Being proficient in English writing and speaking skills is necessary to achieve success in your professional career. However, many people struggle to learn the English language and vocabulary effectively. You might face problems acquiring new words, recalling words you just learned, or worse—forgetting to use them often.

If you're unable to enroll in a class or find it difficult to dedicate time to learning, these Android and iPhone apps can help you learn English and strengthen your vocabulary. And even if you speak English, there's something for you here. Many of these apps will help native speakers build vocabulary, plus some of them will let you learn other languages.

The Best Apps for Learning English

There are many ways to learn or improve your skills in a particular language. You can enroll in an online course or class. But if that doesn't work, you can also use mobile apps for learning a language. They make learning fun, accessible, and intuitive.

1. Duolingo

If you want to learn a language from the beginning, then Duolingo should be your first choice. It's among the best language-learning apps around. Choose the target language and your level of understanding to start. Pick your daily goal and choose whether you want to start at the beginning or take a placement test to assess your language skills. Each lesson in Duolingo consists of several modules.

Fully completed modules turn gold, and sections you've just started appear in color with a progress bar beneath them. Each module has different types of exercises. Most lessons feature questions with pictures, translation exercises, listen-and-write exercises, and multiple-choice questions.

In some lessons, you must listen to a sentence and write in the target language. Others ask you to translate a written sentence to the target language and vice versa. Duolingo also shows you a module of your weakest words. You can strengthen those words and revise them anytime.

Download: Duolingo for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

2. Hello English

Hello English is an all-in-one package for learning the English language and improving your skills. It covers all aspects of language learning, including grammar, spelling, vocabulary, spoken skills, and reading skills. In the beginning, choose your native language and select your English proficiency level. The app will then recommend a lesson that works best for you.

There are hundreds of interactive lessons with increasing difficulty levels. The beginner lessons are free. As you progress with each level, you'll start earning coins. Use these coins to unlock more lessons. In areas with a poor internet connection, you can download lessons for offline use.

The Practice tab features interactive games. You can practice with news, articles, audio, videos, and more. Every successful completion of a game rewards you with coins. If you subscribe to this app, you get to learn all the lessons, unlock a memory map to revise the words you've learned, and have a one-on-one discussion with teachers.

Download: Hello English for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

3. Beelinguapp

Beelinguapp uses audiobooks to help you learn different languages. The app is simple to use. Select a novel in the language you want to learn and read the text in your language side-by-side. To aid in language learning, you can add words to your glossary, read news in your native language, translate it into the target language, and more.

You can even learn the language by following the narrator of the audiobook with a karaoke-style animation to know precisely what they're saying. The premium version of the app unlocks all languages, unlimited songs, more stories, and a no-ads experience, and can translate individual words from the glossary.

Download: Beelinguapp for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

4. EWA: Learn English & Spanish

EWA offers a variety of languages, including English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian. The app uses the immersion technique to help you learn a language. It teaches language via bite-sized lessons, videos from popular movies and TV Shows, audiobooks, and interactive games.

Once you select your native and target language, you select your proficiency level. After that, EWA gives you an option to choose how you want to start your learning journey.

When reading a book, tap the translate button on the right of the text to translate the displayed text in your selected native language. You can also tap on individual words to see the translation in your native language.

Download: EWA for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

The Best Apps for Expanding Your English Vocabulary

Improving English vocabulary is crucial for clearing exams like the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and IELTS, plus for general academic development. Dictionary and vocabulary apps offer various approaches to language learning with study materials, control your learning progress, and let you review what you've learned. Let's explore a few of them for mobile platforms.

5. Improve English by Knudge

Knudge.me's Improve English app helps you learn and improve your English vocabulary in an effective and scientific way. The app leverages artificial intelligence and gamification to simplify the learning process. It offers different courses, multimedia aids, and word games to help you excel in vocabulary. There are courses like common English phrasal verbs, the difference between confusing words, and a vocabulary builder of various levels.

Based on your selection, bite-sized content gets unlocked through notifications every few hours. Through a flashcard, it teaches you the meaning of words with pictures and specific examples. The app will shuffle the words you've learned with new ones so you don't get bored.

Questions repeat to check whether you've learned the words or not. For every correctly answered question, you earn a credit. The app also offers 12 different word games focused on enhancing vocabulary, reading, and writing speed. You can even create a challenge to play those games with your friends.

As a bonus, the app also has Math lessons. We also recommend checking out these websites for learning Math.

Download: Improve English for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

6. Vocabulary Builder

Vocabulary builder from Magoosh helps you learn exam-level words for various competitive exams. The app consists of three sections: general words for GRE and GMAT, high school words for ACT and SAT, and English learner words for TOEFL and IELTS.

Once you choose a section, the app features multiple levels. On each level, the app asks you multiple-choice questions. All you have to do is choose the correct meaning. Don't worry if you answer any question incorrectly—it's part of the learning process.

The app uses the spaced repetition technique, which means that it'll ask you the same questions periodically until you master them.

Download: Vocabulary Builder for Android | iOS (Free)

7. Johnny Grammar Word Challenge

Johnny Grammar Word Challenge is a simple app that allows you to practice your grammar, improve your spelling, and learn new words. When you open the app, you need to select what you want to practice. Under each category, you have the option to choose different topics.

The app uses gamification to help you learn. You need to answer as many questions as you can in 60 seconds. Every correct answer earns you four points, and every wrong one subtracts two points from your aggregate score. At the end, the app displays the final score.

There are three different difficulty levels that you can select from: Easy, Medium, and Hard. The app also has a leaderboard, and you can earn badges. If you're the competitive type, you'll love the app. Overall, the app is a solid option if you'd like to improve your writing skills.

Download: Johnny Grammar Word Challenge for Android | iOS (Free)

8. AnkiDroid Flashcards

Anki is an excellent app to make remembering anything easy. Download the Anki apps for every device you use and log in to your AnkiWeb account. Click the Import File button to import your own set of words. You can also choose from the vast library of shared flashcard decks.

AnkiDroid is a companion Android app for Anki. Tap the Plus (+) button, select Create deck to create new flashcards, or choose Get shared decks to download premade ones. Use the second option to download various language decks to get started with.

The deck list is the screen you'll see when you launch the app. It displays a list of your decks, which contain all your flashcards. As you learn and review the material, the app will sync your progress with the desktop.

Once you're familiar with Anki's flashcards, try creating your custom vocabulary list. The review system of Anki's flashcards is superior to other learning methods. Anki supports both active recall and spaced repetition techniques to ensure that whatever you're learning goes into your long-term memory.

Download: AnkiDroid Flashcards for Android (Free) | AnkiMobile Flashcards for iOS ($25)

The Secret to Language Learning

There are many advantages to learning a new language. It expands your professional options, improves your perception, and strengthens your all-around academic development. With so many easy-to-use apps, there's no reason to skip vocabulary and English language learning.

However, there are no hard-and-fast rules for learning a new language. The more you surround yourself with the language you're learning, the more of it you'll retain.