Scottish English is the one to learn if you're moving to Scotland to live, study, or work. Many English apps use American or British English. Our English app comparison covers apps for any kind of English.
Scottish English is English, as people speak it in Scotland. Scots and Scottish Gaelic are separate languages, and neither is covered on this page.
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 at the University of Edinburgh in September. She writes you a lesson at your level about your first week on campus. 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 Scotland.
- Lessons are in Scottish English, read aloud in Glasgow English accents.
- Lessons use British spellings, like colour and centre, and keep Scottish words like wee when a speaker uses 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 standard Scottish English, so they don't teach Scots or Scottish Gaelic.
- 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
uTalk
uTalk's Scottish English course starts at beginner level and covers topics like first words, transport, food and drink, and shopping.
- uTalk has a separate Scottish English course with native-speaker audio.
- It has more than 60 topics, from first words to healthcare.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply has thousands of English tutors. Tell your tutor you're moving to Scotland, and ask to practice the conversations you'll have there, like talking to your flatmates.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Filter tutors by the other languages they speak.
MobileWeb
italki
On italki, tell your teacher which city you're moving to, so the examples fit your life there.
- Filter English teachers by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one lessons over video.
MobileWeb
Tandem
On Tandem, you help someone with your language while they help you with English. Search for partners in Edinburgh, and agree on how to split your time between the two languages.
- Find language partners who live in Edinburgh.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
MobileWeb
Scottish councils and colleges run English classes for adults who speak another first language, called ESOL (English for speakers of other languages). In Edinburgh, the council's ESOL classes run from absolute beginner to upper intermediate, online and in person, for adults who live in Edinburgh. You register, take a short assessment, and then join a class that fits your level. The council's page doesn't list a price, so ask what it charges when you register.
| 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. |
| uTalk | Some lessons free | Every language has free starter words, and getting full marks in the games opens one more topic for free. For the rest, you subscribe or buy a language or topic. |
| 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 |
| uTalk | 140+ | Full list |
| Preply | 19 | App Store |
| italki | 19 | App Store |
| Tandem | 14 | App Store |
Which Scottish 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 uTalk if you'd like to learn everyday Scottish English words first.
How is Scottish English different?
Scottish English uses British spelling, like , and it has words of its own. People in Scotland say wee for small, and a bairn is a child. Scots and Scottish Gaelic are separate languages.
Can I learn Scottish English for free?
Yes, you can start with the free resources on this page, like a language partner on Tandem. For classes, check with your council, because prices and rules differ from place to place.
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: Scottish English
- uTalk: Learn English (Scotland), recorded by native speakers
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: Learn English in Edinburgh
- City of Edinburgh Council: ESOL classes for adults
- Wiktionary: bairn (Scotland, northern England)
- Wiktionary: wee (Scotland, Ireland, northern England)
- uTalk: what's free
- italki: what's free
- Tandem: what's free
- uTalk: Languages you can learn from
- 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
- uTalk
- Tandem
