About Duolingo
Duolingo is the world's most downloaded education app, making language learning free, fun, and effective. With courses in 40+ languages — from Spanish and French to Japanese, Korean, and even High Valyrian — Duolingo uses gamification to keep you motivated with streaks, XP points, leaderboards, and achievements.
Each lesson takes just 5-15 minutes and covers reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The AI-powered adaptive learning system adjusts difficulty based on your performance, focusing on areas where you need the most practice. Spaced repetition ensures you retain what you learn long-term.
Duolingo Max (premium) adds AI conversation practice powered by GPT-4, letting you practice real conversations with an AI tutor. The app also offers Duolingo Math and Duolingo Music for expanding your skills beyond languages.
Key Features
- 40+ language courses available
- Gamified learning with streaks and leaderboards
- AI-adaptive lesson difficulty
- Speaking, listening, reading, and writing exercises
- Offline lessons available
- Duolingo Max with AI conversation practice
- Podcasts and stories for immersive learning
Pros & Cons
👍 What We Like
- Completely free core experience with no content locked
- Gamification makes daily practice genuinely addictive
- Scientifically-backed spaced repetition method
- Beautiful design and delightful animations
👎 What Could Be Better
- Not sufficient alone for fluency — supplemental study needed
- Hearts system in free version limits practice after mistakes
- Some courses are more developed than others
- Can feel repetitive at advanced levels
User Reviews
I've maintained a 400-day streak learning Japanese and I can actually hold basic conversations now. The gamification really works — that little owl guilt-trips you into practicing every day. Paired with watching anime, I'm making real progress.
Started learning Italian before my trip to Rome and it was so helpful. The speaking exercises gave me confidence to order food and ask for directions. The bite-sized lessons fit perfectly into my morning coffee routine.
My kids are obsessed with their Duolingo streaks. They're learning Spanish without me having to nag them — the app does all the motivation for me. It's the only screen time I actually encourage. Best free education app out there.