Lingvist Review: Worth the Price? (Pros/Cons and Alternatives)
Kelsey Wetherbee
Published on April 14, 2022
Useful flashcard app to learn vocabulary quickly
Lingvist is a language learning app that focuses on teaching vocabulary through flashcards. There are few other features available, but it’s really only useful if you want to learn new words in your target language. There is a range of easy to challenging words, so the app works well for beginners to intermediate. Advanced learners might already know most of the words and won’t benefit much from Lingvist.
PROS
- Lots of words and flashcard decks
- Easy, fast practices
- Good for on-the-go learners
CONS
- Few features available
- Repetitive exercises
- Automated pronunciations
Languages Available on Lingvist:
English, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Estonian, French, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian
Table of Contents
Lingvist Overview Lingvist Price Lingvist Review: Getting Started- Lingvist Review: Is It Good for Beginners?
- Learning & Remembering New Words
- Understanding & Speaking to Native Speakers
- Making Language Learning a Routine
Lingvist Overview
Lingvist is a language learning app that focuses on vocabulary to learn a language. The idea is that by learning vocabulary in context, you will also pick up on grammar and syntax without having to learn the specific rules. The app uses artificial intelligence to create a custom program for each learner. Lingvist states that this technology helps users learn up to 10x faster than other traditional methods.
I’ve been learning languages for many years so I know that it usually takes a long time to reach a comfortable level of fluency. And, as a bit of a skeptic, I found it hard to believe that an app would have such advanced technology that I could learn a language 10x faster, so I decided to test it out for myself.
The app is very straightforward. There are no games or tokens that other apps use. There are no set lessons, so you can learn as much (or as little) as you like, although the app recommends trying to learn 50 words 3x a week.
Because the app only focuses on vocabulary, it’s good for beginners who have difficulty communicating because they don’t know enough words. Advanced learners might already know most of the words included in the app and will need a different app to continue improving.
Lingvist Price
Lingvist offers three different subscription options. A monthly subscription costs $9.99/month. A yearly subscription costs $79.99 ($6.67/month). If you need more than one Lingvist account, you can connect up to 6 accounts for $119.99/year.
The price of Lingvist is similar to many other language apps such as Mondly and Busuu. If you have a large family, the yearly price for up to 6 accounts is an excellent deal. Another app that offers a family plan to connect multiple accounts is Super Duolingo. If the monthly price of Lingvist is too high, you can check out language apps like Drops, MosaLingua, or Clozemaster.
Lingvist Free Trial
Lingvist offers a 14-day free trial to test out all of the features on the app. To access the trial, you have to enter your credit card information, but you won’t be charged if you cancel the trial before the 14 days are over.
Lingvist Discount
If you enter and confirm your email, Lingvist periodically sends emails with discount coupons. Apart from this, there don’t appear to be any other discounts available.
Lingvist Review: Getting Started
Setting up an account on Lingvist is easy. You just enter your email address and password and then choose the language you want to learn. Next, you take a placement test that helps Lingvist start you on the right level. This was one of the most extensive placement tests I’ve ever done. It had 22 questions. I thought that the test accurately placed me and it let me skip the beginning content since I already knew some Spanish.
Once you know your level, the real work begins! Let’s take a look at how Lingvist helps (or doesn’t help) you overcome the challenges of learning a language.
Lingvist Review: Is It Good for Beginners?
Lingvist is a useful app for beginner language learners. Because it only focuses on one skill (vocabulary), it’s not overwhelming. The beginner level truly starts from the beginning, teaching the most commonly used words such as time, name, hello, etc. Once you know some individual words, the app will start giving you sentences with the words. The artificial intelligence adjusts the course to your level, so if you need a little more or less practice, the algorithm will change based on how you are answering the questions.
Learning & Remembering New Words
Because Lingvist is a vocabulary app, they really excel in this area! In each of the languages, there are at least 4,000 words. Russian has the least (4,461 words) and German has the most (6,009 words). The algorithm adjusts to your learning speed, and it will reintroduce words you’ve already learned so you don’t forget them.
Understanding & Speaking to Native Speakers
Because Lingvist’s only focus is on vocabulary, there isn’t much listening or speaking involved. When practicing with the flashcards, you can hear the words by tapping them. You have to tap each word individually though, so it doesn’t sound very natural. The app uses an automated voice, so you don’t hear a real accent.
There are a few additional listening and speaking challenges included on the platform, but they aren’t developed enough to help you improve your understanding or speaking. If you want to hear native speakers, you can try an app like Lingopie, Yabla, or FluentU. You can also take classes with native teachers on platforms like italki, Preply, or Verbling.
Making Language Learning a Routine
Lingvist makes it easy to practice every day, and you can even learn in a few minutes if that’s all you have. You can easily switch between the mobile app and online platform without losing your progress. They skip the gaming element that some other apps use, such as Duolingo. I personally like the gaming aspect of some language apps, but it isn’t for everybody. Lingvist does let you set goals and check your progress so you know you are advancing.
Lingvist Languages
Lingvist currently offers 8 different languages: English, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Estonian, French, Portuguese (Brazil), and Russian. With every subscription, you can practice as many languages as you want. It’s also easy to switch between the different languages.
There are some differences in the content, but not much. Each language has between 4,000-6,000 words. There is some variety in the words used, but overall, they use the same core words.
Lingvist Review: Overall Learning Experience
There are many ways to learn vocabulary, and I thought Lingvist was an effective one. I enjoyed using Lingvist because it’s simple and easy to use. I tried the Portuguese course and quickly learned many new words. My Portuguese level is very low, but the words were simple enough that I started to remember them after seeing them a few times.
However, I did find myself with questions about grammar that the app couldn’t answer. I think that Lingvist would be most helpful if you use it with another app that teaches a more comprehensive approach to language learning.
Lingvist Review: Areas of Improvement
Even though Lingvist was a helpful app, there were some areas that could be improved. The method behind the app is that by learning vocabulary, you will pick up on the grammar and syntax of the language in context. I did not find this to be the case.
Learning the words and sentences left me with more grammar questions than when I started. The app does offer some very basic grammar explanations in a separate part of the platform, but it wasn’t very helpful. Everyone has a different learning style, but I personally prefer when the grammar is clearly explained. Apps like Babbel and Lingodeer do an excellent job of explaining grammar.
The exercises in Lingvist are very repetitive too. Because there’s only one type of practice (flashcard decks), I was ready to quit after about 10 minutes of practice. Some people only have ten minutes to practice, so in that case, this app might be a convenient choice. I usually prefer to study a little longer, but with Lingvist I didn’t really want to continue after 10 minutes. The lessons in apps like Rocket Languages and Busuu are a lot more engaging.
Lingvist Review: Alternatives & Competitors
Lingvist was useful to help me learn vocabulary, but maybe it isn’t the right app for you. If you’re looking for another app that teaches vocabulary, I highly recommend Drops. Other apps, such as Duolingo and Clozemaster, gamify the vocabulary learning experience to make it more addictive. If you want an app that teaches more grammar, check out Babbel or Rosetta Stone. Pimsleur, Speechling, and Glossika are all good options to practice listening and pronunciation.
Lingvist vs Babbel
Lingvist and Babbel both use sentences and phrases to teach a language. While Lingvist focuses only on vocabulary, Babbel teaches all aspects, like conversation, listening, and grammar. Babbel is a little more expensive, but not by much. The apps would work well together, using Babbel for more general knowledge, and Lingvist to quickly learn vocabulary. But if you can only choose one, I recommend Babbel. You can learn more about Babbel in this review.
Lingvist vs Duolingo
Like Lingvist, Duolingo also has a strong focus on learning vocabulary and phrases in the target language. But Duolingo has more grammar practice mixed in. It also gamifies the learning experience by giving you lingots (points) every time you complete a lesson.
Duolingo offers a lot of free content, and the Super Duolingo subscription is about the same price as Lingvist. The better choice depends on your learning style. If you like a no-nonsense approach, Lingvist is better. But if you like the gaming aspect, Duolingo is the better choice for you. You can learn more about it in this Duolingo review.
Lingvist vs Glossika
Lingvist and Glossika both use the flashcard method to teach new words and phrases in your target language. Glossika focuses more on pronunciation and listening of an entire phrase, while Lingvist only focuses on one specific word. Glossika is the more expensive app (much more expensive, actually), and it offers less content. Lingvist is definitely the better choice, especially for beginners. You can learn more about it in this Glossika review.
Lingvist vs Pimsleur
Pimsleur offers a more rounded approach to language learning than Lingivst because it has pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary practice. Lingvist excels in the vocabulary section by offering many more words, but Pimsleur will help you with all aspects of the language.
Pimsleur is quite a bit more expensive than Lingvist though. Pimsleur is better if you can dedicate a longer time to practicing each day, but if you’re a casual learner who practices on the go, Lingvist might be better. This Pimsleur review tells you everything else you need to know about the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lingvist does not offer any free content. However, you can sign up for a 14-day free trial to test out the app to see if you like it.
Lingvist is a good app for learning vocabulary. You can learn over 4,000 words in your target language. If you want to practice all aspects of a language, such as grammar, speaking, and listening, it’s not a very good app. Better options would be Babbel, Pimsleur, and Rocket Languages.
Lingvist offers different subscription options: a monthly subscription for $9.99/month or a yearly subscription for $79.99. If you need more than one Lingvist account, you can connect up to 6 accounts for $119.99/year.
Lingvist currently offers 8 different languages: English, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Estonian, French, Portuguese (Brazil), and Russian.
About This Lingvist Review
This is an independent Lingvist review, and the company has not sponsored this article. To write this review, I used the free trial to thoroughly test its content and features. I also found additional information on the Lingvist website to verify my findings.
