Standard Singapore English is the one to learn for school, work, and writing in Singapore. Singapore also has Singlish, the casual English many people use with friends. Bubblegum teaches both, so you can pick the one that fits. Most English apps teach American or British English, and our English app comparison covers apps for any kind of 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, that you're starting a job in Singapore next month. She writes a lesson at your level about your first meeting with your new team. Ask her about any word you don't know.
Bubblegum focuses on reading and listening more than speaking. To talk with people from Singapore, try a partner or tutor in Practice With People From Singapore.
- Lessons are in Standard Singapore English, the English for school, work, and writing in Singapore.
- 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 have no confirmed Singapore accent yet, so listen to people from Singapore to hear it.
- 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 Speak Good English Movement is a Singapore initiative that encourages people to use standard English. Its website has grammar rules, including a collection of Singapore-specific errors called Singaporean Blunders, plus spelling tips, a pronunciation guide with audio clips, idioms, and quizzes.
Tandem
On Tandem, you help someone with your language while they help you with English. Tell your partner you want the English you would use in a meeting or an email.
- 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, tell them which situations you want to practice, so the examples fit your life there.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Watch a tutor's intro video before you book.
MobileWeb
italki
On italki, you pick the teacher and the topics. Ask for a teacher from Singapore if you want to hear the way people there talk.
- Filter English teachers by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one lessons over video.
MobileWeb
| 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 | 74 | 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.
What is the difference between Standard Singapore English and Singlish?
Standard Singapore English is the English used at school, at work, and in writing. Singlish is the casual way many Singaporeans talk with friends, with particles like lah and lor at the end of a sentence. Bubblegum has a journey for each one, so you can choose the one that fits where you will use it.
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
- Speak Good English Movement (Singapore Language Councils)
- Tandem: Learn English in Singapore
- Wikipedia: Singlish vocabulary
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- 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)
- italki: what's free
- Bubblegum
- Tandem
