Best English Speaking Practice Apps 2026: Compared

How We Compared These Apps

We compared what each provider publishes about its speaking features, prices, trials and limits, using official pages, help centres and US App Store listings checked on 25 October 2026. We did not take lessons or run our own speaking trials for this page, so it does not report speaking time per lesson or accuracy figures. Prices are in US dollars and change by country, store and promotion.

The five options below cover different budgets and levels: two live-tutor platforms, a pronunciation app and two self-study apps. Further down you will find three AI conversation tutors worth comparing, including one that shares our owner. The numbers are for easy reference, not a ranking.

1. Mondly: Good for Short Daily Practice (A2 to B1)

Mondly is a self-study app for learners who want short, structured practice before they are ready to talk to a real person. It teaches many languages, and English is one of them.

We did not re-check Mondly's features or prices for this update. Before you pay, look at which speaking exercises the current version includes and whether they give feedback on your pronunciation, and compare that with the AI tutors further down this page.

Who should use Mondly?

A reasonable fit for A2 to B1 learners who feel nervous about speaking and want a low-pressure way to practise. Not ideal for advanced learners who need real conversation.

2. italki: Best for Real Conversation Practice (B1 to C2)

italki connects you with independent teachers for one-to-one video lessons. You pay per lesson, or buy a package of 5, 10 or 20 lessons, and there is no subscription. Every teacher offers 60-minute lessons, and teachers can also offer 30, 45 or 90 minutes.

What makes a tutor platform different from an app is simple: you talk to a person who can follow up, ask questions and correct you. How much of the lesson you spend speaking depends on the teacher and on what you ask for, so say at the start that you want most of the time for conversation.

There are two types of teacher, Community Tutors and Professional Teachers, and both set their own prices within italki's rules. You can try up to 3 discounted trial lessons with different teachers before you commit.

Who should use italki?

A good fit for B1 to C2 learners who are ready for real conversation, and for anyone who wants to pay per lesson rather than subscribe. Lower-level learners can start too, but choose a teacher who explains things simply.

Read our full Mondly review and italki review for detailed breakdowns.

3. ELSA Speak: Best for Pronunciation Feedback (A2 to B2)

ELSA Speak is an English-only app built around pronunciation. In its listen-and-repeat lessons you say words, phrases and short sentences, and the app gives feedback down to the syllable, including word stress and intonation, and it covers American, British and Australian accents.

The plans differ a lot. Pro covers pronunciation coaching only. Premium adds generative AI tools: conversation coaches, AI role-plays, a Speech Analyzer and courses including IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and PTE preparation. Professional adds career coaches for interviews, presentations and meetings. The free plan gives 2 lessons a day plus 3 AI lessons in total, and new accounts can try Premium free for 7 days.

ELSA uses the CEFR scale from A1 to C2, but your starting level is self-declared: there is no placement test. It is a phone app; the only web tool is the Speech Analyzer.

Who should use ELSA Speak?

A good fit for A2 to B2 learners who have reasonable vocabulary but want clearer pronunciation, and for professionals who present or interview in English. On the Pro plan it covers only pronunciation, so pair it with conversation practice.

See our ELSA Speak review for plan details.

4. Cambly: Best for Native Speakers on Demand (B1 to C2)

Cambly sells a weekly allowance of minutes with native English-speaking tutors. You choose minutes per day and days per week, and pay every 1, 3 or 12 months, with 30% off for 3 months and 50% off for 12 (30 October 2026). It is not unlimited: minutes reset every Monday, unused minutes do not carry over, and you can use at most 60 plan minutes a day.

The strength of Cambly is availability. You can call an available tutor on demand, 24/7, or book a chosen tutor ahead. Private+ and Pro plans add lesson recordings, transcripts and automated feedback, and Small Groups (ages 21+) put you with up to two other students for a lower price.

The downside is structure. Conversations can drift if you are not prepared, so bring a topic or a few questions to each session. Cambly itself recommends its one-to-one plans, not groups, for true beginners.

Who should use Cambly?

A good fit for B1 to C2 learners who want frequent speaking practice and value flexibility over structure. Less suitable if you need a fixed course or exam preparation.

Read our full Cambly review for pricing details and tutor tips.

5. Duolingo: Best Free Option for Beginners (A1 to A2)

Duolingo is a free, game-style app for building a daily habit. For speaking practice specifically, it has clear limits.

Its AI conversation features, Video Call with Lily and Roleplay, are in the paid Max tier, which works only in the mobile app and cannot be bought on the web. Video Call is listed for learners of English, but Roleplay in the English course is only available to speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French.

Where Duolingo helps is vocabulary and basic sentence patterns. Duolingo says its most advanced courses reach the end of B2, so do not rely on it alone for speaking beyond intermediate level.

Who should use Duolingo?

A good fit for A1 to A2 beginners who want a free, low-pressure way to start learning English. Use it alongside a speaking tool, not instead of one.

Check our Duolingo review and Mondly vs Duolingo comparison for a deeper look.

Other AI Speaking Tutors to Consider

These apps let you hold a spoken conversation with an AI tutor at any hour. None has a human teacher, and none replaces a real conversation, but they add speaking time between lessons.

Speak

Speak is an AI tutor app built around speaking: a chat coach called Speak Tutor, AI-made "Made For You" lessons (3 a day on Premium, unlimited on Premium Plus), free-talk role-play you can interrupt, and a Pronunciation Coach for English learners. In the US App Store, Premium costs $17.99 a month or $83.99 a year, and Premium Plus $39.99 a month or $164.99 a year (30 October 2026). The 7-day trial needs a payment method. Limits: English courses are only for native speakers of 15 languages, and there is no desktop version or family plan.

Praktika

Praktika uses AI video avatars with American, British, Australian and Asian accents, corrects you in real time and scores your pronunciation. The free plan includes 3 avatars. In the US App Store, Premium is listed at $9.99 for 1 month (probably an introductory price), $49.99 for 3 months and $119.99 for a year, next to several promotional prices (30 October 2026). Praktika says it covers every level from A0 to C2. Limits: phone and tablet only, the trial length is not published, and its help centre and terms describe refunds differently.

Tospeak (shares our owner)

Tospeak is an AI video tutor that runs in your browser: you talk out loud with an AI avatar, with no booking, at any hour. Plans are Daily at $20 a month (up to 60 minutes a day) and Unlimited at $50 a month. You can try 2 minutes a day without an account, or one 5-minute lesson with a free account, with no card (30 October 2026). After adult lessons you get a recap with corrections and new words. Limits: every tutor is an AI and can be wrong, it gives no pronunciation feedback, you have to speak (there is no typing option), and there is no app. Read the Tospeak profile for the full rules.

Quick Comparison Table

Prices checked 25 to 30 October 2026. Sources: italki (italki.com), ELSA Speak (elsaspeak.com), Cambly (cambly.com), Cambly (studentsupport.cambly.com), Duolingo (apps.apple.com), Speak (apps.apple.com), Praktika (apps.apple.com), Tospeak (tospeak.ai).

Levels for Mondly, italki, ELSA Speak, Cambly and Duolingo are our suggestion of who each option suits. For Speak, Praktika and Tospeak the column shows what each provider publishes.

How to Choose the Right App for Your Level

The best speaking app depends on your level and goal. Here is our simple guide:

Frequently Asked Questions