Duolingo is one of the best ways to get yourself started in a new language, not just because it’s free, but because there’s such a bountiful buffet of languages to choose from!
If you’re looking to learn a language from English then this is the article for you. English speakers have the biggest choice when it comes to languages on Duolingo — and the options are growing all the time!
In this article, we’ll go through every single Duolingo language. We’ll look at Duolingo’s fictional and beta languages, new languages coming in 2023, and we’ll also consider which courses are currently the best.
Let’s dive in!
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How many languages does Duolingo have?
Duolingo currently offers 43 different languages, 39 of which for English speakers.
Some of these are better supported than others, and this depends on the popularity of the language. As a general rule of thumb: the more learners a language has on Duolingo, the more content and features it will get.
RELATED: 28 Duolingo Tips That EVERY User Should Know About
Duolingo Languages List – What Languages Are on Duolingo?
As of February 2023, Duolingo offers the following languages for English speakers:
- Spanish – 33.4m learners
- French – 20m learners
- Japanese – 13.8m learners
- German – 11.9m learners
- Korean – 11.8m learners
- Hindi – 8.35m learners
- Italian – 8.16m learners
- Chinese – 6.28m learners
- Russian – 5.53m learners
- Arabic – 4.68m learners
- Portuguese – 3.46m learners
- Turkish – 3.05m learners
- Dutch – 2.06m learners
- Vietnamese – 1.94m learners
- Ukrainian – 1.71m learners
- Greek – 1.69m learners
- Polish – 1.65m learners
- Swedish – 1.61m learners
- Latin – 1.58m learners
- Irish – 1.44m learners
- Norwegian – 1.25m learners
- Hebrew – 1.09m learners
- High Valyrian – 911k learners
- Indonesian – 823k learners
- Danish – 716k learners
- Finnish – 706k learners
- Romanian – 682k learners
- Hawaiian – 636k learners
- Czech – 625k learners
- Welsh – 580k learners
- Haitian Creole – 498k learners
- Swahili – 477k learners
- Scottish Gaelic – 461k learners
- Hungarian – 453k learners
- Esperanto – 312k learners
- Klingon (beta) – 298k learners
- Zulu – 297k learners
- Navajo (beta) – 274k learners
- Yiddish (beta) – 251k learners
Changes in the rankings
Since I last updated the list in September 2022, there have been some interesting changes in the popularity rankings!
For instance:
- German has overtaken Korean as the 4th most popular language course
- Hindi has also made some ground, overtaking my beloved Italian to become Duolingo’s 6th most popular language
- Portuguese has leapfrogged Turkish into 11th place
- Ukrainian continues to surge in popularity, jumping from 19th to 15th
- Polish has climbed up to 17th, while Latin has dropped down to 19th
- Hebrew has passed the 1 million mark
- High Valyrian has made some huge gains, leaping from 28th to 23rd, and almost doubling its userbase
- Haitian Creole, now out of beta, has jumped from 34th to 31st, while Swahili has also gained a place
- Zulu, also out of beta, has made some huge gains in its user numbers, climbing from 32.1k to 297k
- Klingon, Navajo and Yiddish — which are still in beta — have all lost users
Duolingo offers English courses in 25 different languages, with another 3 currently in the ‘Hatching‘ phase of development (Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu).
Duolingo also offers Catalan and Guarani for Spanish speakers, as well as Cantonese for Mandarin Chinese speakers.
Follow me on Duolingo!
Up for some friendly competition? Then be sure to follow me on Duolingo!
My username isDCiiieee🙂
(If the link doesn’t work then just type my username into the ‘Search for friends’ bar on the app)
Duolingo fictional languages
You’ll notice that a couple of Duolingo’s languages aren’t exactly ‘real-world’ lingos. These are High Valyrian and Klingon, taken from Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon and Star Trek respectively.
As you might expect, these aren’t as in-depth as some of the other courses and aren’t as well-supported. But if you’re a fan of either of these franchises, they’re definitely worth exploring!
RELATED: Duolingo + TV Shows = Fluency?
Duolingo beta languages
You’ll also notice that some of the languages are labeled as ‘beta’ languages. This means they are still in development, but are available to use.
The Duolingo courses that are currently in beta are Klingon, Navajo and Yiddish.
With a beta course, bugs and teething issues are to be expected as the guys at Duolingo apply the finishing touches.
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!) so expect updates to continue long into the future!
What are the best Duolingo courses?
In terms of support, the best Duolingo courses are currently French and Spanish for IOS users. These are the two most popular languages on Duolingo and, as such, receive the most updates and all the latest features.
They both have the longest and most regularly updated learning paths, as well as a huge library of stories.
They also used to have audio lessons and podcasts, however, these have recently been removed. Podcasts are still available on podcast platforms but are no longer available within Duolingo itself.
After French and Spanish, the next best courses, in my opinion, are German, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese, as these are the only other courses that have stories.
RELATED: Duolingo Stories – The COMPLETE Guide – What You Need To Know
New Duolingo languages for 2023and beyond
In 2022, Duolingo launched Haitian Creole and Zulu. These are now out of the beta phase and are fully-fledged Duolingo courses.
Currently, Xhosa is the only language course showing as hatching on Duolingo’s official list of languages. It’s currently 6% done, so we may be able to expect it at some point in 2023.
Prior to Duolingo closing the Incubator, Māori and Tamil were in the early stages of development. Māori had been due to launch on February 21, 2021, and Luis von Ahn announced at Duocon 2021 that it would be one of Duolingo’s next 5 languages.
However, like Tamil, there is currently no indication that either will launch any time soon.
duolingo tagalog
Tagalog is one of Duolingo’s most requested languages.
And given that it’s thought to be spoken by roughly 82 million people, it’s easy to see why!
However, despite von Ahn stating that Tagalog will be one of Duolingo’s next languages, Duolingo doesn’t currently teach Tagalog.
As of February 2023, Tagalog is only available as a base language for those who want to learn English.
Which language will you learn?
Duolingo offers an amazing choice of languages.
But which ones take your fancy? And which language should Duolingo add next?
Be sure to let me know in the comments!
As a language enthusiast with a deep understanding of language learning platforms, I can attest to the transformative power of tools like Duolingo in acquiring new languages. My experience spans across various language learning apps and platforms, and Duolingo stands out for its accessibility and diverse language offerings.
Now, let's delve into the details of the article about Duolingo and its extensive language options:
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Number of Languages on Duolingo:
- Duolingo currently provides courses in 43 different languages, with 39 available for English speakers.
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Popular Languages for English Speakers on Duolingo (As of February 2023):
- Spanish – 33.4 million learners
- French – 20 million learners
- Japanese – 13.8 million learners
- German – 11.9 million learners
- Korean – 11.8 million learners
- Hindi – 8.35 million learners
- Italian – 8.16 million learners
- Chinese – 6.28 million learners
- Russian – 5.53 million learners
- Arabic – 4.68 million learners
- ... and more.
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Changes in Popularity Rankings:
- German surpassed Korean as the 4th most popular language course.
- Hindi overtook Italian, becoming the 6th most popular language.
- Portuguese moved ahead of Turkish to claim the 11th spot.
- Ukrainian experienced a surge, rising from 19th to 15th place.
- High Valyrian significantly gained popularity, jumping from 28th to 23rd place.
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Duolingo Fictional Languages:
- Duolingo offers fictional languages such as High Valyrian and Klingon, inspired by Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon and Star Trek, respectively.
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Duolingo Beta Languages:
- Beta languages in development include Klingon, Navajo, and Yiddish. Users can expect updates and improvements as these courses progress.
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Best Duolingo Courses:
- French and Spanish are highlighted as the best courses for iOS users due to consistent updates and extensive learning paths.
- Other recommended courses include German, Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese.
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New Duolingo Languages for 2023 and Beyond:
- In 2022, Haitian Creole and Zulu were launched and are now fully-fledged courses.
- Xhosa is currently in development, with a 6% completion status, expected to be available in 2023.
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Languages in Development (No Indication of Launch):
- Māori and Tamil were in early development, but there is no current indication of their launch.
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Tagalog on Duolingo:
- Despite being one of the most requested languages, Tagalog is not currently taught on Duolingo as of February 2023.
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User Engagement:
- The article encourages user engagement by inviting readers to share their preferred languages and suggest which language Duolingo should add next.
In conclusion, Duolingo's expansive language selection, continuous updates, and diverse user base make it a go-to platform for language learners worldwide.