Standard Singapore English is the English that Singapore uses in classrooms, offices, and writing, and its spelling follows British conventions, so it is and realise. Most English apps teach American or British English, and we found none with a course made only for the Singapore standard. This page checks what the apps do offer. For free guides, news, and radio, see our guide to Standard Singapore English resources.
Our English app comparison covers every kind of English. If you want the casual speech of Singapore instead, read our Singlish app comparison.
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 Standard Singapore 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.
Try asking Poppy why British spelling has for an event but program for software.
Bubblegum is built around reading and listening. For speaking, use one of the partner or tutor apps below.
- Lessons are in Standard Singapore English, with British spelling and no Singlish particles.
- Lessons use Singapore scenes, such as an MRT station, a clinic, or an office, when they fit your topic.
- 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.
- The read-aloud voices are set to British English, and we haven't confirmed a Singapore accent, so listen to people from Singapore to hear theirs.
- 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
Tandem
On Tandem, you help someone with your language while they help you with English. Say you want the English you'd use in a meeting or an email, and ask your partner to correct your sentences.
- Tandem has a page for English speakers in Singapore.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply lists English tutors from many countries. If you find one from Singapore, ask them to go through a real email or report with you.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Watch a tutor's intro video before you book.
MobileWeb
italki
italki lets you choose both the teacher and the topics. If you'll use English in Singapore, ask for a teacher from there.
- Filter English teachers by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one lessons over video.
MobileWeb
uTalk, Drops, and Memrise each have a British English course, and their pages don't mention Singapore. uTalk lists British, American, Australian, Canadian, Cockney, Indian, and Scottish English, and none of its courses is Singaporean. Drops teaches words through short games, and Memrise says its words are pronounced by native speakers. These courses fit Standard Singapore English's British spelling. They don't cover Singapore words or places, so take the Singapore side from Bubblegum's lessons or from a tutor from Singapore.
| App | Teaches Standard Singapore English | What You Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Yes, lessons | British English voices; Singapore accent not confirmed |
| Tandem | PartlyWith a partner from Singapore | Your partner's own |
| Preply | PartlyWith a tutor from Singapore | Your tutor's own |
| italki | PartlyWith a teacher from Singapore | Your teacher's own |
| uTalk | PartlyBritish English, not Singaporean | British English |
| Drops | PartlyBritish English, not Singaporean | Native speakers |
| Memrise | PartlyBritish English, not Singaporean | Native speakers |
| 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. |
An app that works in your language may still explain its lessons in English, so try one lesson 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 Standard Singapore 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 try a tutor from Singapore if you want to practice speaking early. To combine an app with free guides and news, see the best way to learn Standard Singapore English.
Is Standard Singapore English different from British English?
Its spelling follows British conventions, so you write and organise. Its words and places come from Singapore, like an MRT station or a neighbourhood library, and the accent is Singapore's own. Bubblegum's voices are set to British English and don't confirm that accent.
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: Standard Singapore English
- Wikipedia: Singaporean English (British spelling, Singlish, school English)
- Wikipedia: Speak Good English Movement (launched 29 April 2000)
- Speak Good English Movement (Singapore Language Councils)
- uTalk: English (British) course
- uTalk: English courses in the store
- Drops: Learn British English
- Memrise: British English course
- Tandem: Learn English in Singapore
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: what's free
- italki: 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
