Overview
Duolingo is the world's most-downloaded language-learning app. It was founded in 2011 in Pittsburgh by Carnegie Mellon computer science professor Luis von Ahn and his PhD student Severin Hacker. Duolingo runs a free + subscription (Super Duolingo) model, using short lessons, streaks, leaderboards and a gem economy to massively lower the psychological barrier of learning a foreign language long-term. As of 2024 it has 103M monthly and 34M daily active users, covering 40+ languages including English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and French. Its Duolingo English Test (DET) is now accepted by 5,000+ universities in the US, UK, Canada and elsewhere, offering a cheaper and faster proof of English proficiency than TOEFL or IELTS for study-abroad applications.
Core Features
Gamified Lessons
Levels, streaks, gems and leaderboards turn 5 minutes of daily study into an addictive game
40+ Languages
Supports English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Arabic and niche languages like Irish
AI Conversation Practice
Duolingo Max uses GPT-4 to give subscribers roleplay conversations and grammar explanations
Official English Test
The $59 Duolingo English Test (DET) is accepted by 5000+ overseas universities as a TOEFL/IELTS alternative
Duo the Owl Mascot
The 'you didn't study for 5 minutes?' green owl mascot is one of the world's top social media memes
Family Plan
Super Duolingo Family at $120/year shares with 6 members — ad-free with unlimited hearts
How to Use
Download the App
Download from the App Store, Google Play or duolingo.com — fully accessible in mainland China without a VPN
Set a Learning Goal
Pick your native and target language, take a placement test — AI will automatically assign your starting level
Build Your Streak
Complete one lesson a day to maintain your streak — Duo will push notifications to keep your record alive
Unlock Super Duolingo
Pay $6.99/month or $59.99/year to unlock ad-free, unlimited hearts, offline lessons and all premium features
Founding Story
Duolingo was founded in November 2011 by Guatemalan computer scientist Luis von Ahn. After his earlier invention reCAPTCHA was acquired by Google, he set out to solve another global problem with a crowdsourced approach: making foreign language learning free even for the world's poorest. Duolingo entered public beta in 2012 and passed 100 million users by 2014. In 2019 it launched the Duolingo English Test, quickly accepted by top universities including Harvard and Yale — replacing in-person exams during COVID. In July 2021 Duolingo IPO'd on NASDAQ at over $6.5 billion valuation. Recently Duolingo has aggressively adopted AI: in 2023 it released Duolingo Max powered by GPT-4, offering paying users personalized conversation practice and AI grammar explanations.