To learn Finnish, learn to read its letters the way they sound, then listen for its long sounds and changing endings in Finnish you can follow. About 5.0 million people speak Finnish as their first language, and 4.75 million of them lived in Finland in 2023.

How to Learn Finnish, Step by Step

Steps 1 to 3 are about sounds. Steps 4 to 6 are about endings and speaking.

Learn One Sound per LetterFinnish letters keep one sound wherever they appear, and ä, ö and y are vowels of their own. Hyvä (good) has two of them.
Hear the Double LettersA double letter makes the sound longer, and it changes the word. Muta means “mud,” and mutta means “but.”
Stress the First SyllableFinnish always stresses the first syllable, so kirjasto (library) leans on kir-.
Let Vowel Harmony Choose the EndingAn ending takes -ssa after back vowels and -ssä after front vowels, so “in the forest” is metsässä.
Expect Consonants to ChangeConsonants inside a word can change when an ending is added, so katu (street) becomes kadulla (on the street).
Talk With a Tutor EarlyBook a tutor once you can ask Mitä kuuluu? (How are you?), and practice saying endings out loud.

Wiktionary has a recording of mutta and many other words. Selkosanomat writes the news in plain Finnish, with audio for each story, and the Institute for the Languages of Finland's dictionary is free online. italki lists Finnish tutors for step 6. To weigh different study methods, see the best way to learn Finnish, and to see which parts of Finnish take practice, read the easiest way to learn Finnish.

Find Where You Are

Bubblegum is a language app with Finnish lessons, and you can play the audio for every line. Poppy, your AI tutor, gives each lesson one of six levels. Start where the sentence matches you.

Level 1
I'm just starting out or know only a few words.
Play the café dialogue, and say each line back with its long and short sounds. It uses the spoken mä for minä.
A Level 1 lesson about ordering at a café
Level 2
I can handle simple exchanges.
Read the 24 Finnish Duostories, and notice which endings use -ssa and which use -ssä.
Level 3
I follow conversations on familiar topics.
Read Selkosanomat's news with the audio, and bring one story to a weekly tutor chat.
Level 4
I understand most content but miss some nuance.
Listen to Finnish with Eemeli, and tell your tutor what one episode was about.
Level 5
I read complex topics but rare words slow me down.
Watch Finnish series on Yle Areena, and pick out consonants that change inside words, like t and d.
Level 6
I can read almost anything.
Read Finnish novels, and check rare words in the Kielitoimisto dictionary.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take to Learn Finnish?

U.S. Foreign Service Institute students who speak English spend about 44 weeks in full-time Finnish classes, or 1,012 class hours. The guide to learning Finnish fast compares a 39-hour beginner course with three to five hours a week of your own study.

Do People in Finland Also Speak Swedish?

Yes. Swedish is Finland's second national language, and about 296,000 people there speak it. Finnish is the first language of most people in Finland, so it is the one you'll hear most.

Which Finnish App Should a Beginner Choose?

If you are serious about learning Finnish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. The Finnish app comparison lists more courses and tutor sites.

Is Bubblegum Free?

Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.

How to Learn Finnish, Step by Step