Irish English is the one to learn if you're moving to Ireland to live, study, or work, or talking with Irish friends. Many English apps use American or British English. Our English app comparison covers apps for any kind of English.
Irish English is English, as people speak it in Ireland. Irish, also called Gaeilge, is a separate language, and you can find apps for it in our Irish 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, that you're starting a job in Dublin next month. She writes you a lesson at your level about your first day at work. Play it, and ask her about any word you don't know.
To practice speaking with people, try a tutor or partner in Practice With People From Ireland.
- Lessons are in Irish English, read aloud in Dublin English accents.
- Lessons use British spellings and keep Irish names with their fadas, like Seán.
- 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 everyday Irish English and don't cover every regional accent.
- 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
Preply
Preply has thousands of English tutors. Practice the conversations you'll have at work or when you rent a home, like a call to a landlord.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Filter tutors by the other languages they speak.
MobileWeb
italki
On italki, tell your teacher which county you're moving to, so the examples fit your life there.
- Choose an English teacher from Ireland.
- Book one-to-one lessons over video.
MobileWeb
Tandem
On Tandem, you help someone with your language while they help you with English. Tandem lists members in Dublin, and its page also points to Waterford and Kilkenny.
- Find language partners who live in Dublin.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
MobileWeb
If you live in Ireland, you can take free English classes in two main ways. The 16 Education and Training Boards teach English as a second language to adults. To start, contact your local board. Places can be limited in some areas. Kilkenny and Carlow's board is one example.
Fáilte Isteach is the second way. Volunteers run free English conversation classes for people who are new to Ireland, in many counties.
RTÉ Radio 1 is Ireland's national radio station, and you can listen live on its website. It also has podcasts. Morning Ireland and Drivetime are listed under its news and politics shows, so you can hear how people in Ireland talk about the day's news.
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
Try one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Supported language pairs |
| Preply | 19 | App Store |
| italki | 19 | App Store |
| Tandem | 14 | App Store |
Which Irish 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'd like to practice speaking with someone from Ireland from day one.
How is Irish English different?
Irish English has words of its own. Craic means fun, or good conversation. People in Ireland also say wee for small. The Irish language, Gaeilge, is a separate language, and learning it is a different project.
Can I learn Irish English for free?
Yes. The Education and Training Boards and Fáilte Isteach both run free English classes in Ireland, and RTÉ Radio 1 is free to listen to.
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: Irish English
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: Learn English in Dublin
- Fáilte Isteach: free volunteer-led English classes (The Irish Times)
- Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board: free English courses for adults
- RTÉ News: free English classes at 16 Education and Training Boards
- RTÉ Radio 1: live radio and podcasts
- Wiktionary: craic (Ireland)
- Wiktionary: wee (Scotland, Ireland)
- 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
