Bubblegum is the only app we found with lessons in Nigerian English. uTalk's store lists seven English courses, and none is Nigerian English. Other English apps teach American or British English, so the Nigerian words and the way people talk come from Bubblegum or from people in Nigeria. This page compares the apps and says how each one sounds. For a dictionary and Nigerian news, read our Best Ways to Learn Nigerian English.
If you meant Nigerian Pidgin, that is a different language. See our Nigerian Pidgin app comparison, because the apps on this page teach English.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn English. You learn from 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 Nigerian 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 what gist means in a chat between friends.
To hear how people really talk, try a tutor or partner in Practice With People From Nigeria.
- Lessons are in Nigerian English, with British spellings like colour and centre and naira for local prices.
- Lessons use local meanings of words, like next tomorrow, when a scene calls for them.
- 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 Nigerian English, not Nigerian Pidgin.
- 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
The voices that read the lessons are AI voices asked to read in a Nigerian English style. Listen to a lesson first to see if the sound suits you.
Tandem
Tandem's page says 61 English speakers in Lagos are on the app. The profiles are self-reported, so ask a partner where they grew up before you copy how they talk.
- Tandem has a page for English in Lagos, and its FAQ also points to Aba.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
MobileWeb
Preply
On Preply you pick the tutor, so you pick the accent. Choose a tutor born in Nigeria and practice the talks you'll have at work, like asking a coworker to move a meeting to the day after tomorrow.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Filter tutors by the other languages they speak.
MobileWeb
italki
italki lets you search for teachers from a country. Tell your teacher what you plan to do in Nigeria, such as study or start a job, so the lessons use words from that part of your life.
- Filter English teachers by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one lessons over video.
MobileWeb
Rosetta Stone has American and British English courses and calls its English clear, standard English. Drops and Memrise teach British English. None of their pages mention Nigerian English. Use these apps for general English, then add Bubblegum or a person from Nigeria for the local meanings, like next tomorrow, which Wiktionary marks as used in West Africa and India.
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
Try one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Supported language pairs |
| Preply | 19 | App Store |
| italki | 19 | App Store |
| Tandem | 14 | App Store |
Which Nigerian English app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning English, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with a tutor on Preply or italki if you want to talk with someone from Nigeria from your first week.
Which accent will I learn from an app?
With Bubblegum you hear an AI voice reading in a Nigerian English style, and you should listen to a lesson before you decide if the sound fits your needs. Rosetta Stone, Drops, and Memrise teach American or British English, and a tutor or partner teaches you their own accent.
Is there a Nigerian English course on uTalk?
No. uTalk's store lists American, Australian, British, Canadian, Cockney, Indian, and Scottish English. It does list Pidgin Nigerian, which is a separate language.
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: Nigerian English
- uTalk: English courses in the store (no Nigerian English course)
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: Learn English in Lagos
- Rosetta Stone: Learn English (American and British English courses)
- Drops: Learn British English
- Memrise: British English course
- Wiktionary: next tomorrow (India, West Africa)
- Wiktionary: gist (Nigeria)
- italki: what's free
- Tandem: 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)
- Bubblegum
- Tandem
