Marhaba! Arabic is the official language of 22 countries and is spoken almost everywhere in the world. Understanding it can bolster not only your interests as a tourist but also as a professional.
As someone who has worked in the Middle East for two years, I found Arabic learning apps extremely helpful. Be it basic vocabulary, grammar, or day-to-day conversations, I have learned most using them.
However, compared to French and Italian, Arabic is somewhat difficult to learn because the script and the pronunciations are very different. Worry not, the apps will help you build a strong base by ensuring you understand both the alphabet as well as the grammar.
So, shall we begin?
Top 10 Apps for Learning Arabic
Based on my experience with dozens of language platforms, I have managed to curate this list of the most effective and efficient ones. My focus here has been ensuring two things. Primarily to get the content right.
However, I have also kept the UI in mind while choosing these. I have chosen the best of the best, and I hope these will help you in your Arabic learning journey.
1. Best of All: AlifBee
AlifBee is a dedicated app to learn the Arabic language. Alif happens to be the first character in the Arabic alphabet. The app focuses not only on reading and speaking but also on writing.
You can trace your hands on the letters to ‘write’ them on the screen. This ensures you memorize the alphabet better.
Besides this, it also helps you perfect your pronunciation and uses an AI-powered chatbot to help you with your conversation skills. Pearson, a global leader in education, has accredited the lessons on this app.
Features
- Focuses on writing letters
- AI Chatbot helps you improve your conversation skills
- Over 35000 Arabic phrases and words
- Detailed tracking tools to measure progress
- Voice notes help pronounce words correctly
2. Best Runner Up: Preply
Preply is an app that teaches over 50 languages. However, I’d recommend it strongly for Arabic, especially because of how much it helps you with grammar, which is one of the most crucial parts of this language.
The idea behind Preply is to team you up with online tutors who give you a one-on-one learning experience via online lessons. You can filter and find these tutors based on your budget and your timings.
You can even book trial lessons before investing in them. Regular tests and vocab lists also help you learn the language better.
Key Features
- Find tutors for personalized one-on-one lessons
- Learn at your preferred time slots
- Book a trial lesson, and know the tutor before paying in full
- Tests and quizzes that keep your learning in check
- Learn over 50+ languages on the app
3. Best with Visuals: Duolingo
Arabic has never been as easy as it is with Duolingo. The app makes use of a very natural and intuitive method of teaching. It uses real-life phrases, images, quizzes, and flashcards to help you learn the words.
Duolingo also helps you pronounce words and ensures you focus on the right sounds. This is important because words in Arabic often look the same but sound different.
It teaches you the alphabet and sounds and builds on that to help you form proper sentences so that you can comfortably hold a conversation in Arabic.
key Features
- Daily 5-minute lessons
- Makes use of quizzes, flashcards, and games
- Focuses on the alphabet and the sounds
- Track your progress with detailed insights
- Streaks keep you motivated to learn regularly
4. Best for Beginners: Learn Arabic
This app claims to teach you Arabic in 31 days. While I don’t back this claim, it is a good primer to Arabic for anyone just starting with the language.
The app provides a crash course into the language and is a great option if you are a tourist or a visitor to an Arabic-speaking country for a few days. It can get the job done for all your practical needs.
There are 26 chapters in the app, each focusing on a different category of conversations. There are also quizzes and games which help you retain your learnings.
Key Features
- Teaches basic phrases for practical conversations
- Great app for short-term tourists and travelers
- 100% free app – pay nothing
- No sign up required
- Quizzes and games to keep learning fun
5. Quranic: Quran Arabic Learning
The Quran is the holy book of the Islamic faith and the most significant text in the Arabic language. The Arabic written in the Quran is somewhat older and more complex, and this app teaches you Arabic with the help of the holy Quran.
In this app, you learn words and phrases from the Quran and the translation. The app helps you learn Quranic Arabic in a smarter and faster way.
There are quizzes and tests, as well as the ability to track your learning progress. You can even set alarms for prayer timings and create audio rooms where you can recite the Quran with your friends.
Key Features
- Special focus on learning the Quranic Arabic language
- Arabic lessons and stories from the Quran
- Learn new words and phrases from the holy book
- Set alarms for daily prayers
- Audio Rooms to Recite the Quran Together
6. Best for Writing: Write It! Arabic
This app tackles one of the biggest problems people face while learning any language – the script. While most of the other apps on the list focus on how to speak, the primary focus here is on writing, while speaking is secondary.
The app gives you various lessons on the Arabic alphabet, starting from basic character recognition and tracing to forming words and eventually sentences.
The app also gives you rewards and stars that motivate you in this learning journey. I love this app, and I have used it along with Duolingo to ensure my writing is as good as my speaking skills.
Key Features
- Write and recognize the script
- Audio support helps you pronounce better
- No need for an internet connection
- Track your learning progress with stats
- Rewards and stars to keep you motivated
7. Best for Ease of Use: Arabic Unlocked
Here is one of the easiest-to-use apps I have come across. The app uses flashcards, quizzes, and games to teach you Arabic. There are multiple categories from where you can learn phrases for daily life.
These include topics such as shopping, emergencies, greetings, transport, etc. The app not only teaches you but also tests you. 5000+ questions help you retain your learnings better. It also has a special section for Quranic words.
Key Features
- Over 750 daily-use phrases
- Over 5000 questions to help you learn better
- Flashcards featuring audio and visuals
- Interactive games for practising
- Compete with friends and family with a leaderboard
8. Best for Practice: HelloTalk
HelloTalk is a community-based language learning app. You can find people who are native speakers of Arabic and connect with them using the app.
The app also doubles up as a social network where you can share images, get on video calls and broadcasts, as well as host audio chatrooms. This language exchange community has over 40 million people registered.
You can even find qualified tutors to give you personalized 1-on-1 language lessons. This can be a good secondary app once you have learned a little bit of Arabic, so you can go out here and practice it with native speakers.
Key Features
- Language exchange community with 40 Million users
- Get 1-on-1 language tutorials
- Live broadcasts and audio chatrooms
- Practice your Arabic speaking skills
- Social media cum language learning app
9. Best Puzzle Based: Drops
Drops is a popular app when it comes to learning new languages. This is their f, and I love how much ‘fun’ this app is.
It uses puzzles and games that help you improve your cognition skills when it comes to identifying Arabic words and characters. The app also helps you speak better with the help of English translations and transliterations.
It also comes with a long list of daily-use phrases and words that will prepare you for a quick trip to the Arab world in no time! The best part about this app? It doesn’t feel like ‘learning’ but is actually quite enjoyable.
Key Features
- Uses games and puzzles to teach
- Learn important daily-use phrases
- Teaches new vocabulary every day
- Learn with English transliteration
- Daily lessons
10. Best for Kids: LuvLingua
LuvLingua’s Learn Arabic Language app teaches conversations primarily with the help of games. The app has over 200 lessons in the language and uses different types of puzzles to teach you with ease. Kids can take advantage of it greatly.
There are also category-wise divisions of words that can give you a practical grasp of day-to-day conversations.
Furthermore, LuvLingua also has audio recordings of hundreds of words spoken by native speakers. This helps you get your accents and pronunciation right.
Key Features
- Learn a language using interactive games
- A phrasebook for frequently used phrases
- Frequent tests to check your progress
- Audio recordings from native speakers
- No internet connection is needed (just like no WiFi games)
Wrap Up!
While Arabic might sound intimidating at first, once you get down to it, you will realize the language is pretty simple once you learn the script.
I have tried and included apps here that help you master reading and writing the script, as that is the gateway to the language.
Arabic language opens the doors of the Arab world to you, as well as to many other similar languages such as Persian, Urdu, and Hindi which, when combined, account for over a billion speakers worldwide.
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