DuolingoDuolingo has one Spanish course for English speakers, and it follows the Spanish of Latin America in general, not Mexico in particular. It teaches ustedes for "you all", as Mexico does, and not the vosotros of Spain. Words and habits that belong to Mexico, such as chamba for a job or the -ito ending that makes a request sound softer, are easier to pick up from a Mexican course or a speaker from Mexico. Our Mexican Spanish guide covers podcasts and university classes.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Spanish. You learn from Spanish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Mexican Spanish 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.
Try asking Poppy why people in Mexico say ahorita.
Bubblegum is mostly reading and listening, so see the tutors and partners below for speaking practice.
- Lessons are in Mexican Spanish, with everyday Mexican words and prices in pesos.
- Lessons are read aloud by voices picked for Mexican Spanish.
- Lessons show when tú fits, like with a friend, and when usted fits, like with a stranger at a clinic.
- 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 Mexican Spanish and don't cover every regional way of speaking.
- 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™
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Babbel
Babbel teaches two Spanish courses, one for Mexico and one for Spain. Its lessons mix new words with short dialogues and grammar tips.
- Pick Spanish (Mexico) when you start, and the course follows Mexico.
- Short lessons build on each other in a set order.
- Flashcards
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uTalk
Each uTalk topic, like food or travel, is a set of short games.
- Its Latin American Spanish course uses voice artists from Mexico and Honduras.
- Record yourself and compare your voice with the speaker's.
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italki
Ask a tutor from Mexico to role-play a visit to the doctor, so you practice usted with a stranger and tú with a friend.
- Filter Spanish tutors by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one lessons over video at a time that suits you.
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Tandem
Spanish speakers in Mexico City use Tandem to find a language partner.
- Leave a voice note for a partner, or call them by video.
- Partners can fix your Spanish messages with a correction tool.
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| App | How You Can Start |
|---|---|
| Babbel | You can try free lessons, and the full course needs a subscription. |
| uTalk | You can try starter words free, then buy the course or subscribe. |
| italki | An account is free, and every lesson you book has a price set by the tutor. |
| Tandem | The app is free to join, and Tandem Pro costs extra. |
Which Mexican Spanish app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Spanish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or try Babbel if you want a course that tells you which lesson comes next.
Can I use Duolingo to start Mexican Spanish?
Yes, for basics such as greetings, numbers, and common verbs. Then add a Mexican course or a tutor from Mexico for the words and habits that belong to Mexico.
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
- Duolingo: Spanish course for English speakers
- Duolingo Blog: What Is "Vosotros" and When Do You Use It? ("Duolingo's Spanish course for English speakers teaches ustedes and not vosotros")
- Duolingo Blog: Dialect Differences in Spanish: When to Use "Le" and "Lo" (the Duolingo Spanish course mostly shows the pattern most common in Latin America)
- Wikipedia: Mexican Spanish (most Spanish speakers of any country; tú and usted; diminutives; Nahuatl words)
- Babbel: Learn Spanish (Spanish (Mexico) and Spanish (Spain))
- Babbel: home page (free lessons and subscription)
- uTalk: Latin American Spanish (voice artists from Mexico and Honduras)
- uTalk: current iPhone listing (free starter words)
- Tandem: Learn Spanish in Mexico City
- Tandem: current iPhone listing
- italki: Spanish teachers (Teachers from filter)
- italki: home page (what is free)
- Bubblegum
- Babbel
- uTalk
- Tandem
