Rocket Korean is a comprehensive course with all the tools you need to start or continue your Korean journey.
The course takes you through distinct levels, sections and modules. Key features include interactive audio and a “survival kit” that covers basic phrases and expressions for getting around in daily life.
Pros:
- Has a ton of high-quality content compared to other courses
- Covers all of the basic skills: speaking, vocabulary, listening, grammar and useful phrases
- Grammar explanations are clear and concise
- Organized structure
Cons:
- A bit pricey and requires an upfront investment rather than a monthly subscription
- Focus on repetition can make exercises a bit boring
FluentU is an immersive learning platform that uses video clips from authentic media—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks— to teach Korean, equipped with interactive subtitles, flashcards and quizzes.
Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more. Every video comes with a complete interactive transcript and a set of the key vocabulary.
Pros:
- Allows you to be immersed in the language through authentic content with learning support
- Quizzes help you learn the vocabulary and phrases from the videos
- Tracks your progress and remembers the words you’ve learned for a personalized experience
Cons:
- Doesn’t require speaking
- No course or structure to follow
The LingoDeer app offers a structured course that covers a foundation for Korean vocabulary, grammar and dialogues. It builds upon the previous lessons taking you from beginner to intermediate level.
The courses offer vocabulary lessons, detailed explanations of grammar points and contextual dialogues. As you move up through the lessons and units, you'll also have access to flashcards, stories, phrasebooks and more.
Pros:
- Great for beginners
- Teaches Korean from the basics in a step-by-step guide so you'll never feel lost or overwhelmed
- The variety of learning tools keeps you on your toes and never bored
Cons:
- Doesn't cater to advanced learners
- No video material or authentic content
Naver, Korea's most popular search engine, has developed what is arguably the most accurate and comprehensive Korean dictionary around, available in 33 languages.
It features a wealth of examples and model sentences, audio recordings and in most cases the 한자 (hanja) of each word. The app includes a translator tool and a very comprehensive encyclopedia packed with articles in Korean.
Pros:
- Examples show you how to best use words, idioms and grammatical structures in context
- High-quality audio recordings show correct pronunciation
- You can add and save vocabulary lists for easy review
- The encyclopedia helps you discover interesting aspects of Korean culture
Cons:
- Not a structured learning course like other Korean apps
- Doesn't cater to all language skills so will need to be paired with other tools
Rosetta Stone's signature immersion-based method uses audiovisual stimulation to help you learn Korean naturally. The goal is always to memorize vocabulary and grammar patterns more efficiently.
The app grants you access to live tutoring sessions where you can practice Korean conversation with a native speaker. Purchasing the app offers complete access to the Rosetta Stone Korean features and learning tools for 24 months.
Pros:
- Backed by 20 years of experience teaching languages
- Real-time feedback lets you quickly identify problem areas and correct your mistakes
- Comes with an online community of learners that can help keep you on track
Cons:
- A bit pricey and requires an upfront investment
- Lacks grammar instruction
- Exercises can get repetitive
This basic audio course helps beginners develop their listening and speaking skills.
The course details beginner vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure in the classic listen-and-repeat way you might be familiar with. This is the same way you learned the language as a child, by repeating native speakers.
Pros:
- Over 50 years of experience teaching languages
- Great for beginners who want to learn the Korean basics
- Lessons are just 30 minutes a day for quick, structured learning
- Slow pace ensures you have accurate pronunciation and intonation from the start
Cons:
- Not much speech variety
- Material isn't super engaging
- Very little writing and reading practice
- No explicit grammar instruction
Memrise is the internet's favorite flashcard app for language learning. it uses mnemonics to reinforce vocabulary. Learners have access to a ton of content with everything from Korean vocabulary to grammar rules and phrases.
The app includes flashcards with 7 different course levels and offers real-word expressions, images, video and audio clips of native speakers. You can also make your own flashcards.
Pros:
- Includes a ton of high-quality content
- Multimedia extras help you remember new words and phrases quickly and efficiently
- Customizable for personalized learning
Cons:
- Words and phrases are taught in isolation
- Limited grammar explanations
- Limited writing and speaking practice
This app lets you listen to KBS radio and watch popular Korean shows directly from your smartphone. Watch it live or watch it later by accessing the archives.
Interactive features include a selection of 80 emoticons you can use to express how much you like (or dislike!) the programs and comments to discuss the programs with other listeners.
Pros:
- Provides easy immersion in Korean culture with content made by and for native speakers
- Offers a vast selection of programs, podcasts and talk shows
- Includes interactive features to make learning more fun and engaging
Cons:
- Likely too challenging for beginners
- Only provides listening practice, so you'll need to combine it with other learning tools
This app lets you read Korean news on topics as diverse as politics, economy, diplomacy, social issues and the arts.
The app gives you access to one new article every day along with the collection of archived articles and each article is accompanied by a translation in English.
Pros:
- New, diverse content added every day
- Makes reading Korean news fun and accessible
- Great for catching up with Korean current events and finding reading material that suits your interests
Cons:
- No tools or activities to test your comprehension
- Only offers reading practice so will need to be paired with other learning tools
- Not suitable for beginners
This app builds vocabulary and sentence structure through game-like quizzes and challenges.
The app bases its lessons on immersion learning, the same way children learn a new language, by displaying repetitive information and then quick quizzes.
Pros:
- Makes learning feel like a game which encourages learners to keep leveling up their skills
- Can help you build and retain a language in just 5-20 minutes a day
- Perfect learners who don’t have time for a class or heavy textbooks
Cons:
- Few options for advanced speakers
- Doesn't quite replicate a real conversation
- Limited grammar instruction
Drops is a game app that teaches you the essentials of Korean vocabulary for 5 minutes a day. The sessions require you to drag-and-drop answers and tap away on your screen.
Drops uses text, images and audio to ease new words into your brain. Vocabulary is categorized into different topics such as food, colors, family members and nationalities.
Pros:
- Fun and immersive with a gamified nature
- Visually appealing, minimalist design
- Great option for learners who want to get a sufficient dose of the Korean language without being overwhelmed
Cons:
- Has a daily 5-minute limit for free users
- Paid version doesn’t have much extra content
- Only teaches vocabulary
- Minimal audio and no conversation practice
HelloTalk is a language exchange app that lets you connect and chat with native speakers of Korean, among over 100 other languages.
The app automatically reviews and corrects your grammar in Korean before you send a message. You can also record yourself and ask for feedback from native speakers, or schedule one-on-one lessons through audio or video chats with language experts to help you with any questions.
Pros:
- Allows you to put all the Korean you’ve learned to use with real people
- Learn grammar and corrections to common mistakes in real-time
- Practice your pronunciation with the text-to-voice recognition function
Cons:
- No structured course or lessons
- User-led content and interactions can mean errors
- Conversations tend to stall past the small talk stage
This mobile Korean phrasebook helps you learn and look up useful sentences in Korean quickly. The app uses high-quality audio recordings of native speakers.
The app includes 400 free Korean sentences with their English translations by topics, including Greetings, Basic Conversation, Numbers, Directions and Eating Out. The app also lets you unlock up to 900 words in 18 categories when you purchase the premium version.
Pros:
- Intuitive, well-designed and easy to use
- Great personalization options like storing frequently used phrases in a favorites section
- Audio gets you practicing and understanding authentic Korean pronunciation
Cons:
- No flashcard or quiz function to test and reinforce your learning
- Limited content in free version
- Not a comprehensive learning tool
This app connects you with native teachers from all over the world for video courses and classes with tutor support.
You can choose who you want to learn from, so the price depends on each different teacher. The lessons can be tailored to your needs; for example, to learn conversational Korean for travel or business or to pass a specific test.
Pros:
- Has plenty of resources that make the cost worth it
- Get to know the language, dialect and culture of real people
- Learning challenges keep you motivated and learning prompts keep you entertained and make your studies feel useful and relevant
Cons:
- Structured lessons can lead to less authentic and spontaneous learning
- Different teachers can provide varying quality of lessons
The Viki app lets you stream your favorite Korean movies and dramas on demand, wherever you are. It features a vast selection of popular and recently released Korean dramas.
- Lets you learn the language using real
- Great way to keep up with Korean pop culture native Korean content
- Can watch videos with or without subtitles, including Korean subtitles in some instances
Cons:
- Ads in free version can be very annoying and disruptive to your viewing experience
- Some technical issues reported
From this selection of the top 15 options, you can choose the best app to learn Korean based on your needs and preferences.
All you need is a good Wi-Fi connection to start downloading and turn your phone into a convenient Korean learning tool.
