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What’s the country known for Art Nouveau architecture, pristine beaches, and sublime outdoor wildlife? Why that’s Latvia, of course!
Latvian—or “Lettish”—is the country’s official language used by 2 million speakers! Apart from being relatively old, what makes it interesting is that it’s one of the only two surviving Baltic languages (next to Lithuanian).
Want to learn more about Latvian? Try these 8 great apps:
Top picks
- Beginners, learn Latvian through fun exercises on Mondly or Ling
- Memorize Latvian words and phrases on 50 Languages
- Once you’ve built your vocabulary, quiz yourself on Clozemaster
The best apps to learn Latvian
1. Mondly
Practical and intuitive, Mondly is a playful language app that functions as if you’re learning from a native Latvian speaker!
Through its gamified lessons, this bite-sized app will teach you Latvian in a fun, playful manner! Its courses cover a variety of topics, such as core vocabulary, vacation activities, public transportation, and more—so rest assured, you’ll be in good hands!
On top of that, Mondly’s high-quality audio and special hands-free integration will let you practice your speech on the go. How awesome is that?
Want to know more about this app? Check out our Mondly review!
Why learn Latvian with Mondly:
- Simple lessons for beginners, intermediates, and advanced students
- Practice your grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation
- Audio recorded by native speakers
Pricing: Mondly offers one free lesson a day. For complete access, try Mondly Premium. Check out the latest Mondly promo here.
Devices: iOS and Android
2. Ling App
For those who like interactive lessons, Ling does all that and more by preparing flashcards, word quizzes, and mini-games that you won’t get enough of!
Should you want to match pictures to words, sort sentences, or simply play around with its chatbot—this app’s got everything to keep you entertained.
Whether you’re a beginner or advanced learner, there’s certainly a course you’ll enjoy!
Find out more about Ling’s amazing features in this detailed review.
Why learn Latvian with Ling:
- Playful game-like interface
- Courses for beginners and up
- Practice conversation using its chatbot
Pricing: The Ling App is free! Get the Pro version at $14.99/month for complete access.
Devices: iOS and Android
3. Clozemaster
Ever heard of a Cloze Test? These are brief, fill-in-the-blanks language assessments meant to test your comprehension skills.
If that kind of teaching style appeals to you, then Clozemaster is your kind of app! Built with a competitive interface, you can peruse its games and media, increase your proficiency level, or even compete with friends.
To finely tune your Latvian reading, writing, and speaking skills, this dynamic platform will indeed keep your thoughts sharp!
Why learn Latvian with Clozemaster:
- Most appropriate for intermediate and advanced students
- Gamelike system with lists, quizzes, and media
- Dynamic lessons based on context clues
Pricing: Clozemaster is free. Advanced features on Clozemaster Pro are available at $8/month.
Devices: iOS and Android
4. Glossika
If you’re looking to improve your conversational skills by learning useful Latvian phrases, give Glossika a try.
This app focuses on teaching language structures and sentences through spaced repetition and adaptive learning technology. Glossika teaches thousands of sample sentences spoken by native speakers. This allows you to learn Latvian vocabulary and grammar with full context.
Glossika also allows you to choose the topics you are interested in, such as travel, greetings, and colloquial expressions. This ensures that you are only learning things that are relevant to you.
Our comprehensive review of Glossika takes you through the ins and outs of this app.
Why learn Latvian with Glossika:
- Thousands of Latvian sentences to learn from
- Improve your vocabulary, grammar, and conversation skills
- Spaced repetition system ensures longer recall
Pricing: Subscriptions start from $16.99/month. You can also try it free for 7 days! 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
5. uTalk
Did you know that Latvian has 3 dialects? Well, on uTalk, you’ll get the right lessons for the Middle dialect, which is also known as the Standard Latvian language.
Should you be a beginner or an intermediate, there’s always room to learn more about key words and phrases—and fortunately, this platform has got it all!
Focused on vocabulary and speech, it’s readily equipped with self-recording tools and authentic audio to help you get it right.
Check out this in-depth review of uTalk for more deets!
Why learn Latvian with uTalk:
- 60+ topics (lasting 2-3 hours per unit)
- Practice Section with native speakers and written words
- Get lessons in 100+ languages
Pricing: Free introductory lessons. Unlock full access with the Premium subscription. Or get discounts here!
Devices: iOS and Android
6. italki
Learning from a verified source is a sure shot to success. And, with a fun app like italki, you’ll have an easier time finding your ideal instructor—should that be a community tutor or professional teacher!
You can easily view their introduction video and read their reviews, before booking an online class.
At the time of writing, there are not many tutors on the platform who specialize in Latvian. However, since this is such a popular app for language learners, we are confident that there will be more Latvian tutors to come.
Check out this italki review for more details! You can also consider looking for tutors on Preply.
Why learn Latvian with italki:
- Best place to practice speaking and/or create a personalized lesson plan
- Learn via italki Virtual Classroom or Skype
- Features community and professional teachers
Pricing: Pricing varies as tutors set their own prices. Also, new users get discounted trial lessons!
Devices: iOS and Android
7. Learn Latvian by 50 Languages
Learn to speak Latvian with confidence with 50 languages, an app designed to perfect your pronunciation of basic words and sentences.
Combining audio with text, its handy interface will help you practice Latvian in various day-to-day situations, be it introducing yourself, making small talk, or going on a vacation.
Plus, the platform allows you to study Latvian from any language—so, whether English or Spanish is your mother tongue, you’ll have no trouble navigating this course!
Why learn Latvian with 50 languages:
- Broad library of audio files
- Lessons suitable for the Common European Framework’s Level A1 and A2
- For travel or study use
Pricing: The app is free! If you want extra features, in-app purchases start at $2.99/item.
Devices: iOS (all languages) or Android (Latvian only)
8. Learn Latvian by Lomol Language
Make your Latvian studies light and engaging with Learn Latvian, an engaging platform filled with activities! From vocabulary to phrases, quizzes to translations—this app’s got you covered, as you get started with beginner lessons.
Besides that, it also has a self-recording function to assess your pronunciation skills. Sweet!
Overall, this makes a convenient add-on to your current lessons, as well as a great travel guide as you tour Latvia.
Why learn Latvian with Lomol Languages:
- Easy phrasebook available for offline use
- Includes self-testing tools
- Online translation function
Pricing: Learn Latvian is free, with in-app purchases starting at $3.99/item
Devices: Android
FAQs about learning Latvian
Where is Latvian spoken?
Latvian is the official language of Latvia, where it is primarily spoken by 2 million people—of which 1.4 million are native speakers, and at least 100,000 come from around the world!
The country has strong language policies, which resulted in a high number of locals speaking the language.
Is Latvian hard to learn?
Latvian is a Baltic language from the Indo-European language family.
So, those who speak Lithuanian—or are already familiar with Slavic and Germanic languages, for the matter—will have an easier time studying Latvian, because of their loanwords and shared grammar rules.
On the other hand, Latvian is a Category III or “hard language” for English speakers, according to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). Since it’s an inflecting language, this difficulty can be owed to its 33-letter modified alphabet, grammatical genders, and complex conjugation system (due to its lack of articles).
What are the Baltic languages?
The Baltic languages are a group of Indo-European languages that were spoken on the eastern Baltic Sea. These are close to Slavic, Germanic, and Indo-Iranian language families.
Latvia and Lithuanian are the only surviving languages, for Old Prussian, Semingallian, Yotvingian, Curonian, and Selonian are already extinct.
Fun fact: Latvian is as old—or in some cases, older—than Sanskrit, making this an interesting language for linguists and historians to study!
What is the difference between Latvian and Lithuanian?
While they are both Baltic languages—and thus, have similar words and phrases—they aren’t mutually intelligible. Latvian uses more loanwords and has a different vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation (ie. word stress).
Why should I learn Latvian?
If you’re traveling to Latvia, then learning this will be very helpful, since about 80% of Latvia’s total population speaks the language.
Diving deeper, Latvia is likewise home to abundant literature, folklore, and folksongs. Should you be interested in music or the arts, studying Latvian will surely be rewarding!
What is the best app to learn Latvian?
Mondly is your best way of getting structured lessons, while Ling and uTalk are perfect for fun language exercises. Each has its unique way of balancing your studies with playtime! You may pair these apps with a professional tutor from italki or supplementary content from Glossika.
Is Latvian in Duolingo?
There is no Duolingo Latvian. For similar content, you can try Mondly’s multinational leaderboard function, as well as Ling’s interactive quizzes, mini-games, and flashcards. Once you reach the intermediate level, feel free to sign up on Clozemaster!
Is Latvian in Rosetta Stone?
Rosetta Stone doesn’t teach Latvian either. If you want to focus on building conversational skills for real-world use, you can either practice your speech with Mondly’s hands-free format, or type out dialogues with Ling’s chatbot. Pair these with uTalk or 50 Languages’ audio-supported phrasebook!
What is the best way to learn Latvian?
A combination of learning media, books, apps, and a personal tutor is your best way of mastering Latvian. After all, you need to perfect all reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to get ahead!
Don’t forget, you can always view the r/learnlatvian forum for some pointers, or the Forvo pronunciation dictionary when you’re in a pinch!