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Are you tired of traditional language learning methods that don’t seem to work? Do you want to learn Russian in a fun and interactive way? Well, look no further than language learning apps! In this blog post, we will be sharing the 6 best apps to learn Russian.
Table of Contents
How to choose a good language app
Before diving into our list of top picks, it’s important to note what makes a good language app. This is also what we are looking for when comparing different Russian learning apps.
First, as learning any language takes a lot of time and effort, a good language app should have high-quality, engaging content that keeps its users motivated. Secondly, a good Russian learning app should offer various exercises such as quizzes and flashcards. Thirdly, for self-learners, it’s important to choose an app that provides feedback on your progress, especially personalized feedback.
Now with these criteria in mind, let’s dive into our top picks of best apps to learn Russian in 2023. We have also listed down the pros and cons of each app so you can choose one that fits you. Let’s go!
Best Apps to Learn Russian 2023
Best App to Learn Russian Casually – Duolingo
Duolingo is the most popular language learning app that teaches more than 30 languages including Russian. It’s free with gamified lessons that are fun and interactive. From multiple choices to fill-in-the-blank exercises, Duolingo’s Russian course is full of different kinds of challenges that keeps you engaged. It helps you build your Russian skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking with fun games. It also has a large community where you can interact with other learners and compete for points and rewards.
Pros:
- It’s completely free (with ads) and accessible to anyone with a smartphone or computer.
- It’s encouraging and motivating. It gives you feedback, rewards, and reminders to keep you on track and make learning enjoyable.
- It’s fun and gamified. It uses various types of exercises, such as matching, translating, typing, and speaking, to keep you interested and challenged.
Cons:
- It’s poor at teaching the alphabet and typing. It doesn’t explain the Cyrillic script well and expects you to type in Russian without proper guidance or keyboard support.
- Lacks logic and explanations. It doesn’t teach grammar rules or cultural nuances explicitly and often introduces new words and structures without context.
- Unnatural sentences. Duolingo Russian uses robotic audio and sometimes weird sentences that don’t reflect how native speakers talk.
Best App to Learn Russian with Interaction – Babbel
With over 10 million users worldwide, Babbel has proven to be a popular choice for language learners. It offers lessons that are tailored to your level and interests, as well as interactive exercises and speech recognition technology.
Babbel’s Russian course offers an interactive and structured way to learn Russian. It helps you master the Cyrillic alphabet, grammar rules, vocabulary, and pronunciation through various types of exercises and explanations. It also has a speech recognition feature that allows you to practice speaking and get feedback on your accent.
Pros:
- Interactive.
- Affordable and flexible. Even though Babbel is not free, you can choose from different subscription plans and durations that suit your budget and goals.
- Thorough and clear. Babbel Russian is great for begginers as it teaches you the essential concepts and skills of Russian with detailed explanations, examples, and tips. It also provides cultural insights and real-life scenarios that make learning more relevant and engaging.
- Adaptive and personalized. It adjusts to your level and pace of learning, and tracks your progress as you learn. It also lets you customize your review sessions and focus on the topics you need to improve.
Cons:
- Limited and repetitive. Babbel Russian only covers beginner to intermediate levels of Russian, and doesn’t offer advanced or specialized courses. It also uses mostly the same format and types of exercises throughout the lessons, which can get boring for some.
- Incomplete lessons. Some find the Babbel Russian course quite incomplete, with the only first few lesson being thoroughly taught with explanations.
Best App to Learn Russian Comprehensively – LingoDeer
LingoDeer is a rather lesser-known language app that also offers a Russian course. The learning experience is similar to Duolingo with fun, gamified lessons that keep you motivated. What makes it better is it offers a comprehensive, structured course that teaches you from scratch. It helps you master the Cyrillic alphabet, verb conjugation, vocabulary, and pronunciation through various types of exercises and explanations. It also has a speech recognition feature that allows you to practice speaking and get feedback on your accent.
Pros:
- Thorough and clear. LingoDeer teaches you the basics of Russian with detailed explanations, examples, and tips.
- Cultural tips: LingoDeer provides cultural insights and real-life scenarios that make learning more relevant and engaging.
- Clear grammar explanations: LingoDeer has a clear grammar tips section in each Russian lesson that navigates you through the difficult parts.
- Fun and gamified. There are various types of exercises to keep you interested as well as rewards and progress track to help you maintain motivation.
Cons:
- Limited content. It only covers beginner to intermediate levels of Russian, and doesn’t offer advanced or specialized courses.
- No video material. It does not offer any video material that is better for language immersion
Best App to Learn Russian Immersively – Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is another great app to learn Russian because it offers an immersive, intuitive, and comprehensive way to learn the language. It helps you develop all your language skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—through various types of exercises and images. It also has a speech recognition feature that offers personalized feedback on your pronunciation.
This app is known for its immersive approach to language learning, using pictures and audio to help you learn Russian in context.
Pros:
- Immersive and intuitive. You can learn Russian naturally and intuitively by associating words and phrases with images and sounds. The Russian course is taught in Russian instead of English. With no translations or explanations, the learning experience with Rosetta stone is more immersive and intuitive.
- Comprehensive and thorough. Rosetta Stone teaches Russian from beginner to advanced levels, covering a wide range of topics, vocabulary, and grammar. There are also additional features, such as stories, audio companion, and tutoring.
Cons:
- Lack of grammar explanations: Rosetta Stone’s immersive approach relies on the learner to figure out grammar and vocabulary through context, which may be frustrating for some learners.
- Limited speaking practice: While Rosetta Stone does offer speech recognition technology, it may not provide enough opportunity for learners to practice their speaking skills in a real-life context.
- Expensive: Rosetta Stone’s price point is higher compared to some other language learning apps and resources.
- Limited cultural context: While Rosetta Stone provides exposure to the Russian language, it may not offer as much insight into the country’s culture and customs as some other language learning resources.
Best App to Practice Russian Speaking – Mondly
Mondly is one of the best apps to learn Russian online because it simulates total language immersion and uses various techniques to teach you the Russian language quickly, effectively and in a fun way.
Mondly also has some other features like chat box, speech recognition, and even augmented reality technology to provide an immersive language experience.
Mondly’s Russian course is structured around different topics such as greetings, food, travel, and more.
Here are some of the pros and cons of Mondly Russian.
Pros:
- Plenty of speaking practice: with its chat bot and speech recognition technology, Mondly is great for those who wish to practice there Russian speaking skills.
- Fun and interactive teaching approach: Lessons are fun and engaging with a variety of topics.
- Comprehensive content: Mondly covers a range of topics and grammar concepts, which can provide a well-rounded learning experience for learners of all levels.
Cons:
- Less cultural context: Similar to other language learning apps, Mondly may provide less cultural context compared to more in-depth language courses.
- Over-reliance on translation: Mondly often translates words and phrases directly, which may not be the most effective way to learn and retain new vocabulary.
- Lack of feedback:You may not get personalized feedback or correction on your pronunciation or writing skills.
Best App to Learn Russian with Structure – Busuu
Busuu is one of the best apps to learn Russian because it offers a comprehensive, interactive, and social way to learn the language. It helps you develop all your language skills—speaking, listening, reading and writing—through various types of exercises and explanations. It also has a speech recognition feature that allows you to practice speaking and get feedback from native speakers.
Pros:
- Personalized and flexible. You can create a study plan that suits your goals, level, and schedule. You can also access the lessons anytime and anywhere on your device.
- Fun and social. You can interact with other learners and native speakers through voice messages, corrections, and chats. You can also learn cultural tips and real-life scenarios that make learning more engaging and relevant.
Cons:
- Not free. You have to pay a subscription fee to access the full content of the app, which can be costly compared to other apps or resources.
- Less engaging. It uses mostly the same format and types of exercises throughout the lessons, which can get boring. It also doesn’t offer much entertainment in the content.
With these apps at your fingertips, there’s no excuse not to start learning Russian today! Each app offers a unique approach to language learning, so it’s worth trying out a few to see which one suits your style best. Happy studying!
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FAQs
Best Apps to Learn Russian 2023? ›
Duolingo does very well in keeping everything simplified, especially for relatively difficult languages like Russian. Its convenience and gamified experience set it apart from traditional ways of language learning like using word lists and completing translation tasks.
What app should I use to learn Russian? ›| Best Overall App to Learn Russian | Rocket Languages |
|---|---|
| Best Beginner Russian App | Mondly |
| Best Russian App with Interactive Lessons | Babbel |
| Best Russian App with Audio Lessons | Pimsleur |
| Best App to Learn Russian Culture | LingoPie |
Duolingo does very well in keeping everything simplified, especially for relatively difficult languages like Russian. Its convenience and gamified experience set it apart from traditional ways of language learning like using word lists and completing translation tasks.
Is 1 year enough to learn Russian? ›The Foreign Service Institute of the United States has determined that it takes about 1100 hours of study to reach fluency in Russian. If you're willing to study 3 hours every day, it could take you a year to reach that level.
Can I learn Russian in 3 years? ›The Foreign Service Institute has determined it takes around 1100 hours for native English speakers to reach fluency in Russian. If you spend 60 minutes per day studying Russian, it will take you 3 years. If you spend 6 hours per day, you will reach an upper intermediate level in half a year.
How far will Duolingo Russian take you? ›As of March 2022, Duolingo's Russian course has a total of 4 units, broken down into a total of 79 skills. That means there are 395 crown levels in Duolingo's Russian course — or 474 if you include the legendary levels. The exercises in the Russian course are basically the same as in all of Duolingo's courses.
Can Babbel make you fluent in Russian? ›Babbel is a popular language app, but it's certainly not the best language app available. Its courses and lessons can help you build a foundation in your target language, but they won't make you fluent. The quality of the courses also varies depending on your target language.
Is Babbel better than Duolingo for Russian? ›The biggest difference between Babbel and Duolingo is the approach to language learning. Babbel is a better option if you want traditional language instructions through modules and lessons. By contrast, Duolingo works great if you need a playful, gamified experience.
Is Duolingo blocked in Russia? ›Duolingo is still operating as a completely free app in Russia and Belarus. We believe that education is a human right.
Will I be fluent if I finish Duolingo? ›So, can Duolingo make you fluent? By itself, no. But when used in the right way, I would say it can — but this will depend entirely on your definition of fluency, the quality of your language course, and whether you actually use the language away from Duolingo.
What level is fluent in Russian? ›
FLUENT (C2)
Once you have reached this level, you are free to go in any direction: read Russian news, articles and books, listen to podcasts, watch Russian television and communicate with native speakers comfortably. It is the level of Native, or Bilingual proficiency.
Russian is allegedly one of the most complex languages to learn; its Cyrillic alphabet is enough to scare you away. In fact, the Foreign Service Institute classifies it as a category-four language. But don't let that intimidate you. Learning the Russian language is far from impossible.
Is learning Russian worth it now? ›Many studies have suggested that learning a new language improves brain function, providing better memory, more mental flexibility, and creativity. Learning a language from a different language family from your native language – for example, Russian – is a great way to maximize these benefits.
What is the hardest part learning Russian? ›Noun case is probably the hardest part of Russian for English speakers to fully master. And this of course makes us ask: What exactly is Russian noun case? Simply put, the ending of a Russian noun tells you what it does/what role it has in a sentence.
Can Russian be self taught? ›You can easily learn Russian by yourself. But you need to put in the time and be consistent with your studies. Use the right methods and focus on listening, reading and learning grammar through patterns, and Russian fluency will be within your grasp.
Is Russian hard to kearn? ›Russian is widely believed to be one of the most difficult languages to learn. This is mostly true, if you have no knowledge of other Slavic languages (e.g. Bulgarian or Czech). The grammar rules in Russian are very complex and have numerous exceptions.
How to learn Russian fast? ›- Use Authentic Media.
- Immerse Yourself with a Good Program.
- Take the Time to Learn Cyrillic to Teach Yourself Russian.
- Memorize Common Words First to Learn Russian Fast.
- Learn Cognates and Loanwords.
- Immerse Yourself in Russian, at Home or Abroad.
- Practice Your Skills Daily.
- Microlearning sessions. Language sprints.
You don't need to spend hours on Duolingo each day. However, you must put a reasonable amount of time into learning. If you log in to complete one lesson and sign out as soon as you've reached 10XP, you won't get very far. To optimize your learning, aim to spend between 15 and 30 minutes on the app each day.
How many hours to finish Russian Duolingo? ›Install the app, and do the daily lessons (5 minutes) every day for 2 months. After that you will know if 1) learning Russian is something you can do and 2) if learning Russian is something you want to do. And this knowledge is priceless. And all it took you was about 5-10 hours and exactly $0.
How many words does it take to be fluent in Russian? ›I think 3000 to 3500 words or more may be more realistic a word count for level 1 to take into count the case endings. I think 20000 words in Russian is going to be a minimum and 30000 to 50000 words would be a more comfortable fluency level.
What are the weaknesses of Babbel? ›
Content may be too basic for advanced speakers. Babbel has a limited amount of speaking exercises and feedback is not as thorough as competitors. Babbel does not offer live tutoring, which means users cannot speak with a live tutor to practice their language skills. Babbel offers a limited amount of free content.
What are the disadvantages of Babbel? ›- It lacks a complete learning approach. Even though Babbel builds each language course separately, which is admirable, the substance presented in each course varies. ...
- Limited language and lessons with varying quality. ...
- It is meant for English speakers. ...
- Babbel is not for advanced learners.
Duolingo offers over 20 languages, so you'll have over twice as many language options as Babbel. Compared to Babbel, Duolingo's main weakness is that it doesn't have example conversations. However, if full conversations aren't your thing, Duolingo may be an ideal alternative to Babbel.
How much does Babbel cost a month? ›To set the stage for our thoughts, let's quickly cover pricing. Babbel offers several different subscription options to choose from ranging from around $7 to $14 per month, depending on the length of access you want (3-months, 6-months, etc).
What is the best language to learn on Babbel? ›- Spanish.
- German.
- Italian.
- French.
- Swedish.
- Indonesian.
- Russian.
- WeChat was banned for a week in 2017.
- JW Library app was banned on March 31, 2021.
- Alexei Navalny app.
- Line (software)
Netflix's website and application are no longer working in Russia. As a result, reports Kommersant, the service can only be received via a VPN.
What apps are restricted in Russia? ›The services listed as part of the ban are: Discord, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Snapchat, Telegram, Threema, Viber, WhatsApp and WeChat. It's by no means an exhaustive list so far, with notable exceptions such as Zoom and Signal, although they may be added in due course.
How many people actually finish a Duolingo course? ›An informal study estimates that course completion rates fall as low as 0.01% for Spanish learners (second most popular language on Duolingo), and peak at 0.24% for Ukrainian learners.
Has anyone ever finished every Duolingo course? ›That said, no course is ever complete (just look at all the changes Duolingo have made to the French and Spanish courses over the years!)
Is Rosetta Stone better than Duolingo? ›
Yes. After thoroughly testing out and reviewing each language learning app, we found Rosetta Stone to be a superior program to Duolingo. While we like Duolingo's gamification of learning, Rosetta Stone is simply more comprehensive and effective.
What is C1 level Russian? ›C1 « Autonomous »
Speak fluent Russian without effort on various subjects of everyday life, in unfamiliar situations and in formal situations. The participant can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning.
Most students achieve the intermediate level (B1) in approximately 1.5 years. During this time, they spend around 500 hours actively learning.
How many hours is C2 Russian? ›TORFL Language Certification C2 Russian Level – 280 hours.
Which US state speaks most Russian? ›The New York metropolitan area contains by far the largest number of Russian-speakers. Brooklyn became home to the largest Russian-speaking community in the United States; most notably, Brighton Beach has a large number of recent Russian immigrants and is also called "Little Odessa".
Is Russian degree accepted in the USA? ›Yes, Russian degrees are valued and recognized globally.
How much time is needed to learn Russian? ›Therefore, according to FSI findings, Russian is in Language Group IV and it will take you around 1,100 hours to learn it. Russian may be one of the difficult languages for English speakers to learn, but that makes it all the more rewarding!
Is Russian a good language to learn 2023? ›Russian drops out of the top 10
Russian is a huge global language with over 282 million speakers worldwide, and it has been among the top 10 languages studied on Duolingo since shortly after the first Russian course was launched in late 2015. In 2023, Russian has dropped in global rankings to #11.
However, the best place to learn Russian does not stop at Russia itself. Russian is not only an official language in Russia, but also in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, and is widely used in many countries in Eastern Europe like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Ukraine.
Is it better to learn Russian or Polish? ›If you want to learn more than one Slavic language, it's best to start with Polish. You'll learn it faster than Russian, because of the Latin letters and English loanwords. And knowing Polish is a great base to start your Russian studies.
Is Russian or Ukrainian easier to learn? ›
The Ukrainian language is easier to learn than Russian, as Russian has more complex grammar. Learning Ukrainian also makes it easier to learn other Eastern European languages, as it is closer to Czech, Slovak, and Polish. Whereas, if you learn Russian, you can understand fewer languages naturally.
What is harder Russian or Japanese? ›After reading through all the differences, Russian probably comes across as the easier language to learn. And it is! For native English speakers, Russian is categorized as taking 44 weeks to learn (or 1,100 hours), while Japanese takes 88 weeks (2,200 hours).
Which is harder English or Russian? ›- The Russian language has more verb tenses than the English language does. - The Russian language has a lot of irregular verbs (verbs that don't follow regular rules), which makes learning them harder than learning regular verbs in English.
Can you learn Russian while sleeping? ›Can you learn while sleeping? Studies say that yes, you can. Listening to a language while asleep can help supercharge your vocabulary. Learn easily with the power of pleasant repetition.
Is Duolingo Russian good? ›Does Duolingo teach Russian well? Duolingo offers a complete Russian course, but that doesn't mean it teaches the language well. If you're looking to pick up some useful words and phrases, it's a great option. If you want to become fluent in Russian though, Duolingo is not the best choice.
What language is easy for Russian? ›Slavic Languages and the Similarities Between Them
If you speak Russian, it will be easier for you to understand other Slavic languages, which include Ukrainian, Belorussian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Slovene.
The Russian language is easier when you look at their writing style. On the basis of Sounds: There are more sounds in the Korean language as compared to the Russian language.
How can I learn Russian fluently fast? ›- Use Authentic Media.
- Immerse Yourself with a Good Program.
- Take the Time to Learn Cyrillic to Teach Yourself Russian.
- Memorize Common Words First to Learn Russian Fast.
- Learn Cognates and Loanwords.
- Immerse Yourself in Russian, at Home or Abroad.
- Practice Your Skills Daily.
- Microlearning sessions. Language sprints.
Rocket Russian is an excellent way to begin learning Russian. The lessons are high-quality and easy to understand. Because there are few additional features outside of the lessons, it can become a bit monotonous. And since you have to pay for the entire level, not monthly, it's a big upfront expense.
How can I learn Russian by myself free? ›- Duolingo.
- Nemo Russian.
- Russian Alphabet Mastery – Learn Cyrillic in 3 Hours.
- SpeakEasy Russian. Russian Websites.
- Loecsen.
- Live Lingua.
- RussianLessons.Net.
- Learn Russian.
What's the hardest language to learn? ›
Across multiple sources, Mandarin Chinese is the number one language listed as the most challenging to learn. The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center puts Mandarin in Category IV, which is the list of the most difficult languages to learn for English speakers.
Do NASA astronauts learn Russian? ›However, one means of travel to and from the ISS is Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, which is operated solely in Russian, so astronauts have to be proficient in that language too.
Do all NASA astronauts need to know Russian? ›The official working language aboard the station is English. However, since the end of NASA's Space Shuttle programme in 2011, Russia's Soyuz spacecraft is the only way of travelling to the ISS. And since all its controls are in Russian, every astronaut must learn the language.
Will rocket language make me fluent? ›While you can build a solid foundation with Rocket Languages, you won't become fluent. The courses are designed to help you improve all aspects of communication, like reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
How long to learn Russian? ›How long does it take to learn Russian? The US Department of State says that it will take 1,100 class hours (or 44 weeks) to learn Russian to a proficient level. But these numbers vary depending on your natural ability to acquire language, or if you already speak a language that is similar to Russian.
How long does it take to self learn Russian? ›If you're an absolute beginner, 6 weeks of intensive study will be enough. By intensive, we mean about 120 hours of studying. This figure may sound scary, but in fact it's only 20 hours per week for 1.5 months (or 2 hours per day for about 2 months).
Is Russian language useful in USA? ›Russian is currently identified as one of the world's Critical Languages, according to the U.S. State Department. U.S. Census data indicate that Russian language spoken in respondents' homes increased by 393% between 1980-2010, with just under a million people speaking Russian in their homes in 2011.