Pimsleur
An app that teaches you to speak through short audio lessons.
What Pimsleur does
Pimsleur is an audio-first language course. Each lesson is about 30 minutes of listening, repeating and answering out loud, so you speak from the very first day. It offers more than 50 languages, works offline and is easy to use in the car or on a walk.
The method is simple: you hear a conversation, repeat phrases, and get prompted to answer before the speaker does. Words come back at spaced intervals so they stick. Because it's mostly listening and speaking, you can learn while driving, cooking or exercising, and the app supports CarPlay.
Around the audio core you'll find reading practice, flashcards, quick games and, for some languages, an AI conversation coach in beta. Progress syncs across devices and there are no ads. Feature depth varies by language, with the popular ones getting the most.
Reviewers like how fast it builds pronunciation and confidence, but say the pace is slow and reading and writing come second. If you have a commute and want to talk, not tap, Pimsleur fits well. If you want grammar tables, look elsewhere.
Alternatives to Pimsleur
Who it's for
Skip it if: People who want fast vocabulary growth or grammar detail.
Pricing
There's a free trial that includes a free lesson in each language. On the US App Store, single-language Premium is $19.99 and All Access is $20.99, with yearly All Access plans from $131.99. The store doesn't always show the billing period, so check in the app.
Prices can vary by country. Checked 17 Oct 2026.
What people like
- Gets you speaking from day one
- Works offline and hands-free
- Huge language list
- No ads
Watch out for
- Slow pace with few new words per lesson
- Reading and writing feel secondary
- Not cheap, and the store doesn't always show billing periods
Want a listening drill for your own commute? Build your own.
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Try this idea: “an app that plays a short phrase in the language I'm learning, pauses so I can say it out loud, then plays the answer”
Questions people ask
Is Pimsleur free?
No, but there's a free trial with a free lesson in each of its 51 languages.
How long is a Pimsleur lesson?
About 30 minutes, mostly listening and speaking out loud.
Can I use Pimsleur offline?
Yes. You can download lessons and listen without a connection.
Does Pimsleur teach reading?
A little, with reading practice in the app, but speaking comes first.