*This article may contain affiliate links. For full information, please see the disclaimer here.
Known for its natural sceneries, mosques and shrines, and historic value, Pakistan is a beautiful country that’s a wonder to witness! Part of such charm is their official language, Urdu, which you can find in their calligraphy, poetry, literature, and other remarkable work.
Poetic and graceful, the language is home to 170 million native speakers based in Pakistan and India—making it the 20th most populous language in the world!
If you find yourself interested in Urdu, know that there are many resources you can access to start learning. Try out these 11 best apps to learn the Urdu language:
Top picks
- Get the best interactive lessons with Ling and Mondly
- Get conversational quickly with Pimsleur
- Grow your vocabulary with uTalk
- Find affordable Urdu tutors on italki and Preply
1. Mondly
First on our list is Mondly, a bite-sized learning platform that’s filled with fun Urdu lessons. Surely any learner would get a kick out of its courses, as the app caters to all fluency levels!
What’s remarkable about Mondly is its unique, hands-free integration—a special feature that lets you speak into your device, so that you can continue studying Urdu while you’re on the move. Isn’t that neat?
With high-quality audio, comprehensive tutorials, and engaging activities up and ready, Mondly is definitely a great place to start!
Why learn Urdu with Mondly:
- Beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level courses
- Audio recorded by native speakers
- Hands-free audio feature
Price: Mondly offers free lessons a day. But with a premium subscription, you’ll gain full access to the app’s resources. Check out the latest promo here!
Devices: iOS and Android
2. Ling
Learning a new language could initially feel daunting—but with light, fun, and interactive lessons, you’ll get over that fear real soon!
With Ling, you’ll never have a dull moment studying Urdu, whether that’s basic vocabulary, grammar, or conversation.
Dynamic and challenging, the app contains courses for all fluency levels, which makes it perfect for long-term study. Furthermore, its friendly UI gives you access to different courses, mini-games, and short quizzes, letting you learn how you see fit!
Why learn Urdu with Ling:
- Short and interactive lessons
- Games like picture matching, sentence construction, and quizzes
- Interactive chatbot for dialogue practice
Pricing: Ling is free! For more learning content, subscribe to its Pro version at $4/month (billed yearly). Try it here.
Devices: iOS and Android
3. Pimsleur
In the realm of conversation and context-based lessons, you’ve probably heard about Pimsleur along the way. Based on the solid Pimsleur Method, the app habitually immerses you in the Urdu language, in order to help you speak and understand Urdu quickly.
Pimsleur’s Urdu Level 1 contains 30 daily audio lessons best suited for beginner students. Comprehensive and practical, the course takes you through day-to-day situations and aids your comprehension of them.
Paired with flashcards and speed round games—by the end of this course, you’ll surely gain basic fluency!
Check out our Pimsleur review to know more.
Why learn Urdu with Pimsleur:
- Focused on real-life conversations
- 30-minute core audio lessons with flashcards and games
- Covers essential vocabulary and phrases
Pricing: Pimsleur subscription is $14.95/month for Audio-Only; $19.95/month for Premium (with Bonus Materials), or $20.95/month for All Access. Start with full access, free for 7 days.
Devices: iOS and Android
4. Preply
Start conversing confidently with Preply, a platform that connects you with native speakers! With a proper instructor, you can clarify, practice, and ask about any concept in mind.
Get 1-on-1 sessions in the Preply Virtual Classroom and personalize your lesson plan. Simply by examining the different Urdu tutor profiles, you can choose your preferred teacher and get the guidance you need!
Online sessions are made custom-fit for every aspiring learner. Additionally, if you’re not satisfied after your first lesson, Preply allows you to select another tutor.
Why learn Urdu with Preply:
- Wide range of Urdu tutors and rates
- Study online in the Preply Virtual Classroom
- Tutor replacement guarantee
Pricing: Urdu tutors start at $4/hour, provided an upfront purchase of 6, 12, or 20-hour packages. Discounts are readily available!
Devices: iOS and Android
5. uTalk
Unlike traditional courses that focus on grammar drills, uTalk utilizes gamified lessons to make memorization fun. Through interactive activities and quizzes, you’ll learn essential vocabulary and phrases for real-life scenarios like navigating a bustling market or ordering food at a restaurant.
This emphasis on practicality extends to the app’s structure. You have the freedom to choose the topics that resonate most with your learning goals.
uTalk also recognizes the importance of pronunciation. The app incorporates native speaker recordings and voice recognition technology. By comparing your pronunciation to these recordings, you can identify areas for improvement and refine your accent.
Why learn Urdu with uTalk:
- Over 2,500 Urdu words and phrases
- Covers a lot of practical topics
- Exposes you to native speaker pronunciation and accent
Pricing: Starts from $5/month. Find uTalk’s latest promo here.
Devices: iOS and Android
6. italki
I don’t know about you, but I find learning to be more interesting with a tutor—and italki can help arrange that online!
Inside this app, you can easily browse through different instructor profiles and rates, and select who you wish to learn Urdu from! In any case, feel free to choose between community and professional tutors.
Getting tips from a native speaker will surely improve your skills. Should you wish to practice conversation or need somebody to oversee your activity—overall, this platform’s got your back!
Check out our italki review to know more.
Why learn Urdu with italki:
- Choose between community and professional tutors
- Study in Skype or the italki Virtual Classroom
- Fun and engaging platform
Pricing: italki’s Urdu tutor rates start at $5/lesson. New users get discounted trial lessons.
Devices: iOS and Android
7. Simply Learn Urdu by Simya Solutions
Study vocabulary on the dot with Simply Learn Urdu, an effective phrasebook made for students and travelers! With just a tap away, you’ll have access to frequently-used words and expressions in phonetic and original Urdu writing. Pretty convenient, right?
Learn to read and speak Urdu with this app, since its lessons are accompanied by high-quality audio and cover basic conversational topics, such as common greetings, inquiries, and emergencies.
Through its spaced-repetition learning system, playful flashcards, and review quizzes—all in all, this platform will get you through the beginner stage.
Why learn Urdu with Simply Learn Urdu:
- Effective phrasebook with 300+ words and phrases
- Has flashcards and quizzes
- Audio recorded by a native speaker
Pricing: It’s free! To get additional lessons, in-app purchases start at $0.99/item.
Devices: iOS and Android
8. Mango Languages
Rich in vocabulary, grammar, and speech lessons, the Mango Languages app will take you through the foundations of Urdu, and equip you for real-life use!
Composed of color-coded lessons, notes, and voice comparison tools, this platform will make you understand basic Urdu speech patterns. In fact, it differentiates understood from literal meanings!
Designed for beginners, it’ll give a simple overview of the language, while helping you navigate day-to-day conversations.
Why learn Urdu with Mango Languages:
- Context-based learning
- Daily personalized review session
- Record and compare speech with a native speaker
Pricing: Start the Urdu course at $7.99/month.
Devices: iOS and Android
9. UrduPod101
Listen up! UrduPod101 is a podcast-like learning resource, which grants access to hundreds of video and audio lessons recorded by native speakers.
Curate your Urdu lessons to your liking, and focus on improving any of your skills, whether that’s speaking, pronouncing, or listening! With its extensive library, multiple playback options, and voice-recording tools, you can easily select and stream the content you want.
And, with a Premium PLUS subscription, you’ll get the chance to hold 1-on-1 sessions with a professional instructor!
Why learn Urdu with UrduPod101:
- Extensive media library
- Complete transcripts, vocabulary lists, quizzes, flashcards, and
slideshows - Offline access
Pricing: UrduPod101 has a 12-month Premium plan for $180. For 1-on-1 lessons with a personal tutor, get the 12-month Premium PLUS plan for $316.
Devices: iOS and Android
10. Learn Urdu by Innovation Apps
Getting a good phrasebook is essential for building your Urdu vocabulary.
In Learn Urdu, you won’t just gain access to over 3,000 words and phrases, but you may also translate from 32 different languages to Urdu. That’s double the feature!
Paired with its quiz game and quick-search function, this easy-to-navigate app will certainly boost your reading and speaking skills without trouble. On top of that, lessons are presented in both English and Urdu letters!
Why learn Urdu with Innovation Apps:
- 3,000+ important words and phrases
- Identification and sentence-construction assessments
- Offline use
Pricing: Get it for free! In-app products are $2.99/item, should you wish to top-up on lesson categories.
11. Learn Urdu. Speak Urdu. Study Urdu. by Bluebird Languages
Be it for school, work, or personal learning, Bluebird Languages enables you to customize your lesson content however you please. Using its 15-45 minute pre-recorded Urdu tutorials, you’ll perfect your pronunciation quickly! Just listen and repeat, and that’s all there is to it.
In this comprehensive app, you’ll cover various topics that apply to the real world, such as high-frequency words, verbs, sentence construction, and conversations. Plus, its quizzes and statistics allow you to track your progress anytime!
What’s more, you can learn the Urdu language from your mother tongue, since the platform caters to 146 different languages.
Why learn Urdu with Bluebird Languages:
- 2,000 pre-recorded lessons (with hands-free integration)
- Learn frequently-used vocabulary and pronunciation
- Spaced repetition learning technique
Pricing: Learn Urdu. Speak Urdu. Study Urdu. is free! In-app purchases are priced at $9.99.
Devices: iOS (all languages) and Android (Urdu only)
FAQs about learning Urdu
Is Urdu easy to learn?
According to the Foreign Service Institute, Urdu is a Category III or “Hard language,” since it significantly differs from English. For one, it uses a Persian-Arabic script (containing 40 letters), which results in a unique pronunciation of words and phrases.
Nonetheless, this shouldn’t discourage you!
Where is Urdu spoken?
Urdu is the official language of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and is also recognized as one of the 23 national languages of India. It was initially developed around Delhi (northern India) in the 12th century, carrying Arabic, Persian, and Turkish influences.
This eventually became Pakistan’s official language upon the country’s founding, with over 170 million native speakers based primarily in Pakistan and India.
To this day, it’s also spoken in the Middle East, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.
What is the difference between Urdu and Hindi?
It is said that Urdu and Hindi are mutually intelligible since they have a similar Indo-Aryan origin, phonology, and grammar base. However, the languages differ in terms of lexicon and writing, since Urdu uses a Perso-Arabic script (Nastaliq), while Hindi uses Sanskrit (Devanagari).
Suffice it to say, Urdu is characterized by its Persian and Arabic roots, which we can observe in its vocabulary.
Why should you learn Urdu?
Graceful and poetic, Urdu has played a large role in history and culture, making it a language worth learning!
Firstly, it is rich in poetry and literature, originating from the 14th-15th centuries. While these works were originally written by the Hindu and the Sikh, in recent years, this language has also been used by Muslims from the Indian subcontinent.
Secondly, you’ll also appreciate its calligraphy, as its symbolic script incorporates Arabic and Persian influence. This can be seen in various Islamic historical and religious structures that you ought to visit as you travel.
What’s the best Urdu learning app?
Ling, Mondly, and Pimsleur are the best Urdu learning apps that can get you started with beginner lessons.
Ling and Mondly cover the basics of reading, writing, and speaking Urdu through easy, gamified lessons that can help you get over your initial jitters!
Once you’re comfortable, Pimsleur can help progress your lessons to a more practical and conversational tone using its audio-based content.
Is Urdu on Duolingo?
Urdu isn’t on Duolingo. But, if you want to incorporate some fun and games into your lessons, Ling and Mondly both have enough interactive quizzes, courses, and flashcards to keep you attentive!
On top of that, you can also get supplementary lessons from Pimsleur.
Is Urdu on Babbel?
Unfortunately, Urdu also isn’t on Babbel.
But, for more concentrated audio and video content, UrduPod101 can help develop your speaking and listening skills through its broad media library.
Here, you can authentically through its Urdu podcasts, and accompany this with its challenging quizzes and references.
What’s the best way to learn Urdu?
Since Urdu uses a different reading and writing system, you should strive to study the alphabet first.
Start by memorizing each character, observing their use, and practicing their pronunciation. By mastering this, you can grow your vocabulary and grammar more effectively.
As always, feel free to consult various references—like movies, apps, and media—as well as a personal tutor, so that you’ll naturally gain a real-life understanding of the language. Also, try checking out some Urdu learning books while you’re at it!