AI English tutors compared: which one fits how you learn?
Seven AI tutors you can talk to in English, side by side: what each one corrects, what it costs on 25 October 2026, which devices it runs on and who should look elsewhere.
No single AI English tutor is best for everyone, so pick by what you want corrected. ELSA Speak is the most pronunciation-focused, with feedback down to the syllable. Loora, Praktika and Speak are built around spoken conversation and role-play with corrections, and Speak adds a structured course if your first language is one of the 15 it supports. Most are phone apps: only Gliglish and Tospeak (shares our owner) offer conversation practice in a browser on a computer.
Tospeak shares an owner with LearnEnglish.life, so it has no score here, it sits in the same alphabetical order as the rest, and its limits are listed like everyone else's. Links to the other six tools are plain links, not affiliate links. How we compared
The seven tools side by side
Facts from each provider's website, help centre, terms or US App Store listing, checked on 25 October 2026. Quotation marks show the provider's own wording, and "says Loora" (or similar) marks a claim we could not check independently. Tools are in alphabetical order.
What you practise and the feedback you get
Format, feedback, role-play and levels of seven AI English tutors, checked 25 October 2026
Tool
Format
Feedback
Role-play
Levels
Duolingo Max
Video call with the animated character Lily, and role-play with app characters, inside the Duolingo course
A transcript after each call; feedback on the accuracy and complexity of your answers after a role-play. No pronunciation scoring described
Set scenes, such as ordering a coffee. English role-play only for speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German or French
Most advanced courses go up to the end of B2 (Duolingo, 2024)
ELSA Speak
Pronunciation drills and AI role-play conversations
Each syllable, word stress and intonation; after a role-play, a summary rating your vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation
Ready-made, "Create My Own" or "Surprise Me"; job interview, presentation and meeting coaches on the Professional plan
A1 to C2; you choose your starting level
Gliglish
Voice chat with an AI tutor
Grammar mistakes highlighted; a pronunciation score after each sentence, American English only
20+ everyday scenarios, such as travel, interviews and dating
No level scale published
Loora
Voice conversation with corrections in the chat; optional avatar
Grammar and pronunciation corrections, more natural phrasing, a summary of all mistakes, and scores for grammar, fluency and pronunciation
Ready-made scenes or "Create your own"; you can also talk about a short article
A1 to C2, says Loora; adjusts to how you speak
Praktika
Talking AI avatars with facial expressions and lip-sync
Live corrections on pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, pace and word choice; a pronunciation score for each word
Free talk, role-play missions such as job interviews, and custom topics; upload your CV to practise interview answers
A0 to C2, says Praktika
Speak
A structured course, voice role-play with animated characters and a chat tutor
Hints and corrections during role-play; a Pronunciation Coach. The App Store listing mentions feedback on pronunciation, intonation and fluency
Situational and free-talk role-play; lessons built from your goals and mistakes
No CEFR levels published
TospeakShares our owner
An AI video avatar on a live call in the browser
Corrects by repeating your sentence in a better form; after adult lessons, a recap with up to 3 corrections that quote you. No pronunciation feedback
23 topics, such as Job Interview, Travel English, and Hotel and Check-in
Beginner to advanced; optional CEFR level check
Price, devices and age rules
Prices in US dollars, free options, devices and age rules of seven AI English tutors, checked 25 October 2026
Tool
Price (US, 25 Oct 2026)
Yearly plan per month
Free option or trial
Devices
Age rule
Duolingo Max
Not published. Super Duolingo is listed at $9.99 to $119.99, with no billing periods shown
n/a
Free Duolingo has no Max features; Super has a 14-day trial, if offered
iOS and Android only; not on the web
Not checked
ELSA Speak
US website: Pro $89.99 a year, Premium $99.99 a year, Professional $159.99 for one year. App Store "Monthly": $19.99
2 lessons a day plus 3 AI lessons in total; 7-day Premium trial
iOS and Android; Speech Analyzer on the web
13+; under 18 with a parent or guardian involved
Gliglish
Plus: $29.00 a month or $192.99 a year
$16.08
10 minutes a day
Any browser, plus an iPhone and iPad app
Not checked
Loora
$19.99 a month, $44.99 for 3 months, $119.99 a year; lower offers also listed
$10.00
One full lesson, no payment details
iOS and Android; no computer version yet
16+
Praktika
$9.99 for 1 month, $49.99 for 3 months, $119.99 a year; many promotional prices
$10.00
Free version with 3 avatars; trial length not published
iOS and Android; no desktop
13+; younger with parental permission
Speak
Premium $17.99 a month or $83.99 a year; Premium Plus $39.99 a month or $164.99 a year
$7.00 (Premium), $13.75 (Premium Plus)
7-day trial; payment method needed
iOS and Android; no desktop
Under 18 only with a parent's or guardian's supervision
TospeakShares our owner
Daily $20 a month (up to 60 minutes a day); Unlimited $50 a month
No yearly plan
2 minutes a day without an account; one 5-minute lesson with a free account
Browser on a phone or computer; no app
From about 7, with a parent nearby
Prices in US dollars before tax. Duolingo, Gliglish, Loora, Praktika and Speak: Apple's US App Store list of in-app purchases, which shows up to ten items and not always the billing period. ELSA: its US website, plus one App Store item. Tospeak: its own price page. "Yearly plan per month" is our arithmetic, the yearly price divided by 12. "Not checked" means we could not confirm a minimum age. Prices change by country, store and promotion, so check before you buy.
Each tool: what it is good for, and what to watch out for
In alphabetical order, which is not a ranking. Everything here comes from the provider's own pages; the sources are under each profile.
Duolingo Max
Max is the top tier of the Duolingo app: everything in Super Duolingo, plus Video Call with Lily and Roleplay with other app characters. Duolingo's blog says Lily usually starts with a topic you have just studied, remembers what you talked about last time and shows a transcript after you hang up.
Good for
You already follow the Duolingo course and want speaking practice tied to it
A light, game-like first step into speaking
Families: a family plan covers you and 5 others
Watch out
No Max price on Duolingo's public pages, and no Max item in Apple's US price list
English role-play only for speakers of 5 languages; Duolingo says some AI features are not in all courses
Mobile only: Max cannot be bought or used on the web
ELSA is built around pronunciation: listen-and-repeat drills with feedback on each syllable, word stress and intonation, using American, British or Australian English as the model. Premium adds AI role-plays, a Speech Analyzer for unscripted speech and exam courses for IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and PTE. Professional adds coaches for job interviews, presentations, meetings, sales and public speaking. It teaches English only.
Good for
Clearer pronunciation, with a choice of accent to copy
Exam speaking practice (Premium), or interviews and presentations (Professional)
A free plan that lets you try the drills every day
Watch out
Pro, the cheapest plan, covers pronunciation only: no role-plays or AI coaches
The free plan's AI lessons are 3 in total, not 3 a day
No placement test: you choose your own starting level
Phone apps only, apart from the web Speech Analyzer
Gliglish is a voice chat with an AI tutor, in 38 language options including American, British and Australian English. While you talk you can ask for help in your own language, use reply suggestions, slow the tutor down and tap any word for an explanation. It runs in any desktop or mobile browser and as an iPhone and iPad app. Its App Store listing says a solo founder created it.
Good for
Practising in a browser on a computer
10 free minutes every day before you decide to pay
Beginners who need to fall back on their own language
Watch out
Pronunciation scores are for American English only
$29.00 a month on the US App Store: more than the cheapest monthly plan of any other tool here with a published price
No level scale published
An archived notice on its website (January 2026) said the free version was unavailable in some regions. The site blocked automated visits when we checked, so we could not read its terms
Loora teaches English only, to adults. You speak (press to talk, or hands-free) and the conversation appears in the chat: underlined words are grammar corrections, highlighted words are pronunciation corrections, and an avatar is optional. To keep the conversation flowing, Loora says it gives only 2 to 3 spoken corrections per session and shows the rest on screen. A lesson takes 5 to 20 minutes and ends with a summary of your mistakes, one key takeaway and scores for grammar, fluency and pronunciation. You can choose British or American English.
Good for
Reviewing every correction after you have finished speaking
Rehearsing a real situation with "Create your own" role-play
Learners who want British English as the model
Watch out
Only for ages 16 and over
Phone and tablet apps only; Loora says a web version is coming
One free lesson, then a subscription; prices vary by country and promotion
You cannot change your level in the app: support does it within 24 to 48 hours
Praktika's tutors are AI avatars with their own voices, facial expressions and lip-sync, and a choice of accents. They correct your pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, pace and word choice as you talk, and you can tap your message to see a pronunciation score for each word. Besides free talk and role-play missions, its App Store listing mentions IELTS and TOEFL practice and uploading your CV to rehearse interview answers.
Good for
A face-to-face feel on your phone, in short sessions
Interview practice built on your own CV
A low monthly price: $9.99 for one month on the US App Store
Watch out
Many App Store prices are promotions, and the trial length is not published
Its help centre offers refunds within 48 hours of a charge, but its terms say fees are non-refundable
Phone and tablet only, no desktop
Praktika says its feedback is not directly scored against official exam criteria
Speak pairs a structured speaking course, with video lessons from bilingual instructors, with AI. It has lessons made from your goals and mistakes (3 a day on Premium, unlimited on Premium Plus), voice role-plays with animated characters that you can interrupt, with hints and corrections, a chat-based tutor and a Pronunciation Coach. Premium Plus adds a study plan built around your frequent mistakes.
Good for
A course to follow, not only free conversation
Plenty of speaking repetition
Speakers of the 15 languages its English course is made for, such as Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Hindi and Turkish
Watch out
No English course if your first language is not on its list of 15
The 7-day trial needs a payment method
Immersive role-play is only in the Free Talk tab and is not hands-free yet
Tospeak is a live video call with an AI avatar tutor in the browser, on a phone or a computer, with nothing to install. There are 19 AI tutors and 23 topics, such as Job Interview, Travel English, Hotel and Check-in and Doctor's Visit; 11 of the 23 are for children and teenagers. The tutor corrects you by repeating your sentence in a better form, and adult lessons end with a recap that quotes up to 3 of your sentences with corrections.
Good for
A video-call feel without installing an app, including on a work computer
Topic role-plays at any hour, with no booking
Trying it without an account: 2 free minutes a day
Watch out
No pronunciation feedback: the tutor works from a transcript of your speech
Speaking only, no typing; no structured course, certificate or exam track
Monthly billing in US dollars only, with no yearly discount
Its terms say the tutors "can be wrong", and there is no parent dashboard
This comparison is research-based. On 25 October 2026 we read each provider's website, help centre, terms and US App Store listing. We did not sign up, log in, buy anything or take lessons, so nothing on this page comes from hands-on use, and no tool gets a score. Prices come from the US App Store or the provider's own US pages, as noted under the price table. Gliglish's website blocked automated visits that day, so its facts come from its App Store listing, plus one archived page where we say so. Facts about Tospeak come from its own site and terms, because it shares our owner. We left out App Store ratings and download counts, which are not comparable, and marketing claims we could not check.
Which AI tutor for which learner
Match the tool to your level and your goal. Links jump to the profiles above.
Complete beginner (A1 to A2)
Pick a tool that lets you fall back on your own language: Gliglish ("Ask in your language"), Loora (type in your language to get the English, plus a slow-down button) or Praktika ("Start in your native language"). Speak's English course is made for speakers of 15 languages. At this level a teacher helps most: see AI tutor or teacher below.
Intermediate and above (B1 to C2)
This is where AI tutors are most useful: opinions, stories and longer role-plays. Loora, Praktika and ELSA say they cover levels up to C2; Duolingo has said its most advanced courses go up to the end of B2. Ask any tutor to be stricter with you (prompt 1).
Pronunciation
ELSA Speak is the specialist, with syllable-level feedback, word stress and intonation; its Pro plan ($89.99 a year) covers pronunciation only. Praktika scores each word, Gliglish each sentence (American English only), Loora highlights words to fix, and Speak has a Pronunciation Coach. Tospeak gives no pronunciation feedback.
Job interview or travel role-play
Build the exact scene with Loora's "Create your own" or ELSA's "Create My Own" role-play; ELSA Professional adds a Job Interview coach. Praktika lets you upload your CV and rehearse your answers. Gliglish lists travel and interview scenarios, Tospeak has Job Interview, Travel English, and Hotel and Check-in topics, and Speak has situational role-play.
Busy professional
Short sessions and no booking: a Loora lesson takes 5 to 20 minutes and has a hands-free mode, and Praktika offers "quick 5-minute chats". To practise on a work laptop, use Gliglish or Tospeak in the browser. ELSA Professional adds presentation, meeting and sales coaches.
Tight budget
Start free: Gliglish (10 minutes a day), ELSA (2 lessons a day plus 3 AI lessons in total), Praktika (3 avatars), Loora (one lesson) and Tospeak (2 minutes a day). Yearly plans work out at about $7 to $10 a month for Speak Premium, ELSA Pro or Premium, Loora and Praktika, but pay for one month first to make sure it suits you.
AI tutor or human teacher?
An AI tutor gives you speaking time at any hour for about the price of one or two lessons a month. What it cannot do reliably is decide which of your mistakes matter most, judge you against exam criteria (Praktika says its feedback is not directly scored against official exam criteria) or notice when you stop. Add a teacher if you are a beginner, preparing for an exam with a speaking test, or stuck at the same level. Our comparison of AI tutors and human teachers has costs per hour and a sample week that combines one lesson with AI practice.
Five prompts that work with any AI tutor
Say or type one at the start of a free conversation, or use it to set up a custom role-play where the app has one (Loora's "Create your own", ELSA's "Create My Own", Praktika's custom topics). Change the parts in square brackets. Tutors follow instructions with mixed success, so repeat the instruction if the conversation drifts. Prompts for general chatbots are in Practise English with AI.
1. Correct me, then let me try again
Please correct only my two most important mistakes after each answer. Say the corrected sentence, wait for me to repeat it, and then carry on with the conversation.
Why it works: Two corrections are easier to remember than ten, and saying the sentence again turns a correction into practice.
2. A role-play with a problem to solve
Let's role-play a ticket office at a train station in [Manchester]. You are the clerk. My train has been cancelled and I need to get to [Leeds] by [six o'clock]. Don't solve the problem too quickly: ask me questions, then offer me two options to choose from.
Why it works: Real conversations go wrong. A problem makes you ask, explain and negotiate instead of just answering.
3. An interview with follow-up questions
Interview me for a job as a [job title]. Ask one question at a time, and after each answer ask one follow-up question, as a real interviewer would. At the end, tell me which answer was weakest and how to make it stronger.
Why it works: Follow-up questions are where prepared answers run out, so they are the part worth rehearsing.
4. Use my new words
This week I learnt these words and phrases: [five words or phrases]. Use them in our conversation and give me chances to use each one. If I use one wrongly, tell me at the end.
Why it works: You remember words you have used in a conversation far better than words you have only read.
5. Say it more naturally, then sum up
After each of my answers, tell me a more natural way to say the same thing. Every five minutes, ask me to sum up what we have talked about in three sentences.
Why it works: The natural version shows the gap between correct and fluent, and summing up checks that you understood.
Exercise: six mistakes an AI tutor may let pass
Many AI tutors keep spoken corrections light so the conversation flows; Loora, for example, says it gives only 2 to 3 spoken corrections per session and shows the rest on screen. The sentences below are all easy to understand, which is exactly why mistakes like these slip through. Correct each one, then check the answers.
"I am working here since 2021."
"Could you explain me how the refund works?"
"I'm agree with you about the price."
"How much costs a return ticket to Oxford?"
"I look forward to hear from you."
"They gave us a lot of useful informations."
Show answers
I have been working here since 2021 (or "I've worked here since 2021"). With "since" and a starting point, use the present perfect.
Could you explain to me how the refund works? or simply "Could you explain how the refund works?" You explain something to someone.
I agree with you about the price. "Agree" is a verb, so it does not need "am".
How much does a return ticket to Oxford cost? Questions with "how much" need "does" and the base form of the verb.
I look forward to hearing from you. In "look forward to", "to" is a preposition, so the verb takes -ing.
They gave us a lot of useful information. "Information" is uncountable, so it has no plural "s".
To catch these in your own speech, add one line to any prompt: "Correct small grammar mistakes too, even when you understood me."
Try before you pay: a one-week plan
Ten to fifteen minutes a day. Most of these tools have a free option, so you can compare two or three before spending anything.
Day 1: take the free level test, then record yourself for one minute answering "What do you do, and what do you enjoy about it?"
Day 2: try the free option of one tool that fits your goal, using prompt 1.
Day 3: try a second tool with the same prompt and topic, so the comparison is fair.
Day 4: try a third tool, or repeat the one you liked more.
Day 5: compare. Which one caught the mistakes you know you make? Which made you talk most? Which would you still open on a tired evening?
Day 6: run prompt 2 or 3 on your favourite.
Day 7: record the same one-minute answer and compare it with day 1. If you pay, start with one month, and set a reminder before it renews.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI English tutor is the best?+
There is no single best one: choose by what you want to improve. For pronunciation, ELSA Speak goes deepest, with feedback down to the syllable. For conversation with corrections, Loora, Praktika and Speak are built around speaking and role-play, and Speak adds a structured course if your first language is one of its 15. To practise in a browser on a computer, look at Gliglish or Tospeak, which shares our owner. Most have a free option, so try two or three before you pay.
How much does an AI English tutor cost?+
On 25 October 2026, entry-level monthly plans in the US cost from $9.99 (Praktika, one month on the App Store) to $29.00 (Gliglish Plus), with Speak Premium at $17.99, Loora at $19.99 and Tospeak Daily at $20. Yearly plans work out at about $7 to $16 a month, for example Speak Premium at $83.99 a year, ELSA Premium at $99.99 and Loora at $119.99. Top tiers cost more: Speak Premium Plus is $39.99 a month and Tospeak Unlimited $50. Duolingo does not publish the Max price. Prices vary by country, store and promotion.
Is there a free AI English tutor?+
Several have free options, checked on 25 October 2026. Gliglish gives 10 minutes a day, ELSA's free plan has 2 lessons a day plus 3 AI lessons in total, Praktika's free version has 3 avatars, Loora gives one full lesson without payment details, and Tospeak, which shares our owner, gives 2 minutes a day without an account. Free Duolingo does not include the Max features, and Speak's 7-day trial needs a payment method. A general chatbot with a good prompt is another free option: see Practise English with AI.
Which AI tutor helps most with pronunciation?+
ELSA Speak is the most pronunciation-focused: it gives feedback on each syllable, word stress and intonation, with American, British or Australian English as the model, and its Pro plan ($89.99 a year in the US) covers pronunciation only. Praktika scores each word, Gliglish scores each sentence (American English only), Loora highlights words to fix, and Speak has a Pronunciation Coach. Tospeak, which shares our owner, gives no pronunciation feedback. If people often ask you to repeat yourself, a few lessons with a teacher are worth it too.
Can children and teenagers use AI English tutors?+
Check each app's age rule first. Loora is for ages 16 and over. ELSA is for 13 and over, with a parent or guardian involved under 18. Praktika is for 13 and over, younger only with parental permission. Speak allows under-18s only with a parent's or guardian's supervision. Tospeak, which shares our owner, says children from about 7 can use it with a parent nearby. Read the privacy label and terms, use made-up details in role-plays, and for a child's main English choose a live programme built for children: see English for kids.
Sources: each provider's website, help centre, terms or US App Store listing, checked on 25 October 2026. The prompts, the exercise and the plan were written by our editors.
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