehension
- Kimchi Reader: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- TTMIK Stories: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- LingQ: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Readlang: help forum (languages you can use it in)
- Language Reactor: Chrome Web Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Migaku: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Dive Korean: website language menu (languages you can use it in)
- Todaii Korean: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Beelinguapp: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Bubblegum
- TTMIK Stories
- Dive Korean
- Kimchi Reader
- LingQ
- Readlang
- Migaku
- Beelinguapp
