Apps to help you learn Italian – part 1

The various free apps that help you learn Italian all have their pros and cons. What they have in common is that – with the exception of Quizlet – they are all for beginners (level A1). The best part is an app with pictures, which offers different ways to get tested. An app that goes further than just learning words: that also offers Italian grammar and is also user-friendly.

Depending on your goal or starting point, you may prefer different apps. Below I list the pros and cons of the various free apps for you.

English Apps

In English, the most famous players are Duolingo and Memrise. An app in English has the disadvantage that you are actually learning two languages. It is better if the app is in Dutch.

Memrise

I don't find the free version of Memrise very user-friendly. Memrise mostly has words. The paid version does not let you pay an amount once, but an amount per year or per month. With Memrise and Duolingo you start at the beginner level and you can't easily progress to your own level without doing all the beginner exercises first. You can't choose exactly what you want to practice (grammar/listening/writing). It's a one-way street. There is good audio from a native speaker at Memrise and I think that's why quite a lot of students end up there. And because in the limited version it costs no money. But it's definitely not top notch.

Memrise is available for Android and iOS.

Duolingo

Duolingo is very user-friendly, but you are sometimes offered strange translation sentences such as: 'You elephants drink milk'. What are the chances that you will ever need that phrase in Italy? You can, however, work towards a high level at Duolingo and you can take tests that determine your level. The app also lets you do listening exercises with native speakers. It is and will remain free.

Duolingo offers one app for all languages. So the app is not specific just for learning Italian. You choose Italian by checking this language in the settings. I think this is the most fun and best free app to learn Italian. It is a pity that you can only practice from English to Italian and vice versa. Ads are also constantly displayed with a free subscription.

By the way, you must don't expect Duolingo to be a replacement for a solid language course, it is at most a good addition to it.

Duolingo is available for Android and iOS.

Dutch apps

StudyGo

Until recently, StudyGo was known as WRTS and is really only for practicing words. You will then have to enter this yourself, if someone else has not already done so. The option that has been entered is therefore the only correct answer. Including spaces and with or without article and the like. A synonym is not possible. That's not very nice.

Entering the words is easiest to do on your desktop PC. The advantage is: you can practice the words you need to learn for your own Italian course. They do not use pictures or swiping or listening skills to learn words.

Since WRTS became StudyGo, the app has improved enormously, but the paywall is also more prominent. You can still create word lists and test your words for free, but the ways in which you can do this are limited. 

StudyGo is available for Android and iOS.

Fun easy learn

Up to 6.000 words (approximately level B1 of the European Framework of Reference) the app Fun Easy Learn. The app is from foreign makers and has already been downloaded a million times worldwide. Then you are doing something right as an app.

Before you start, you choose your native language. The app is therefore in Dutch. This is already a big advantage on Memrise and Duolingo. There is a large main menu where you choose the subject you want to learn Italian words about. Then choose a subcategory. So if your main category is 'people', you can choose 'body' as a subcategory, for example. Then choose a way you want to practice. It is a pity that there is a lot of advertising in it that you have to click away. With the paid version you can continue to a semi-advanced and advanced learning level. To disable the ads and unlock the higher levels you pay 15 euros. It's not entirely clear to me how many words you can learn with the free version.

Fun Easy Learn is available for Android and iOS.

Buon Learn Italian

>For learning words and standard expressions, the Dutch app Buon Italian Learning is better than WRTS. The app is user-friendly and well-arranged and you can share your results on social media. Again, this is about learning words and expressions for beginners. It is the same as a beginners course in Italian. If that course stops, then it will also stop a bit with this app.

Buon Learn Italian is only for Android.

Quizlet

With Quizlet you have to enter the words yourself or use an existing word list (for example one of the lists of This is Italian). What is nice about this app is that you can test yourself in a very playful way and for only 20 euros per year you can also learn your word lists offline. Nice for example in the car on the way to Italy, certainly also educational for the children in the back! You can use the basic version of Quizlet for free to learn Italian.

The app works intuitively and has many options for quizzing through various types of games. You can match words (Italian and Dutch), see a picture and hear the word and then write it down or race against the clock. In a race against the clock you can set the best time against your fellow students. A little competition always works well!

Pictures are included or you can add them yourself. You can also hear the Italian pronunciation. The 40 children I teach at the primary school in Schoonhoven can't get enough of it. This app remains good, even for advanced students.

I am currently in talks with an Italian publisher to list the 1.000 most commonly used Italian words. This is scientifically composed, so that will be very effective learning.

Quizlet is available for Android and iOS.

word feud

For the advanced student it is nice to do Wordfeud in Italian. It's a bit of a challenge at first, because your opponents are all much better and know all kinds of strange and difficult words that you have not heard of. Then you have to look it up.

Wordfeud is available for Android and iOS.

Conclusion: which is the best free app to learn Italian?

When it comes to free apps that help you learn Italian, there is one app that really stands out. Quizlet. Here you have to enter the words yourself or use an existing word list. What is nice about this app is that you can have yourself tested in a very playful way. For only 20 euros per year you can also learn your word lists offline. Handy in or on the way to Italy!

Coming from the other free apps Fun easy learn en Buon Italian Online Learning in my opinion the best out of the box.

Those were the free apps to learn Italian. In a future article I will pay attention to the paid apps to learn Italian.

In addition to apps, you can also learn Italian for free through websites, videos, and other online resources! Here we have an overview of the best free Italian courses compiled for you.

Do you also use a (free) app to learn Italian? Do you have any additions to this article? Leave your comment below!

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