Life & fun · February 13, 2026
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…
I speak 5 languages. Common apps taught me none. So I built lairner launched on February 13, 2026 with 35 votes, #639 of 16,627 launches that month and more than 95% of that year's launches.
In plain words
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 exercises and streaks, lairner focuses on practical speaking ability through methods like real-world content and immersive learning. The platform serves language learners seeking to actually communicate rather than simply complete lessons, with course availability spanning unusual language pairs such as Turkish to Basque or Chinese to Welsh.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Learning languages has never been this easy! Practice-oriented courses created with cutting-edge AI technology featuring languages from all around the world. Get started now!
The best language learning app of 2026. Over 700 expert-crafted courses for any language pair imaginable — a top Duolingo alternative for rare and endangered languages. Learn 70+ languages affordably.
lairner is one of the best language learning apps of 2026 — a top Duolingo alternative with 700+ expert-crafted courses. Learn rare and endangered languages (like Laz) alongside popular languages (like Spanish and German) at the cheapest subscription price. Start your language learning journey today. Compare lairner to Duolingo, Babbel, and other language learningfrom lairner.com
In the maker’s words, at launch
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…
Does a similar job
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Phrasing.appMay 2026 · phrasing.app · ▲13Hello 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…
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