DuolingoDuolingo doesn't teach Bengali. It teaches nine languages to Bengali speakers, such as English, Spanish and Japanese.
Bengali is the national language of Bangladesh and an official language of the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura. Its script joins many letters into clusters, so pick a course that shows you the letters too. Tutors and language partners are in our best apps to learn Bengali.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Bengali. You learn from Bengali you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Bengali 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.
- Poppy writes each lesson for your level, on topics you pick.
- Each lesson plays AI audio while you read.
- Tap a word to see what it means, or ask Poppy to explain a whole line.
- The Bengali Alphabet course teaches the letters with pictures and sounds. You can read lessons in Roman letters while you learn 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.
- Learn every letter and its sound in the free Bengali Alphabet course.
- Bubblegum teaches standard written Bengali, so it has no lessons in regional dialects.
- You can't turn your own Bengali books into lessons. However, you can paste a page in the chat, and Poppy will explain 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™
- Teaches the Bengali Alphabet
Mobile
Mango Languages
Mango's Bengali course teaches through short conversations. Your library card may give you access at no cost.
- Lessons are built from conversations, with notes on the culture behind the words.
- Flashcards
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Ling
Ling teaches Bengali in lessons with native audio and game-style challenges.
- Short lessons that start with pronunciation, essential words and greetings.
- Later stages move on to cultural stories, travel guides and news articles, and to practicing conversations.
- Flashcards
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uTalk
uTalk teaches spoken Bengali for everyday situations, from greetings to getting around.
- More than 2,500 words and phrases, each with audio and a picture.
- You can record yourself and compare your pronunciation.
MobileWeb
| App | How You Can Start Free |
|---|---|
| Mango | The first lesson is free, and many libraries give members free access. |
| Ling | The first two beginner units are free. |
| uTalk | A free starter topic is open to everyone. |
Which Bengali app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Bengali, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Mango if you like lessons built from conversations, or with Ling if you want short lessons with audio.
Do I need to learn the Bengali letters first?
Yes, if you want to read signs, menus and books. Bubblegum's Bengali Alphabet course teaches the letters with pictures and sounds, and you can read your lessons in Roman letters while you learn them.
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
- Duolingo: course list
- Wikipedia: Bengali language (official language of Bangladesh, scheduled language of India, official in West Bengal and Tripura)
- Wikipedia: Bengali alphabet (an abugida with many conjuncts)
- Mango Languages: Learn Bengali
- Mango Languages: what's free
- Ling: Learn Bengali
- Ling: what's free
- uTalk: Learn Bengali
- uTalk: what's free
- Bubblegum
