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Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to I speak 5 languages. Common apps taught me none. So I built lairner

I'm Tim. I speak German, English, French, Turkish, and Chinese. I learned Turkish with lairner itself -- after I built it. That's the best proof I can give you that this thing actually works. The other four I learned the hard way: talking to people, making mistakes, reading things I actually cared about, and being surrounded by the language until my brain gave in. Every language app I tried got the same thing wrong: they teach you to pass exercises, not to speak. You finish a lesson, you get your dopamine hit, you maintain your streak, and six months later you still can't order food in the…

Lairner is a language learning platform offering over 700 courses across 70+ languages, including endangered and minority languages often omitted from mainstream apps. Unlike traditional language apps that emphasize… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes.

  1. 1LA

    Hi guys, Hope everyone is well. This app was borne out of my own frustration. I thought that I was terrible at learning languages at school, since I didn't become conversational in French after 5 years of study. However, I later traveled with some French friends and, in just under 3 weeks, I was able to hold a reasonable conversation. I realized that there's no substitute for speaking to native speakers. I tried to adopt this approach for other languages, but it's much harder to find people to practise with when you aren't travelling. I started using iTalki to meet people from different…

    2023 · prettypolly.app · its alternatives →

  2. 2GA

    Hi HN, For over two years I've been working on an App to learn languages (currently French, Italian and Spanish), together with my partner, a language teacher. I think it is finally ready to share with this community! The idea is to introduce vocabulary and grammar whilst you read eBooks in your own language. I've found that it is easier to remember vocabulary 'in context' and with regular repetition. Plus you don't have to carve out dedicated time for language learning. Other apps require you to build a habit around various exercises or ‘games’, whereas lots of people already read books.…

    2024 · glossarie.app · its alternatives →

  3. 3

    Learn more efficiently and remember things longer with the power of science. CleverDeck includes 3000-word decks for most major languages.

    2014 · cleverdeck.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4
    Lingvist▲364

    Take your language skills to the next level

    2015 · lingvist.com · its alternatives →

  5. 5

    Learn the most common 1000 words of popular languages

    2020 · mostcommonwords.co · its alternatives →

  6. 6

    Actually learn a new language without any of the fuss

    2024 · airlearn.com · its alternatives →

  7. 7

    Clozemaster is language learning gamification through mass exposure to vocabulary in context. Great post-Duolingo app and useful for language learners of all levels. Free to sign up and play!

    2017 · clozemaster.com · its alternatives →

  8. 8

    Hi! Wanted to share the project I really wanted to have. TLDR; this app lets you create your own list of words and you get a Duolingo-like experience (kind of, still needs a lot of features) practicing those words in their context. My English is not the best but not the worst either. But I realized I can't boost it up after a certain level! In my belief, in order to truly learn a language, you need to be exposed to that language often. Vocabulary is the key factor here if you really want to improve in any language. My experience is that when I read a book to improve my English vocabulary, I…

    2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

  9. 9
    Sounter▲68

    Learn languages with music. Over 100K songs.

    2020 · sounter.com · its alternatives →

  10. 10
    Zpeakr▲134

    Fluency starts when your fear shuts up. Zpeakr helps.

    2025 · its alternatives →

  11. 11IB

    Hello Hacker News, When learning foreign languages, I made the most progress by speaking them throughout the day, every day. So I made a site where you can *speak* to an AI language teacher to practice both listening and speaking. # The product *What I have now:* * Multilingual speech recognition: You can ask a question in English and get an answer in your target language. * Feedback on your grammar. * Suggestions: See examples of what to say next to keep the conversation flowing. * Speed: Choose a lower speed for beginners or a faster one for advanced levels. * Translations: Click to see a…

    2023 · gliglish.com · its alternatives →

  12. 12

    Hello HN - Over the last few years, I've been building an app to learn languages. It supports ~85 languages and ~40 dialects, and is optimized for learning and maintaining multiple languages. Learning a language is a ton of work, but really quite simple. Find text you're interested in, dissect and understand it, and review it often. Grind that every day for a few years, and you'll be fluent. So I built Phrasing for 4 main reasons: 1. To have an app I would actually be excited to use every single day for years. 2. To do all the research, explanation, prioritization, course planning and…

    May 2026 · phrasing.app · its alternatives →

  13. 13

    Hi HN! I'm trying to learn a language, but I don't have anyone to speak it with, so I made this website to get some practice. To start, all you have to do is set your native language and target language. Then, just start talking to it in either your native or target language. It'll catch any mistakes you make when you speak in your target language and answer any grammar/vocab questions you have. It has a translate button, a romanize button (converts any text into the Latin alphabet), and you can highlight words/phrases you don't know in AI responses to have them explained. I'd…

    2025 · polyglotgpt.com · its alternatives →

  14. 14

    Hi HN, I’m Pablo, I built this application to learn languages using podcasts: https://www.langturbo.com (No signup required) There are a lot of tools to learn languages, but most of them focus on beginners (understandably so, that’s where the money is) but not many exist that target intermediate or advanced learners. The ones that exist make you find content on your own and then import that into their apps, which can be tricky when you don’t know where to look. LangTurbo has a unique curated database of podcasts by language (some even have dialect labels) that you can browse by…

    2025 · langturbo.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15

    Stop playing, start speaking. The "Anti-Duolingo".

    Dec 2025 · getlewis.app · its alternatives →

  16. 16
    Learnee▲94

    Learn a new language without even trying

    2021 · learnee.geo.io · its alternatives →

  17. 17

    Hey there! Out of the necessity to teach my son a new language, I developed an app just for him. After months of use and realizing how effective it was, I decided to make it available to the public. Now, I’m looking for your support, feedback, and possibly help in reaching potential customers. Take a look and let me know your thoughts! Thank you!

    2024 · voiczy.com · its alternatives →

  18. 18WL

    Hey everyone, I've been living in Germany for a while now and struggling to pick up German. Even though I finished a B1 level language course, remembering all the common German words has been tough. I've tried a bunch of apps, but couldn't stick to any of them. Last month, I had an idea. I thought, what if I could see a German word and its meaning on the Menu Bar of my Mac? That way, I could learn new words while working without needing to set aside dedicated time. The app uses a spaced-repetition algorithm, so you'll see the same word multiple times until you've got it down. And even after…

    2024 · its alternatives →

  19. 19
    Twister▲80

    Tongue twisters in over 100+ languages all in one place!

    2019 · twisterio.web.app · its alternatives →

  20. 20

    Learn languages the smart way

    2025 · lingomitra.com · its alternatives →

  21. 21

    Learn more than 20 languages

    2024 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  22. 22

    Learn a new language smarter and faster with the help of advanced AI technology. Join today and discover more than 50 language courses to learn from – available on the web or mobile.

    2015 · lingvist.io · its alternatives →

  23. 23

    Hey HN, I've been building an iOS app, called Lingocat, over the last few months to help language learners become fluent faster through conversational practice. Most language learning apps are over-indexed on repetitive vocab and grammar practice. This approach helps you improve reading + writing proficiency but will leave you unable to hold a conversation in your target language. Lingocat teaches you how to speak a new language using an AI language tutor who you'll practice speaking with, in your target language to complete a variety of exercises. Each lesson is focused on improving your…

    2025 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

  24. 24

    English is my second language. From my experience, I learnt that developing your vocabulary is a long and arduous process. Traditionally, learners used flashcards (or their digital incarnations). I wanted to build something more engaging and more effective in building your vocabulary. DictionaryGames is aimed mostly at ESL (English as a Second Language) students, but I am hoping it might be fun for any English language lovers. The project is in BETA, it is free, and no registration is required. I am looking for feedback to improve it. If you comment, please indicate if you are a native…

    2025 · dictionarygames.io · its alternatives →

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →