BabbelBabbel doesn't teach Yoruba. It teaches no language from Africa.
Yoruba is written in Latin letters with dots under three of them (, ọ and ṣ) and with accent marks that show its three tones. Textbooks with audio, stories and news from Nigeria are in our best apps to learn Yoruba.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Yoruba. You learn from Yoruba you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Yoruba 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.
- Pick a topic and a level, and Poppy writes the Yoruba to match.
- Each lesson has AI audio to play while you read.
- Tap a word to see what it means, or ask Poppy to explain a whole line.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki as flashcards.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Lessons use Standard Nigerian Yoruba, so the local words your family uses may look different from the page.
- You can't turn your own Yoruba books into lessons. However, you can paste a page into 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™
Mobile
Ling
Ling teaches Yoruba through short lessons on pronunciation, vocabulary and conversation. It suits learners who like a guided path they can follow on a phone.
- Lessons come with audio recorded by speakers of Yoruba, plus game-style challenges.
- A dialog feature lets you practice a conversation.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Memrise
Memrise's Yoruba course is built around short videos in which speakers use the words you are learning. It suits learners who want to see and hear a word before they say it.
- 110+ lessons and 1000+ words, with 60+ videos of Yoruba speakers.
- The course is labeled free, and it has 75+ AI conversations for speaking practice.
MobileWeb
uTalk
uTalk teaches Yoruba words and phrases through games, one everyday topic at a time. It suits learners who want vocabulary for a trip or for talking with family.
- 60+ topics and 2,500+ words and phrases.
- You can compare your pronunciation with recordings of Yoruba speakers.
MobileWeb
Drops
Drops teaches Yoruba vocabulary in short game-style sessions. It suits learners who want to pick up words in a few spare minutes.
- Short game-style sessions built around pictures.
- Audio from native speakers to practice pronunciation, with a focus on Yoruba tones.
Mobile
| 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. |
| Ling | Some lessons free | The first two beginner units are free in every language. Ling Pro opens all the lessons, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. |
| Memrise | Free version | The Free Plan includes the official courses and video clips of real people. Memrise Pro adds every learning feature and removes ads. |
| 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. |
| Drops | Free version | The free version lets you learn for five minutes every 10 hours. Drops Premium gives you unlimited time and all the content, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. |
Which Yoruba app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Yoruba, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Memrise if you would like short videos of Yoruba speakers, or with uTalk if you would like to hear and compare words first.
Do Yoruba tone marks matter?
Yes. Yoruba has three tones, shown with accent marks, and a word like ọkọ́ (hoe) changes meaning with the tone. Pick a course with audio so you can hear 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
- Babbel: home page, "What languages can I learn with Babbel?"
- Babbel: App Store listing (13 languages plus English, Babbel Speak)
- Ling: Learn Yoruba
- Ling: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- uTalk: Learn Yoruba
- uTalk: languages you can learn from on uTalk
- Memrise: Yoruba course (110+ lessons, 1000+ words, 60+ videos)
- Memrise: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Drops: Learn Yoruba
- Drops: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Ling: what's free
- Ling: what the paid plan adds
- uTalk: what's free
- Drops: what's free
- Drops: what the paid plan adds
- Bubblegum
