11 Best Apps to Learn Latin for Beginners and Beyond

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Is learning Latin one of your language goals? Judging by these advocates in the UK, the US, and Australia, you are not alone in wanting to study and teach this classic language.

It makes sense—Latin is a dead language (it’s no longer the native language of any community) but it is very much alive in our day-to-day vocabulary. Whenever you’re saying alibi, etcetera, bona fide, or status quo, you’re speaking Latin!

Plus, Latin is the derivative of French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. If you’re studying any of these languages, knowing Latin will make the journey easier.

Fortunately for you and me, there are plenty of resources available, including apps to learn Latin. With these tools, you’ll go from just knowing clichés like Veni, vidi, vici to being able to say Ego linguam Latinam studeo. And take it from me, you’ll have fun learning!

Top picks

Despite the clamor for it, Latin isn’t on Babbel or Pimsleur. However, there are plenty of other strong contenders:

• Play fun mini-games on Mondly or Duolingo.

• Learn Latin in context on LingQ or Rosetta Stone.

• Learn Latin to better understand classical texts through Mango Languages.

• Hire affordable Latin tutors on italki.

Remember that apps that teach Latin can only get you so far. For a more holistic approach, supplement them with good books to learn Latin.

Now, time for a closer look at these apps. Let’s go!

Best apps to learn Latin

1. Mondly

In 2020, vox populi (the voice of the people) was heard and Mondly Latin was finally introduced. It was one of the very few apps that made learning a 2000-year-old language fun and not feel like a chore.

Mondly achieved this by gamifying the process of learning Latin. This includes building vocabulary through fun quizzes, arranging letters into words and words into sentences, and following voice recordings to practice pronunciation.

Every Mondly lesson is bite-sized and can take as short as 10 minutes, which means you’ll have no problem squeezing it into your day. What’s more, you can learn Latin from any language, not necessarily English.

Why you should try Mondly:

• Learn Latin vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation with fun games
• Quick and engaging lessons
• Great speech recognition technology

Pricing: Free daily lessons. Unlock all content for $9.99/month or $47.99/year. Check out the latest promo here.

Devices: iOS and Android

2. LingQ

Long-time language learners can tell you that one of the fastest ways to learn any language is through immersion. Immersing you in a vast library of audio materials, LingQ is one of the best apps to learn Latin.

LingQ helps you learn Latin through a variety of topics (e.g., books, news, science, food). Each audio content comes with a transcript, which you can study. You can also add existing content (e.g., songs, YouTube videos) and convert it into interactive Latin lessons.

With this method, you can learn from context and from content that actually interests you. Meanwhile, LingQ lets you retain what you’ve learned through its SRS (spaced repetition system).

Why you should try LingQ:

• Learn Latin through immersion in Latin content
• Unstructured but contextual lessons
• Your preferred content will keep you interested and motivated

Pricing: Some features are available for free. Monthly premium access starts at $12.99.

Devices: iOS and Android

3. Duolingo

Regardless of how long you’ve been learning languages, you’ve likely encountered Duolingo. One of the most popular free language apps, Duolingo is an awesome way to jumpstart your Latin journey.

Duolingo Latin was launched in 2019 and it has since received mixed reviews. I’ve been using this app to study a few languages including Latin, and one glaring weakness that others have also pointed out is that it’s way too short compared to other Duolingo courses. There are only two units and it only covers the present tense.

So, why am I still recommending it? Because it’s fun! Duolingo lets you learn basic Latin in only five minutes per day and engages you by pushing you to beat others on the leaderboard.

If it’s your first time studying Latin, Duolingo will remove any intimidation you have for the language. It makes Latin seem ‘reachable’. It won’t help you be fluent but it’ll inspire you to seek out more resources and take your studies seriously.

Why you should try Duolingo:

• Learn Latin in as short as five minutes a day
• Gamified learning
• A good introduction to Latin

Pricing: Free. Duolingo Plus costs $6.99/month and gives you ad-free and offline access, plus unlimited mistakes.

Devices: iOS and Android

4. Rosetta Stone

Learn Latin on Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone believes that learning Latin is about understanding the language, not just the individual words. While it offers a phrasebook, it focuses more on immersion to teach Latin in context.

Instead of rote memorization, Rosetta Stone encourages immersive learning by providing audio and visual aids to stimulate understanding. While it’s not the strongest resource for grammar, its lessons are easy to digest and feature practical vocabulary.

What’s more, the lessons sync across devices. So, you can pick up your language learning journey exactly where you left off.

Why you should try Rosetta Stone:

• Trusted and reputable program
• Learn Latin words and phrases in context
• Incorporates usage of Latin in both classical literature and modern professions

Pricing: Starts at $7.99/month. Find the latest Rosetta Stone Latin promo here.

Devices: iOS and Android

5. italki

If your goal is to be conversational in Latin (yes, that’s possible and useful), italki comes highly recommended. As the app’s name suggests, its goal is to get you to start talking.

On italki, you can take one-on-one lessons with professional teachers and community tutors. The platform offers flexibility—you can choose based on rates, languages spoken, and based on your schedule.

As of writing, there are less than 30 Latin teachers in italki but all of them are highly vetted. Understandably, all of them speak Romance languages so if you know any of those languages, your lessons will be a breeze.

Why you should try italki:

• Verified and well-reviewed Latin tutors
• Learn Latin for reading and speaking
• Competitive rates

Pricing: Most tutors charge between $25-40 per lesson. Trial lessons are discounted.

Devices: iOS and Android

6. uTalk

uTalk is one of the most effective apps to learn Latin if your goal is to start speaking (and understanding) from day one. While it makes no attempts to teach grammar, this app is good for picking up practical phrases and hearing their right pronunciation.

uTalk Latin has a library of over 2,500 words and phrases across 60+ topics in everyday situations. You’ll learn to use Latin for conversations about food, sports, transportation, disaster relief, and more.

The app offers free introductory words. If you score full marks in the games, you earn ‘uCoins’, which you can use to unlock more topics.

Why you should try uTalk:

• Provides reading, listening, and speaking practice
• Fun and intuitive games
• Large and diverse vocabulary list

Pricing: Introductory lessons for free. Full access starts at $11.99/month. Score uTalk discounts here.

Devices: iOS and Android

7. Mango Languages

A favorite of educational institutions and homeschoolers, Mango Languages is one of the earliest apps to offer Latin. The app teaches a good mix of vocabulary and grammar, with heaps of cultural notes.

What I love about Mango Latin is that it addresses a common goal most Latin learners have: to read works in their original works. Imagine being able to read and understand works like Caesar’s Gallic Wars, Phaedrus’ fables, and Cicero’s Pro Archia. With this app, you can.

Mango also teaches grammar, although it is taught in context. Moreover, the culture notes help add depth to the lessons.

Why you should try Mango Languages:

• Teaches Latin through canonical literature
• Plenty of cultural insights
• Uses a repetitive review system for better retention

Pricing: $7.99/month for a single language and $17.99/month for all languages. A 14-day free trial is available

Devices: iOS and Android

8. Clozemaster

Clozemaster neither claims to be the ultimate app to learn Latin nor does it pretend to be beginner-friendly. It outright says that it’s the best resource for intermediate and advanced Latin learners.

Unlike gamified apps that focus on flashcards-based vocabulary building, Clozemaster prioritizes contextual learning. It gives you a sentence with a missing word and the challenge is to select or enter the correct word from context.

This is the best app to learn Latin if you have prior background and looking for something more fast-paced and challenging.

Why you should try ClozeMaster:

• Context-based exercises
• Perfect app to learn Latin for intermediate and advanced learners
• A fast-paced yet fun way to learn Latin vocabulary and grammar

Pricing: Free to sign-up and play. Clozemaster Pro comes at $8/month or $60/year with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Devices: iOS and Android

9. Cattus Learn Latin

Latin has three distinct genders, seven noun cases, five declensions, four verb conjugations, six tenses, and largely free word order. While the words themselves are often familiar to English speakers, Latin grammar can be very complicated.

This is where Cattus shines. While it teaches vocabulary, it focuses more on grammar and syntax analysis. It invites you to break down each sentence into words to help you understand the role each term plays in the sentence. The vocabulary is also practical.

Granted, this app could be designed better. But if you’re looking for something simple and easy like Duolingo yet crave that deeper level of understanding for conjugation and declensions, this is for you. And did I mention that it’s free?!

Why you should try Cattus:

• Well-structured grammar lessons with concise explanations
• Great supplement for other apps and books
• Straightforward but meaty enough

Pricing: Absolutely free!

Devices: iOS and Android

10. SPQR Latin Dictionary and Reader

The SPQR app is much more than a dictionary and a reader. This iOS-exclusive app is one of the most comprehensive apps to learn Latin.

Made for serious Latin learners, this app has a full, fast, and searchable copy of the Lewis & Short Latin lexicon, one of the best Latin dictionaries out there. Its word parser function is also useful for those who are studying Latin grammar.

The bilingual reader includes full copies of classic texts in their original Latin. You simply have to tap a button to get dictionary definitions and English translations as you read. It also has flashcards, grammar quizzes, and a History section that covers information on Roman history and culture.

Why you should try SPQR Latin Dictionary and Reader:

• All-around resource for learning Latin
• A full dictionary and a robust library of Latin literature
• Grammar lessons, quizzes, and flashcards to aid learning

Pricing: $6.99

Devices: iOS only

11. Legentibus: Learn Latin

Learn Latin on Legentibus

If you’re way past the beginner stage and ready to venture into more challenging (but also fun) materials, try Legentibus.

This app offers a carefully curated library of Latin books, audiobooks, and materials that promote learning by reading and listening. You’ll find learner favorites such as Familia Romana and Ritchie’s Fabulae Faciles, Roman myths and history, and classics by authors like Caesar, Cicero, Sallust, and Erasmus, and more — helping you get exposed to Latin literature at the palm of your hands.

All books come not just with Latin audio, but also with additional help like English translations or interlinear translations, glossaries with English definitions, grammatical notes, and commentaries.

Why you should try Legentibus:

• Helps build Latin vocabulary and grammar
• All books come with audio to improve listening skills
• Contextual learning experience

Pricing: A subscription starts from $9.99 per month. You can try it for free for three days.

Devices: iOS and Android

FAQ about learning Latin

Is Latin easy to learn?

Short answer: no.

I can tell you that it’s so much easier than studying languages with different scripts, such as Korean or Japanese.

It also helps that there are so many words in English that are derived from Latin so there’s that sense of familiarity. And if you speak any of the Romance languages like French or Spanish, you’ll find the vocabulary even more familiar.

However, Latin grammar can be a pain. It has complex rules on cases, genders, declensions, verb forms, and more. But if you’ve studied a language that has complex grammar as well, like German, you’ll likely find Latin grammar manageable.

That said, learning Latin isn’t necessarily harder than other languages. And it’s still worth it, as you’ll see in the next question.

Why should you learn Latin?

There are several reasons which I’ve listed in this article about books to learn Latin.

Without getting into much detail, Latin is a language worth learning because it’s a good fit for aspiring polyglots. Being the basis of Romance languages, it’ll give you a leg up once you start taking on these languages.

But even if you have no plans of studying Italian or Portuguese, you’ll still find a use for Latin. The English vocabulary is teeming with Latin roots and even unchanged Latin words and phrases, especially in disciplines like science, philosophy, law, theology, and music.

For these reasons, it’s practical to learn Latin. But it’ll still be worth it, even if you just want to read the works of Virgil, Ovid, and Seneca in their original form.

What’s the best app to learn Latin?

Mondly and uTalk are great choices if you want gamified Latin lessons. LingQ, Rosetta Stone, and Clozemaster are useful for contextual learning. And if you want private lessons with a Latin tutor, italki is your best bet.

Is Latin on Babbel?

No, Latin is not on Babbel. There are plenty of other good options, however, which I’ve named in the previous question.

What’s the best way to learn Latin?

I always recommend using only two apps at a time to avoid overwhelming yourself with too much information. Choose one or two that fit your goals and pair it with a good textbook or workbook.

You can also sign up for online courses or private lessons with a tutor to get personalized coaching. Keeping a journal and writing what you’ve learned helps in fortifying memory, too.

Finally, immerse yourself in the language. I know this is challenging with Latin. In this case, you can spend time reading the classics but if that’s too intimidating, you can start with children’s books.

Conclusion

As with any language, learning Latin requires determination, patience, and focus. These traits are even more essential when studying dead languages.

With the right apps to learn Latin, and the right mindset, achieving fluency in this language is not impossible. So carpe diem, keep learning, and remember to have fun!