The 7 Best Apps to Learn Latvian Quickly
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If you are looking for resources to help you learn the Latvian language, apps are a great place to start. Whether you want to study during breaks, brush up your knowledge on the plane to Riga, or improve your pronunciation, there’s an app for you. To save you time, we have compiled the top 7 apps to help you start learning Latvian today.
Latvian is one of the most spoken languages in Europe. There are around 1.7 million Latvian speakers around the globe. Although most Latvian speakers are in Latvia, where it is the official language, it’s also spoken by large Latvian communities in Germany, Lithuania, and Estonia. Many people believe Latvian is one of the Baltic languages, or similar to Germanic languages. But it actually belongs to the Indo-European language family. The Latvian language has many dialects, but the Central, Tamian, and High Latvian dialects are the most commonly used.
Latvian is a tonal language, which means that the tone and inflection can change the meaning of a word. For this reason, it can be hard to learn Latvian if you don’t already speak a similar language like Lithuanian, Russian, or German (Latvian borrows a lot of words from German!). All of this might sound intimidating, but with dedication and consistency, you will speak Latvian before you know it.
What Are The Best Apps To Learn Latvian?
For this article, I looked for reputable language apps with Latvian courses. I downloaded and used each app for a couple of hours to try their features. Finally, I noted their areas of strength and how they can help you learn Latvian effectively.
Below, you will find the 7 best apps to learn Latvian.
Best Overall Latvian App | Mondly |
Best for Beginners | italki |
Best for Quick Practice | uTalk |
Best for Pronunciation | Glossika |
Best for Vocabulary | Ling App |
Best to Latvian in Context | Clozemaster |
Best for Finding a Language Exchange Partner | Tandem |
Mondly
Best Overall Latvian App
Overall, Mondly is the best app to study Latvian. It can introduce you to new vocabulary, teach grammar, and even improve your listening and speaking skills. There aren’t many other apps that offer many resources for Latvian, so it’s nice to find an app like Mondly.
In each lesson, you complete memory and multiple-choice exercises. Mondly has a flexible course structure that gives you the freedom to choose what to study next. There are different word groups for topics like food and drinks, animals, vacation activities, and more. Additionally, you can use Mondly’s AR tool to discover the Latvian words for the objects around you.
You can learn more about the app in this Mondly review.
Key Features
- Choose what topics you want to study
- Practice speaking in Latvian with the chatbot
- Use the voice recognition tool to improve your pronunciation
Pricing
A monthly subscription to Mondly costs $9.99 per month. There’s also an annual subscription available for $47.99 per year ($3.99 per month) that can help you save money. Mondly has a 7-day free trial available, so you can try all its features to see if you like the app.
italki
Best App For Beginners
italki is an app and platform that can connect you with Latvian tutors from all around the world. While speaking the language with a native speaker can seem intimidating, italki is the best app for beginners to learn Latvian with the help of a tutor. Latvian isn’t as popular as other languages like French or Italian, so there aren’t as many Latvian learning apps available online. With italki, you can find a tutor to help you practice the skills, levels, and topics that interest you. One of the advantages of using italki is that you can write to your tutor and tell them exactly what you want to study before your lesson
You can use italki’s filters to find a tutor based on where they live, if they are a native speaker, other languages they speak, availability, and price. Each tutor has a profile you can visit to read their bio and check when they are available for lessons. It’s important to read their past students’ reviews to make sure you choose a good option. There are only 4 Latvian tutors in italki at the moment, but they are all native speakers with hundreds of 5-star ratings, so you know you are in good hands.
You can learn more about the app in this italki review.
Key Features
- Choose what you want to study
- Schedule lessons when it’s convenient for you
- Filter teachers to find the best option for you
Pricing
italki tutors set the price for their own lessons. The price range for Latvian lessons in italki is between $7-$10 per hour. Most italki tutors offer a trial lesson at a discounted price so you can try a class with them and choose the one that works best for you.
uTalk
Best App For Quick Practice
uTalk is an easy way to learn Latvian in a fun way. It has a user-friendly interface that is colorful and easy to navigate. You can start by studying the First Set of words you need to communicate in Latvian or choose a specific topic like numbers, food, family, and more. uTalk relies heavily on its speech recognition tool to help you practice, but there are other useful features to keep you entertained.
The app focuses on speaking and listening, but you can also complete vocabulary games once you are familiar with the words and phrases. uTalk might seem like a simple app, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you want an app that can ease you into the Latvian language, uTalk is the best for quick practice. I’d recommend uTalk to complete beginners trying to learn a new language for the first time.
Try uTalk for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this uTalk review.
Key Features
- Learn Latvian vocabulary for all sorts of topics
- Use the speech recognition tool to practice speaking
- Fun games to review what you learned
Pricing
uTalk has a limited free trial for its first set of starter words. You can buy a monthly subscription to uTalk for $11.99 per month, a 6-month subscription for $59.99 ($9.99 per month), and a 12-month subscription for $99.99 ($8.33 per month).
Glossika
Best App For Pronunciation
Glossika is the best app if you want to improve your Latvian pronunciation. Most other apps only have the option to teach you the language from English, but with Glossika, you can study Latvian from many other languages, like Chinese, Arabic, or Hindi. This way, Glossika adapts the experience to your needs and helps you make the best of your study time.
In the lessons, you listen to a sentence and repeat after to improve your listening comprehension and speaking skills. You can slow down the audio to listen more carefully or speed up the audio to add more challenge to your practice. Because Latvian is a tonal language, you might struggle to distinguish the different sounds in each word and phrase. Native speakers voice all the audio in Glossika, so you can listen to the language and develop a natural comprehension and pronunciation. You can choose to practice speaking or only listening, and the app has different word lists you can review.
If you want to learn more about the app, you can read this Glossika review.
Key Features
- Practice speaking and listening
- Learn a new language from your mother language
- Uses AI to predict when you need to review a word so you don’t forget it
Pricing
Glossika gives you free access to specific minoritized language courses, but this doesn’t include Latvian. Glossika has a monthly subscription available for $16.99 per month that you can use to study one language. If you want access to the 60+ languages available on the platform, you can get a Pro subscription for $30.99 per month. You can also try Glossika’s Pro subscription with a 7-day free trial.
Ling App
Best App For Vocabulary
If you don’t know any Latvian, Ling App is the best app to start building your vocabulary. You can start learning the language as a complete beginner and learn essential words and phrases in Latvian. There’s a set structure for the Latvian course, but you’re free to skip ahead or choose the topic you want to study. Each lesson includes audio voiced by a native speaker, and you can slow it down to listen to the pronunciation more carefully. At the end of each unit, there’s an exam to test your knowledge and a dialogue exercise that mimics a conversation.
Even though Ling App can’t teach you to read or write, it’s still a fun and easy way to start learning Latvian. All the lessons are short, and you can complete as many or as few as you like in a day. It’s a great choice for complete beginners, and for intermediate and advanced students who want to quickly refresh their knowledge.
You can learn more in this Ling App review.
Key Features
- Learn Latvian vocabulary with dynamic exercises
- Practice writing in Latvian with the chatbot
- Choose the topic and level you want to study
Pricing
A Ling App monthly subscription costs $7.99 per month, or you can choose a yearly subscription for $79.99 ($6.66 per month) to save some money. Ling App also has a Lifetime subscription available for $149.99. The app has a 7-day free trial that gives you access to all its features, so you can try Ling App to see if you like using it.
Clozemaster
Best App to Learn Latvian in Context
Clozemaster is the best app to learn Latvian in different contexts because it has audio, vocabulary, and reading exercises. Unlike other apps, Clozemaster doesn’t just teach you random Latvian vocabulary words. Instead, it has a series of quiz-like exercises to test your knowledge and help you learn how to apply Latvian in different scenarios.
Clozemaster feels like an arcade game where you collect points every time you give the correct answer to a question. The app has a simple interface, but cool animations pop up when you level up. You can track your progress and check your statistics to see how far you’ve come. Note that Clozemaster doesn’t provide grammar explanations, so it’s probably best to use it alongside other resources.
If you want to learn more about the app, check out this Clozemaster review.
Key Features
- Learn Latvian vocabulary in context
- Test your knowledge with quizzes
- Create your own word collections
Pricing
You can practice up to 30 sentences a day for free on Clozemaster, but you must upgrade to a Pro subscription to unlock all the content. A Clozemaster Pro subscription costs $8.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
Tandem
Best App to Meet Latvian Native Speakers
Tandem stands out from other apps in this list because it’s a more like a social media app where you can meet language students from all around the globe. Finding someone to practice speaking in Latvian can be hard if you don’t live somewhere where the language is common. Tandem is the best app to meet Latvian speakers to help you improve your language skills.
The concept is simple: you choose the language you are interested in and select your mother tongue. Then, you can start talking to Latvian native speakers. You can send text and audio messages to your language partner and receive feedback on your writing and speaking skills. Tandem also has a forum where you can post pictures and share notes about your day. In general, Tandem is a great option for Latvian students who have at least a basic level and want to apply what they know in a conversational context.
You can learn more about the app in this Tandem review.
Key Features
- Find a Latvian language partner
- Receive immediate feedback
- Share notes and pictures on the forum
Pricing
You can use Tandem for free to talk with other language students, but you won’t be able to access all the features unless you upgrade to the Pro version. A Tandem Pro subscription costs $13.99 per month, but you can also buy 3 months for $31.99 and 12 months for $79.99.
Why You Should Use Apps To Learn Latvian
Apps are a convenient way to study Lativan if you have a busy schedule. Most apps have quick lessons you can complete in a few minutes and features to motivate you. You can choose how many study sessions you do each day and stop and continue whenever you please. Some apps even have audio lessons available, so you can study while you’re buying groceries, walking the dog, or at the gym.
Many apps have different study methods which is great if you want to exercise a specific skill like vocabulary, grammar, or speaking. You can also combine apps with other resources to fill in any gaps in your study or just to add a more dynamic element to your routine.
How To Use Apps To Learn Latvian
Learning Latvian can be challenging. Luckily, there are plenty of apps that you can try to make the learning process more fun and engaging. Using apps offers you an easy way to begin learning a new language and develop your skills, but they won’t do much for you unless you use them consistently. Ideally, you should set aside time to take a couple of lessons each day or a few hours to practice each week. If you follow your study routine, you will see constant progress.
There’s not one app that can teach you everything you need to become fluent. Most apps focus on a couple of skills, so it’s best to combine them with other study resources. For example, most textbooks have longer grammatical explanations and are great reference tools, while podcasts are better for improving your listening comprehension skills.
Best Apps To Learn Latvian: Final Thoughts
Although Latvian can be difficult to learn, language-learning apps offer you an excellent way to start developing your skills. Some language learners like apps that focus on making grammar and vocabulary development easier, while others prefer audio-based learning materials. So, if you’re ready to learn Latvian, download a few language-learning apps and start studying today!
Best Apps To Learn Latvian: FAQ
No, Latvian and Russian are not similar languages. Many people think Russian and Latvian are similar because of the proximity of Russia to Latvia and because both belong to the Indo-European language family. In reality, Russian and Latvian speakers can’t understand each other.
According to the U.S. Department of State, Latvian is a Category III language, which means that it takes around 44 weeks or 1,100 hours for English speakers to learn Latvian. However, this number is only an estimate. How long it will take you to become fluent in Latvian depends on your natural ability to acquire new languages and if you speak a similar language.
You can visit our Fluency Calculator to find out how long it will take you to learn Latvian.
The easiest way to learn Latvian is with consistent study. You can use apps to help you study during your free time or on the go. To become fluent, you can combine apps with other resources like textbooks, podcasts, and videos to cover all language skills. Once you’ve created a study routine, you must be consistent and stick with it to see constant progress.
You can learn Latvian for free using resources available online. Many apps offer part of their content for free, so you can use them a couple of times each week to quickly learn the Latvian language. Apps like HelloTalk and Tandem can help you find a Latvian language exchange partner that you can talk with for free. Note that in order to learn Latvian, you’ll need to be consistent in your studies.
Unfortunately, Duolingo doesn’t offer Latvian language lessons at the moment. If you want to use a free app to learn Latvian, there are similar apps with top-rated lessons that can help you. For example, Mondly and Clozemaster focus on vocabulary and have limited free content you can use to start learning.