Talk To Me In Korean, or TTMIK, has taught Korean since 2009, and its site says more than two million learners have used it. Its lessons run in a set order from beginner to advanced. On Reddit (r/Korean), TTMIK learners ask what to add. One had finished the fifth book and wanted the grammar to stick. Another, halfway through Level 7, wanted study time that felt more fun.
The apps below are grouped by what they help you do, and TTMIK comes first.
What Talk To Me In Korean Does
Talk To Me In Korean Courses
TTMIK suits learners who want a clear path with grammar explained, including why a rule works. Its course subscription has more than 1,700 lessons on the web and on mobile. Its app also has a TOPIK 1 course and live classes now and then.
- Each lesson has four steps: warm up, learn, speak out loud, and take a short quiz.
- A three-minute level test shows where to start.
- Join a bootcamp with a study schedule and deadlines.
- Teaches Hangul
MobileWeb
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Korean. You learn from Korean you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
In Bubblegum, Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Korean lessons for you. Reading lots of Korean at your level gives the grammar from your course more places to show up.
Poppy builds a flexible journey around your interests and level, so you get Korean at your level without having to search for it. The trade-off is that Bubblegum is not a person to talk with. If you'd rather follow a step-by-step course, keep TTMIK or try LingoDeer below.
- Poppy writes each new story at your level, so you can follow it.
- Pick topics you enjoy, like K-dramas, food, or a trip to Busan.
- Ask Poppy why a sentence ends the way it does, and she explains.
- Saved words come back in later lessons through Regenerative Review™.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Webtoons and dramas you pick yourself can't be added.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Hangul
Mobile
Take Another Step-by-Step Course
LingoDeer
LingoDeer has a Korean course made for English speakers, from the main course to a travel phrasebook. Lessons are short, with timed quizzes.
- Grammar tips teach practical Korean one step at a time.
- Every sentence and word in the course is voiced by people.
- Download the whole course to learn offline.
- Teaches Hangul
MobileWeb
Get Corrections From a Coach
90 Day Korean
90 Day Korean's Inner Circle is a web course with a clear goal: a three-minute conversation in Korean after 90 days. It teaches with what it calls the 80/20 method, so you study only what you need.
- A personal Korean coach gives you corrections and advice.
- New course material comes out each week.
- Members share a community area for support.
- Teaches Hangul (partly)
MobileWeb
Read and Watch Korean You Pick
Kimchi Reader
Kimchi Reader is a Korean pop-up dictionary and reader. It spots 4,971 idioms and 654 proverbs, and colors pages from red to green as you learn their words.
- Tap a word, and it finds the dictionary form of the conjugated verb for you.
- Import a DRM-free EPUB book and start reading.
- Watch YouTube, Netflix, and Viki with a pop-up dictionary on the subtitles.
- Flashcards
- Doesn't teach Hangul
MobileWebBrowser extension
Other Apps We Looked At (4)
- TTMIK StoriesGraded Korean stories from the same team, read by voice actors.
- Dive KoreanKorean videos and stories in four levels, from complete beginner to advanced.
- HelloTalkChat with Korean speakers who are learning your language, by text, voice, or video.
- PimsleurKorean audio lessons where you answer out loud.
Common Questions
Which Talk To Me In Korean alternative should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Korean, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with LingoDeer if you'd like a full course with short quizzes, or with TTMIK's own level test if you're not sure where you stand.
How can I make TTMIK grammar stick?
Meet it again in real sentences. Read stories at your level in Bubblegum or TTMIK Stories, and look up the grammar in Korean you choose with Kimchi Reader. Hangul comes first, and our free Hangul course teaches it.
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.
Sources
- Talk To Me In Korean: Courses (1,700+ lessons, four-step lessons, bootcamps)
- TTMIK Courses: App Store listing (TOPIK 1 course, live classes)
- r/Korean: Revising TTMIK books
- r/Korean: A question about TTMIK
- LingoDeer: Korean course (grammar tips, recorded audio, offline)
- 90 Day Korean: App Store listing (Inner Circle course, personal coach)
- Kimchi Reader: Features (pop-up dictionary, EPUB import, Netflix and Viki)
- TTMIK Stories: App Store listing
- Dive Korean: Korean videos and stories by level
- HelloTalk: Language exchange
- Pimsleur: Korean audio lessons
- Talk To Me In Korean Courses
- Bubblegum
- 90 Day Korean
Checked on October 14, 2026 against each app's own pages.
