· 6 min read
Best App to Learn Arabic: What to Check
By Language Lab editorial team
Best app to learn Arabic: seven things to check before you choose, what Arabic asks of an app, official material to pair it with and a one-week test.
The best app to learn Arabic is the one that tells you which Arabic it teaches and trains the script and the sounds from the start. Arabic cannot be learned quickly: the US State Department places it in Category IV, super-hard languages, and allows 88 weeks, or 2,200 class hours. So choose with care. Modern Standard Arabic is understood across the Arab world and is what courses and the official CIMA certificate use. Check seven things before you choose: the variety stated clearly, the right-to-left script taught early, native audio for the sounds made at the back of the throat, spoken practice with a response, self-testing, spaced review and real-life situations. Pair the app with Al Jazeera's free Learning Arabic lessons, and try it for a week before you pay.
What Arabic asks of an app
- A stated variety. Modern Standard Arabic is understood across the Arab world; an app should say whether it teaches that or a regional dialect.
- The script early. Arabic runs right to left, and reading it should begin in the first lessons.
- The throat sounds. Arabic has sounds made at the back of the throat that need audio and repetition.
- Verb-first sentences. The verb often comes first, and the app should drill that order.
Seven things to check
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Speaking | You say sentences aloud and get a spoken or written response, in situations you will meet. |
| Audio | Recordings by native speakers, with slow and natural versions of the difficult sounds. |
| Writing system | The Arabic script from the first lessons, right to left, with audio for each letter. |
| Self-testing | The app makes you produce the answer before it shows it. |
| Spaced review | Old material comes back after days and weeks, not only in the lesson where you met it. |
| Real situations | Lessons are built on things you will do: meeting people, shopping, travelling, working. |
| Levels | Stages are named, and you can see how they relate to an official scale or exam. |
Why testing and spacing come first
A 2013 review of ten learning techniques, led by John Dunlosky, rated two as high utility: practice testing and distributed practice. Rereading and highlighting were rated low. So an app that makes you produce an answer, and brings items back after a gap, is using your time better than one that lets you tap through and move on.
Test an app in one week
- Day 1: do the first lesson. Did you speak aloud, or only tap?
- Day 2: start a new lesson. Did the app bring back yesterday's material?
- Day 3: check the audio. Is every Arabic sentence recorded, and can you replay it?
- Day 4: look for the level map. Can you see where the course ends?
- Day 5: try to say five sentences from memory. If you cannot, the app is not testing you enough.
- Day 7: decide. Keep the app only if you spoke every day.
Pair it with official material
- Learning Arabic, from Al Jazeera Media Network: free lessons at seven levels, with a placement test.
- A Guide to Arabic, from the BBC: archived pages with 20 key phrases, the alphabet and audio.
- The CIMA mock exam, from the Institut du monde arabe: a sample of the official test.
Aim at a level
The international certificate is the CIMA, run by the Institut du monde arabe. It tests Modern Standard Arabic in a single test, and the certificate states a level from A1 to C2. There are two sessions a year, in spring and autumn. If you want it, choose an app that teaches Modern Standard Arabic.
A note on our own app
Language Lab is our app, so judge it by the same list. Language Lab's Arabic course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor. Use the one-week test above on it as you would on any other.
Frequently asked
What is the best app to learn Arabic?
The one that makes you speak Arabic aloud, tests you before showing the answer, brings old material back for review and shows you clear levels. Try it for a week before paying.
Should I learn Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect?
It depends on your aim. Modern Standard Arabic is understood across the Arab world and is what the CIMA certificate tests. Whichever you choose, pick an app that states clearly which variety it teaches.
How long does it take to learn Arabic?
The US State Department places Arabic in Category IV and allows 88 weeks, or 2,200 class hours. An app does not shorten that; it helps you use the time well.
Are free Arabic apps enough?
Official learning material is a strong start: Learning Arabic, from Al Jazeera Media Network is one example. Whatever you use, check that you are speaking and being tested.
What features matter most in a language app?
Practice testing and spaced review, the two techniques a 2013 research review rated as high utility, and spoken practice with a response.
Can an app make me fluent in Arabic?
An app can carry your daily practice. You will also need conversation with people and a structured course or exam target for the higher levels.
Sources: US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; Institut du monde arabe, CIMA; Al Jazeera Media Network, Learning Arabic; BBC Languages, A Guide to Arabic (archived); Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Camel in the Wadi Rum desert, Jordan, Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
