Best Apps for Learning French On Your Phone

Learning a new language can be challenging but with the right tools, the learning experience can be fun and exciting. I have a passion for languages, and French is no exception. In fact, French has a special quality that makes it stand out from the rest. The pronunciation can be hard to tackle at first, but it definitely has that romantic charm.

I recently discovered some great apps for learning Portuguese and Japanese on my phone. So, I decided I would do some research and find the best apps for learning French! To make my selection, I used a handy site called AppGrooves that lists the top 10 French learning apps. You can see the full list here:

Instead of just reviewing my favorites, I thought it would be a great idea to group them by lesson types, so you can easily find what you are looking for. Depending if you want to learn new words and phrases or practice your speaking skills, you will find the best apps for each category below!

1.  Apps for Building Your French Vocabulary

The best way to learn French or any other language, in my opinion, is to start with the most basic words and phrases. Even if you know a couple already, it is always a great idea to learn new vocabulary because it will only make your language richer. So here are my favorite apps to jumpstart your French learning journey:

Apps: Learn French Vocabulary, Learn French Phrases, Learn French Phrasebook (iOS), Learn French Vocabulary Free (Android) & Speak & Translate (iOS)

My first pick is Learn French Vocabulary. What I love about it is that you learn French verbs, nouns and phrases by playing games! With over 7 different game modes, who said learning French can’t be fun? I can imagine some of the more “mature” French learners might be put off by the cartoony design. Don’t be fooled. The powerful lesson system has a decent amount of French words, even for the more advanced French speakers!

My second choice is Learn French Phrases. This is a great option if you are not a fan of game-style lessons and are looking for a more traditional learning approach. I like the fact you can use the complete phrasebook offline and listen to audio recordings for any of them with a single tap. I didn’t find options for specific French lessons, but the fact that you can easily search and find a variety of useful phrases is extremely helpful, whether you are learning French or need some quick help in Paris.

Another stand out I found is Learn French Phrasebook. Like Learn French Phrases, you can hear audio recordings recorded by a native speaker. I like how they smartly organized them across around 20 categories, which is great for quickly finding what you are looking for. However, with such a vast phrase library, it can be a pain to search for commonly used phrases every time. Thankfully, I realized a bit later you can save “favorite” phrases and access them quickly anytime!

My last two picks in this category are more than your average phrasebook. Learn French Vocabulary Free is a great choice if you are an Android user and want to learn words and phrases with customized lessons. I found the lessons to be short but effective, which is great if you only have a couple of minutes to spare. On the other hand, Speak & Translate is a great tool for iOS users, since it translates both audio and text in real time. I know both options are quite different, but they do add a superb boost to your French learning!

2. Apps with French Speaking Lessons

Want to practice your French speaking skills? I know French pronunciation can seem hard at first, but I believe language learning apps with speaking lessons, might help you on your journey.

Apps: Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Babbel

My first choice is no other than Duolingo. This is my favorite language learning app because it covers everything from verbs, grammar, and vocabulary to a variety of conversational topics, greetings and much more. The lessons are bite-sized and you can listen to recordings of native speakers from the very first lesson. Sometimes I found that Duolingo would not recognize my pronunciation, but that only made me practice a bit more until I got it right!@My second choice, Rosetta Stone, is a French learning app that is perfect for mastering your French pronunciation. You can practice your French speaking skills using the world’s leading technology in speech recognition, TruAccent. I found myself to get immersed in the language from the very start, which I found a bit overwhelming since I am completely new to French. However, the learning system has been praised as being super-efficient for learning new languages fast as Rosetta Stone has been around for quite some time. So, if you are up for the challenge, you will be speaking French fluently before you know it.

My third and final choice is Babbel. Like in the previous two apps, speech recognition technology is used in the lessons for practicing your French speaking skills. I really enjoyed how lessons revolve around full-length conversations. The topics are varied ranging from French culture, shopping scenarios, socializing, and more. I found some of the conversational topics quite random, but I enjoyed the variety because I ended up learning concepts and vocabulary I would have otherwise shied away from.  

I hope my selection of French learning apps helps you get started on your language learning journey. The first group is great for covering the basics and building up your French vocabulary. The second group is perfect for mastering the art of speaking French. On my end, I have been having a blast (and a laugh) practicing my French pronunciation. Good luck and have fun learning French!