Learn French
French, in the order the words actually turn up.
A frequency-first course through the 3,000 most useful French words, with graded stories, 899 conjugation tables, songs you already half know, and a Sound Lab that finally explains the R.
Designed by linguists and built with data.
Read the whole course freeOne Plus subscription covers all 11 languages, not just French, and the full Learn IPA course See what Plus adds
Try French now - no sign-up
Quick taster
3-word session
A quick mix of exercises - recognise, recall, type and build each word. Miss one and it comes back round until it sticks.
Graded reader
Un matin à la maison
Only words the course has taught
. . .
Today I go home. I'm hungry and I want to eat. My friend says there is something to eat on the table.
Tap any word for its word page
Read French from the first week.
93 graded readers built only from vocabulary the course has taught, so the famous gap between written and spoken French starts closing on page one. Tap any word you forget.
Browse French storiesGrammar that treats you like an adult.
Four of parler's six present-tense forms sound identical. French spells differences it no longer says, and the grammar guides tell you which ones those are before they cost you marks.
Explore French grammarPresent tense
parler
to speak - Regular -er verb
- je
- parle
- tu
- parles
- il / elle
- parle
- nous
- parlons
- vous
- parlez
- ils
- parlent
Four of these six sound identical - parle, parles and parlent are all just "parl". French spells a difference it no longer says.
Built for French, specifically
Not one course photocopied eleven times. Each language gets the tools its own difficulties actually call for.
The Learn IPA course comes with it
One Plus subscription gets you the French course and the full Learn IPA course: ten lessons, every drill, and the same words heard in two English accents, General American and British RP. The French IPA chart then covers the four nasal vowels, the /y/ and the uvular r, so you can read any French pronunciation in a dictionary.
French by the numbers
Counted from the course, not rounded up for the brochure.
- words, taught in frequency order
- 3000
- verb conjugation tables
- 899
- graded stories
- 93
- public domain song lessons
- 4
words, taught in frequency order
verb conjugation tables
graded stories
public domain song lessons
Certification
Prove your French
A timed exam on the words that matter most: recognition, listening, recall and a reading passage. Pass with 80% and the certificate is yours, with its own verification link for LinkedIn or a CV.
Every way to learn French
The course is the spine, but every part of it stands on its own.
Courses
- Online AppThe course as a game: a trail, streaks and XP
- Online Coursebook3,000 words in order: words, grammar, stories
- Just DrillPick a word list, or build your own, and drill it
- IntroductionHow the course works, and where to begin
- GCSE journey mapThe GCSE course as a trail
- GCSE coursebookThe GCSE specification, in its own order
- A-level journey mapThe A-level course as a trail
- A-level coursebookThe A-level specification, in its own order
- AP journey mapThe AP course as a trail
- AP coursebookThe AP specification, in its own order
- What is a GCSE?The exam, its tiers, and how it compares to CEFR
- What is an A-level?The exam, and how the course builds on GCSE
- What is AP?The AP language exams, and our AP Spanish, French and Chinese courses
Read
Words and sounds
- Word listsUp to 5,000 words by frequency, plus GCSE and A-level
- Vocab by CEFRA1 through C2 wordlists
- AlphabetLetters, sounds, and special characters
- IPA chartEvery sound of the language, in IPA
- Sound LabHear each sound, and see the mouth make it
- Authentic listeningReal news reports at native speed, free to play
- SpeakingPlus featureRecord yourself and compare with the course audio (experimental)
Play
Teach and print
Read real French stories from chapter 1
Graded stories, a grammar article and drill for every point, a whole games arcade, printable worksheets and lessons by email. One account, every language.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
Start French at word one.
Every word and grammar lesson is free to read, and stays that way. Plus adds every graded reader past chapter 2, the story drills, grammar practice, games, printables and lessons by email: free for a week, then $5 a month - one subscription for every course on the site, not just French, and the full Learn IPA course with it.