Norwegian is an official language of Norway, a country of about 5.6 million people. It has two written forms, Bokmål and Nynorsk, which have equal standing, and about nine in ten Norwegians write Bokmål. Duolingo, uTalk, and Clozemaster teach Bokmål, and Glossika's course is Nynorsk. Many apps teach beginner Norwegian, but few give you Norwegian to read and listen to once the basics feel easy.
Here are the apps and services that teach Norwegian, 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 Norwegian 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 Norwegian to read about music, food, family, and other things you care about.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum does not replace real Norwegian voices. For recorded speakers, Pimsleur and Mango are the better fit, and for conversation, try the apps in Learn With People.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Norwegian 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 Norwegian speakers.
- You cannot import your own books or articles.
- The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Follow a Norwegian Course
If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. These apps give you an ordered path through Norwegian words and sentences.
Duolingo
Duolingo's Norwegian course teaches Bokmål through short lessons with instant feedback. It suits learners who want a free place to start.
- A free Norwegian (Bokmål) course.
- Norway's own newcomer website, nyinorge.no, lists it as a free online resource.
MobileWeb
Memrise
Memrise has an official Norwegian course built from hundreds of everyday scenarios. You learn the words and phrases that people use in each one, and you can practice speaking with an AI tutor.
- More than 200 lessons on topics such as travel, work, and food.
- More than 80 videos of native speakers, so you can get used to their accents.
MobileWeb
Mango Languages
Mango Languages teaches Norwegian through everyday conversations, so you practice what you would really say. Check your local library first, since many libraries give free access with a library card.
- A course of 77 lessons, with grammar notes and culture notes.
- Lessons open with conversations between native speakers.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Glossika
Glossika teaches Norwegian sentence by sentence, and its review plan decides which sentences to show you next.
- Norwegian in the Nynorsk written form, with more than 5,000 words and sentences from A1 to C1.
- Every sentence is recorded by a native speaker, and you can record yourself to hear your accent improve.
MobileWeb
Babbel
Babbel guides you through listening, speaking, and writing. Its lessons use conversations you might have at work, while traveling, or with friends.
- Short lessons built around everyday conversations.
- Grammar explanations and review exercises.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Mjølnir Norwegian
Mjølnir Norwegian pairs short explanations with cards that test what you have learned. It suits learners who want to practice grammar and pronunciation along with new words. It runs on iPhone and Android.
- Flashcards explain Norwegian grammar, words, and pronunciation.
- Recordings use native speakers with dialects from across Norway.
- Spaced review brings back the cards you need to practice.
- Flashcards
Mobile
Practice Speaking and Listening
Pimsleur
Pimsleur suits learners who want to start speaking before they read much. You listen, answer out loud, and then hear the correct reply.
- Two levels of 30-minute audio lessons, 60 lessons in all.
- Voice Coach gives you feedback on your pronunciation.
MobileWeb
Build Vocabulary
Drops
Drops teaches Norwegian words through short, illustrated games. It focuses on vocabulary, and the pictures help each word stick.
- More than 2,000 Norwegian words, with pictures and audio from native speakers.
- A review mode brings back the words that need more practice.
Mobile
uTalk
uTalk helps you learn Norwegian through games and recordings. You can record yourself and practice until you get it right.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases across 60 or more topics.
- Every word is voiced by both a male and a female native speaker.
MobileWeb
Clozemaster
Clozemaster asks you to fill in the missing word in a real sentence.
- Thousands of Norwegian Bokmål sentences, ordered from the most common words.
- You can hear each sentence before you see it.
MobileWeb
Read and Listen in Norwegian
LingQ
LingQ turns Norwegian reading and listening into lessons. You look up words as you go and save the ones you want to learn.
- Turn your own Norwegian text, YouTube videos, and books into lessons.
- A library of Norwegian courses, including Norwegian on the Web from NTNU.
- It is made for reading and listening, so it teaches less grammar than a course does.
- Flashcards
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 Norwegian tutors whose profiles describe their experience and focus, such as workplace Norwegian or the A1 to B2 levels.
- Choose a Norwegian tutor and book lessons around your schedule.
- Get feedback while you speak.
- Lessons are paid.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply lists Norwegian tutors. Filters help you find one for beginners, conversation, or business Norwegian.
- Compare Norwegian tutors by profile, reviews, and specialty.
- Book live one-on-one lessons and get feedback as you speak.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk has a Norwegian page for finding language partners. Start with messages, then move on to voice notes.
- Chat with Norwegian speakers by text, voice, or video.
- Tap to translate messages and posts.
- There is no set course, so you decide what to practice with each partner.
Mobile
Tandem
Tandem lists Norwegian among its languages. You teach a partner English, and they help you with Norwegian. Agree on how to split your time between the two languages.
- Find language partners in Norwegian cities such as Oslo, Trondheim, and Stavanger.
- Practice with messages, voice notes, and video calls.
- It can take a few tries to find a partner who matches your interests and schedule.
MobileWeb
Free Resources From Norway
Norway's schools and agencies publish free material for adults who are learning Norwegian. Norwegian on the Web is a free online beginner course from NTNU, made for Vox, an agency of Norway's Ministry of Education and Research. Birger's Norwegian page has free courses for beginners and links to reading lessons from Kompetanse Norge. HK-dir, which runs the official Norskprøven test, posts practice tasks online.
For listening, nyinorge.no, Norway's website for newcomers, points learners to programs on NRK, Norway's public broadcaster, with easy-to-understand Norwegian. Klar Tale is a newspaper written in simple Norwegian, with a weekly audio edition and podcast. Norwegian Teacher - Karin has free videos about the Norwegian language and culture. When a word is new, ordbokene.no hosts Bokmålsordboka and Nynorskordboka, the dictionaries owned by Språkrådet and the University of Bergen.
Learn Norwegian 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
|
| Duolingo | 32 | Full list |
| Memrise | 22 | Full list |
| Mango Languages | 2 | Full list |
| Glossika | 2 | Full list |
| Pimsleur | 3 | Full list |
| Drops | 16 | Full list |
| uTalk | 1 | Full list |
| Clozemaster | 37 | Full list |
| LingQ | 17 | Full list |
| italki | 19 | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | Full list |
| HelloTalk | 16 | Full list |
| Tandem | 14 | Full list |
| Babbel | 9 | Full list |
| Mjølnir Norwegian | 1 | Full list |
Other Apps We Looked At (6)
- LingGuided Norwegian lessons with useful phrases and speaking activities, plus a Dialog feature where you pick the best reply in a conversation.
- TalkpalAn AI tutor you can chat with in Norwegian by typing or speaking, with pronunciation feedback and vocabulary games.
- ReadlangClick any word in a Norwegian text to see a translation, then study the words you saved as flashcards.
- BeelinguappNorwegian stories and news shown beside your own language, with audio read by native speakers.
- NorskKryssFree Norwegian crossword puzzles for every level, made to build vocabulary.
- Anki shared decksFree Norwegian flashcard decks on AnkiWeb, such as Norwegian Sentences, that you review on a schedule.
Common Questions
Which Norwegian app should a beginner choose?
Start with Duolingo if you want a free course, or Mango if your library offers it. Add Pimsleur if you want to speak from the start. Bubblegum suits learners who want lessons around their own interests.
Can I learn Norwegian for free?
Yes. Duolingo's Norwegian course is free, and many libraries give free access to Mango. Norway's newcomer website, nyinorge.no, also lists Norwegian on the Web from NTNU as a free online course. 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 Norway: Population
- Facts about Norway (Nordic Cooperation)
- Språkrådet: Norwegian, Bokmål vs. Nynorsk
- Duolingo: Norwegian (Bokmål) for English speakers
- New in Norway: Learn Norwegian
- Mango Languages for libraries
- Babbel: current iPhone listing
- Reddit: Norwegian learner experiences
- Mjølnir Norwegian: current iPhone listing
- Mjølnir Norwegian: Android course details
- Bubblegum
- Memrise
- Mango Languages
- Glossika
- Babbel
- Pimsleur
- Drops
- uTalk
- Clozemaster
- LingQ
- italki
- Preply
- HelloTalk
- Tandem
Checked on October 5, 2026 against each app's own pages.
