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Maybe it’s the allure of French culture. Maybe you’ve fallen in love with the Parisian lifestyle. Or French cuisine. Or maybe you’re a curious soul with a penchant for learning languages. Whatever your reason for learning French, you’re probably having fun and looking forward to reaping the benefits.
Speakers of the Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian) have an edge since French is also a Romance or Neo-Latin language and thus, shares a lot of similarities with them.
English speakers also have a leg up as the two languages share vocabulary. Avant-garde, déjà vu, sandwich, prestige, silhouette, intelligent… these are all French words that have found their way into the English language!
Learning French is fun, and to some degree, easy. Or is it? A common stumbling block is spoken French. From nasal vowels to the back-of-the-mouth “r” and confusing accent marks, learning to speak in French is a challenging task.
Not all of us can quickly move to France or any Francophone country just to get more French speaking practice. But we can get into French speaking apps.
Why use French speaking apps
For a well-rounded approach to learning French, it’s best to get all bases covered. A combination of mobile apps, French learning books, podcasts, online courses, and other learning resources should propel you to success.
Some apps are all-inclusive and target all areas of concern such as reading, writing, listening, speaking, vocabulary, and grammar. However, some are specialized, focusing on developing one or two skills at a time.
If your priority is becoming conversational quickly, certain apps can help. These apps will often be audio-based or feature a lot of audio guides that you can listen to and repeat after. Some may include chatbots or conversation features that let you practice your listening and speaking skills.
The best thing about apps is that they offer the interactivity and convenience that traditional materials like textbooks lack. Plus, you have your phone with you all the time, might as well use it to learn something, right?
Top picks
Plenty of apps can help you learn to speak French. However, there are some that excel in this area. These apps are what we’d call in French as the crème de la crème.
- Pimsleur’s 30-minute audio lessons will get you speaking from day one.
- Rocket French’s audio-based course gives cultural context to spoken French.
- For engaging apps that feature the voices of native speakers, go for Babbel and Mondly.
- italki, Preply, and Lingoda can connect you with thousands of French language tutors.
With that out of the way, it’s time to get a closer look at these apps. Allons-y!
Best French speaking apps for language learners
1. Pimsleur
If you’ve read our review of Pimsleur, you’d know that we love this app for a few reasons. Its biggest appeal? This app has been known to help learners speak from day one.
Pimsleur is an app that’s guaranteed to help you learn conversational French. The French course has five levels that make up a total of 75 hours of audio. All of the French phrases and sentences used are exclusively voiced by native speakers.
Not only does Pimsleur provide lots of listening practice, it also prompts you to speak. The program uses listen-and-repeat and call-and-response patterns that encourage you to participate and recall what you learned. Keep doing this for 75 hours and you’ll gain confidence in speaking French.
Key features:
- Well-established method of learning languages
- Authentic voices of native French speakers to train your ears
- Helps you develop familiarity with French pronunciation, accents, and tones
Pricing: $14.95/month for Audio-Only; $19.95/month for Premium (with bonus materials), or $20.95/month for All Access. Try Pimsleur now for FREE.
Devices: iOS and Android
2. Rocket French
Learn French on Rocket Languages
Like Pimsleur, Rocket Languages is also a mostly audio-based program. However, aside from asking you to repeat after a native speaker, Rocket also lets you speak to the app with its high-quality voice recognition system.
Rocket French helps correct your pronunciation and accent. But it doesn’t stop there. It also provides reading materials, grammar lessons, and even cultural tidbits that are instrumental for a holistic French learning journey.
Getting contextualized lessons helps you gain a deeper appreciation for the language and can even help you speak like a native. I don’t know about you but that sounds super!
Read our review of Rocket Languages to know more about this awesome app.
Key features:
- Interactive audio lessons complemented by reading materials
- State-of-the-art voice recognition engine
- Easy-to-grasp grammar lessons and cultural insights
Pricing: Lifetime access starts at $149.95 but you can avail of discounts.
Devices: iOS and Android
3. Babbel
The bestselling app Babbel features a variety of exercises that target all aspects of a language. But the speaking drills stand out as its best feature.
There are two ways you can learn to speak conversational French via Babbel. First, you get lots of French speaking practice with dialogues that mimic everyday life in France. Second, you’re asked to repeat after words and phrases. You can’t do it halfheartedly as Babbel has an accurate speech recognition engine that notices even the slightest fumble in your pronunciation!
Babbel also comes with lots of engaging exercises and quizzes. The French course even has games and two podcasts, which can help you be more familiar with the spoken language. You can learn more with our Babbel review or try the app yourself.
Key features:
- Huge focus on nailing down French pronunciation and enunciation
- Lots of listening and speaking practice
- A variety of tests that cover reading, writing, and grammar
Pricing: Subscriptions at $13.95/month. Find the latest Babbel promotions here.
Devices: iOS and Android
4. Mondly
One of the best French speaking apps is not necessarily dedicated to just improving your speaking skills. In fact, Mondly is an inclusive app that helps hone core skills, from expanding one’s vocab to developing reading skills and learning conjugations.
That said, its use of the voices of native speakers makes it a great way to learn conversational French. The best part? Lessons are done in a fun gamified environment.
Mondly allows you to play your way through French with its engaging exercises. Meanwhile, the leaderboard feature motivates you to keep scoring. What’s not to like?
Discover how this app works with our comprehensive Mondly review and walkthrough.
Key features:
- Native voiceovers that teach authentic pronunciation and accent
- Immersive chatbot for French speaking practice
- Lessons that cover daily life and French culture
Pricing: Free daily lessons. Full access starts at $12.90/month or $61.92/year. You can check the latest promo here.
Devices: iOS and Android
5. italki
So far, I’ve recommended apps where you either have to repeat after a voiceover or talk to a chatbot to get French speaking practice. While they can help you become fluent, there’s no better way to put your skills and confidence level to the test than by talking to a native speaker.
Enter italki, a platform that connects you to over a thousand French professional teachers and community tutors. Here, you don’t just get to speak French but also receive guidance and correction on your pronunciation and tone.
While many French tutors have standard lesson plans that they use for students, the beauty of using italki is that you can ask your tutor to customize your course according to your skill level or pain points. Check out our italki review to learn more.
Key features:
- Private coaching from a French native speaker
- Lessons that are customized to your needs
- Affordable tutor rates and flexible schedules
Pricing: Varies per tutor but you can find tutors for as low as $5 per lesson. Check out the discounted trial lesson here.
Devices: iOS and Android
6. Rosetta Stone
One of the best ways to improve your French speaking skills is to be completely immersed in it. Rosetta Stone, a well-known language learning app, helps you do that from the start.
Rosetta Stone teaches languages through an approach called Dynamic Immersion. In simple terms, this means you learn French entirely in, well, French. Apart from the instructions, everything in the app is in French. No translations or pronunciation guides.
Combine this with the app’s TruAccent voice recognition engine and you get one challenging app.
This way of teaching languages is rather polarizing — it can be uncomfortable, even ruthless for some. But for those who crave challenge and want as much language exposure as possible, Rosetta Stone may just be the perfect app.
Key features:
- Exclusive use of the voices of native French speakers to train your ears
- An immersive and authentic way of learning to understand and speak French
- Ideal for upper beginner and intermediate learners
Pricing: Starts at $35.97. Check out Rosetta Stone’s promos.
Devices: iOS and Android
7. Preply
Like italki, Preply connects you to a large pool of French tutors who can help you boost your language skills. It’s easy to choose a tutor; you simply browse and filter profiles based on the specialties, price, schedule, and reviews.
The great thing about Preply tutors is that many of them speak more than two languages. For instance, if you know German, you can search for French tutors who can also speak German. This way, you can use and learn two languages!
What’s more, you can sign up for a free trial first. This way, you can easily switch to another tutor if you’re not clicking with the first one.
Key features:
- Connect with native French tutors
- One-on-one coaching on French pronunciation, accents, and tones
- Flexible rates and schedules
Pricing: Varies per tutor but you can find tutors for as low as $4/session. Find a French tutor on Preply now.
Devices: iOS and Android
8. Lingoda
Another amazing platform where you can find French tutors is Lingoda. Here though, you can choose between private, one-on-one classes or group classes.
Lingoda features professional native-level teachers located worldwide which means you’re getting authentic, expert instruction with cultural context. What’s more, the site offers over 550k classes per year or 60+ classes every hour, 24/7. Regardless of where you are in the world, you can find a class to join.
But what I really love about Lingoda is that you can get personalized feedback whether you signed up for private coaching or group sessions. That said, being in a small class means you’ll be interacting with more people and likely getting more speaking practice.
Key features:
- Option to learn one-on-one or in small groups
- Classes cover beginner to advanced levels
- Additional resources (e.g., annotated PDFs, homework, blog, etc.)
Pricing: Starts at $10/class. Check out the latest Lingoda promo here.
Devices: iOS and Android
9. FluentU
Learning a language doesn’t have to be limited to formal study plans or structured courses. In fact, one of the best apps to learn French uses real French video content like movie trailers, music videos, news clips, celebrity interviews, and more.
FluentU is an app for learners who want to consume French media and learn from it. And if you think you can simply laze away with this app, think again. With FluentU, you’re not just watching videos passively.
For you to effectively and quickly learn to speak French, you have to click on the interactive subtitles. From there, you’ll see definitions, pronunciation guides, other usages, and even context. There are also speaking exercises. Who knew watching videos online can be this educational?!
Key features:
- A vast collection of real-world videos arranged by skill level and genre
- Interactive captions that help you dive deeper into new words and phrases
- Pronunciation guides and speaking exercises
Pricing: Subscribe for as low as $19.99/month. Or try it first for free.
Devices: iOS and Android
10. Lingopie
Like FluentU, Lingopie is an immersive learning platform that teaches languages through content that actually appeals to you. Here, you can find tons of French TV shows and films that can help turn you into a Francophone (or at least make you feel like one).
Learning on Lingopie is as easy as choosing a show or movie to watch and learn from. The videos have dual subtitles and transcripts. You can click on words to get instant translations and hear the correct pronunciation.
You can then record your pronunciation of the words and let the app test you for accuracy. You can also save your favorite words (or the difficult words) and turn them into flashcards that you can review later.
What’s more, Lingopie has a tutoring platform that includes expert French tutors!
Key features:
- Learn relevant French vocabulary from native speakers
- Substantial collection of engaging French videos
- Innovative learning tools to help you develop better recall
Pricing: Free 7-day trial. After the trial, you can subscribe for as low as $5.99/month.
Devices: iOS and Android
11. Glossika
If you’re tired of memorizing random words and dry grammar tables, Glossika offers a refreshing, high-rep approach to French that feels more like natural acquisition than schoolwork.
Instead of drilling individual words, you dive straight into full, practical sentences—mimicking the intuitive way we pick up languages as children.
With access to thousands of sentences recorded by native speakers, you’ll build conversational muscle memory through constant listening and speaking. It’s a bit of a workout for your brain, but the exercises are just challenging enough to spark progress without being overwhelming or impossible to follow.
Key features:
- Learn relevant French vocabulary through full sentences
- High-quality recordings from native French speakers
- Includes a “listening-only” mode for practicing hands-free while you’re on the move
Pricing: A Glossika subscription starts from $16.99/month. You can try it for free first! If you’d like to support Learn Languages From Home, make sure to complete your purchase through the Glossika website (not the mobile app). You can sign up and use whatever platform you want, but if you make the purchase using the website, I make a small commission. Thanks!
Devices: iOS and Android
12. Langua
Langua is a game-changer for building real French fluency if you’re looking to move past pre-scripted dialogues.
Unlike traditional apps that keep you locked in multiple-choice loops, Langua uses advanced conversational AI that lets you speak freely about whatever interests you. You’ll chat with remarkably realistic AI characters—some even cloned from popular YouTubers Langua partnered with—who provide instant corrections and clear explanations so you actually learn from your slips.
With Langua, you can debate a hot topic, roleplay a bakery visit, or use “Call Mode” for hands-free practice during your commute. And if those aren’t enough, you can even book private lessons with a live French tutor.
Key features:
- “Unfiltered” AI that responds to whatever you say in real-time.
- High-quality audio that teaches native speaker pronunciation
- Personalized learning path and vocabulary
Pricing: Langua’s Pro plans start from $19.90/month. You can try it for free before committing to a plan. Private tutor rates vary.
Devices: iOS and Android
13. LingChat
Finding a native speaker to chat with isn’t always easy, but LingChat makes high-level practice accessible anytime.
Designed for all ages, the app uses relatable AI characters to guide you through dynamic role-playing games and real-life simulations—from ordering a croissant to navigating a business meeting. You can even build custom scenarios to focus on exactly what you need.
With real-time grammar corrections and personalized suggestions to polish your accent, LingChat also helps your confidence grow with every session. Plus, its built-in spaced repetition system ensures those tricky new phrases actually stick for the long haul.
Key features:
- Learn French in diverse, simulated real-life contexts or design your own custom scenarios
- Instant feedback on grammar and pronunciation
- Smart review tools
Pricing: Monthly subscription starts at $20/month, but promo rates are available.
Devices: iOS and Android
14. Talkpal
Ready to have a full-blown debate about French cheese? You can do this with Talkpal, a GPT-powered language teacher that trades boring drills for immersive, real-time conversations.
This app is designed to feel like you’re chatting with an incredibly patient native speaker who gives you instant feedback on your pronunciation and grammar. You can jump into various modes—from casual chats and high-stakes debates to fun roleplays with historical characters—ensuring you hit your reading, listening, and speaking goals.
Key features:
- GPT-powered free-flowing conversational practice adapted to your skill level
- Various learning modes (e.g., chat, roleplay, debate)
- Instant speaking feedback
Pricing: Free with limited content. Upgrade to Premium (starts from $6.25/month with the annual plan) to get unlimited practice. Try it free here!
Devices: iOS and Android
15. Memrise
With thousands of videos featuring native speakers in their local settings, it’s no wonder Memrise is recognized as a great app for speaking.
This immersive app effectively teaches French by showing video examples of how the language is used in real life. The phrases you will learn are all relevant and with cultural context to boot. Because native speakers deliver them, you can hear subtleties that you might miss if you just listen to machine-learning bots.
To build long-term memory, there are quizzes, games, and flashcards. And while Memrise’s official French courses are highly recommended, there are also user-generated courses that cover various themes.
Key features:
- Learn useful French phrases
- Video lessons delivered by native speakers in local settings
- Effective and engaging review materials
Pricing: Free with some features. To access all content, upgrade to Memrise Pro for only $5/month.
Devices: iOS and Android
16. Speakly
Speakly is available in only seven languages, at least for now, but it is a great app if you’re looking to refine your French speaking skills.
As you can gather from its name, Speakly’s main goal is to help you speak and confidently converse with locals. What’s great is that you can tailor your study plan based on your skill level, your reason for studying (e.g., work, traveling, studying abroad), and how much time you can commit per day.
Speakly will then teach you the most statistically relevant words in French. With its audio guides and voice recognition software, you can gain listening and speaking practice. Finally, using spaced repetition method, the app helps you build long-term recall.
Key features:
- Ample listening and speaking practice
- Teaches relevant vocabulary and essential grammar
- Customized learning tracks
Pricing: €10.99/month. You can lower the cost by signing up for longer periods.
Devices: iOS and Android
17. Speechling
A non-profit language platform designed to improve your speaking skills, Speechling uses a combination of technology and human coaching to help students.
Here’s how it works: you listen to a professional voice actor say a sentence. Then, you can record yourself and save it for your coach to review. Within 24 hours, you will get feedback on your pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, grammar, word choice, and more. And that’s for free!
By repeating this cycle for two to three months, you can achieve conversational fluency. You can also access the app’s free vocab flashcards and quizzes.
Key features:
- Learn authentic French pronunciation and tones from professionals
- Get coaching from native speakers
- A holistic approach that also improves vocabulary and grammar
Pricing: Free for up to 35 coaching sessions per month. Get unlimited coaching for $19.99 per month.
Devices: iOS and Android
18. Tandem
One of the best ways to become fluent in French is to talk to Francophones. As I’ve mentioned above, you can do that with French tutors. But what if you want something more casual, maybe even social?
If you answered yes to that question, Tandem is for you. This language exchange app that doubles as a social network connects you with thousands of French speakers who are keen to teach you their language while also learning yours.
With Tandem, you can chat with French speakers via text, voice notes, audio calls, or video calls if you’ve grown comfortable enough with him/her. Your language partner can correct your pronunciation, intonation, sentence construction, word choice, and more.
Key features:
- Connect with French speakers
- Social way of learning languages
- In-app translation feature, communication tools, and option to sign up for paid lessons
Pricing: Free with limited features. For unlimited translations and more features, you can sign up for Tandem Pro for $6.99/month.
Devices: iOS and Android
Bonus: Duolingo
I know, I know, Duolingo isn’t the first app that comes to mind when you think of speaking apps. But as you can see from this Duolingo review, this app has its merits.
French, along with Spanish, is one of the most well-developed courses on Duolingo. It has more units than other courses, it has the Stories feature, and as of writing, French and Spanish are the only courses that have podcasts.
The podcasts are not your run-of-the-mill content — they feature real Francophones with interesting stories — and aside from the host’s narration, you hear everything in French. That means more listening practice, which can help you improve your speaking practice too.
While the voiceovers on Duolingo are not as native-sounding as others on this list, long-term use helps you become more familiar with the pronunciation of French words. As for the speaking drills, Duolingo’s speech recognition engine has also improved over the years.
Key features:
- A gamified interface that motivates you to keep learning
- Fairly accurate speech recognition software
- French Stories and Podcast for more exposure to the language
Pricing: Free! For an ad-free experience, Duolingo Premium is available for $6.99/month.
Devices: iOS and Android
Final thoughts
French is a lovely language but it does take time and dedication to learn how to speak it. Believe me, I know. That doesn’t mean you have to quit. Why would you when there are so many resources that can help you succeed?
With this list of French speaking apps, plus lots of exposure to the language (French Netflix shows maybe?), you will eventually reach mastery. Exploring books, podcasts, and other learning materials may not directly help you speak but will deepen your understanding of French, which can translate to confidence in speaking.
Stay motivated, take advantage of the tools you have, and enjoy the road to fluency!