Are you looking for Urdu tutors to inspire your kids to learn the mesmerizingly beautiful official language of Pakistan? If so, we at Ling are here to help by reviewing the best of what the internet has to offer and the best Urdu kid’s apps to encourage your little ones to grapple with this gorgeous tongue.
Urdu is not only the lingua franca of Pakistan, but the official language of five states in India and is spoken in countries around the globe including Nepal, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Urdu is spoken as a first or second language by around 230 million people, ranking it number 10 on the list of most widely spoken languages globally. Let’s learn more about it!
Why Learn Urdu?
An undeniably lyrical language, Urdu is responsible for some of the most beautiful poetry and literature ever to have come from the East. Sharing a Sanskrit-derived vocabulary base with Persian, Urdu’s prominence in the East started to become apparent when it ousted Persian to become the British East India Company’s official language in 1887. However, access to centuries of intoxicating texts is only one reason for kids to learn Urdu.
Getting a handle on Urdu is a stepping stone to learning other widely spoken languages like Hindi, Turkish, and Arabic as they share a lot of their vocabulary. Because it is written in the Perso-Arabic script, once your kids can read and write Urdu letters, they will also be able to read and write a bunch of other languages including Arabic, Pashto, Persian, and Pakistani Punjabi.
If these aren’t reasons enough for your kids to start learning Urdu, understanding the language will open the gates to the incredible world of Bollywood movies! Most of the intoxicating music featured in Bollywood extravaganzas is sung in the Urdu tongue, and what better way to improve one’s Urdu than with a good singalong?
Above all, though, Urdu is widely recognised as one of the politest languages on the planet. So, prepare to be amazed by your kid’s adopting a more “zen” approach to life as we dive into our choice of the best Urdu kids apps out there.
Best Urdu Kid’s Apps
| App | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Ling | Best All Round App | $8.99 per month, but you can also get a yearly subscription for $79.99 or a Lifetime membership for $149.99 |
| Mango Languages | Best Cultural App | $7.99 per month for access to one language or $17.99 per month for access to all languages. There are also yearly options available: $79.99 for one language or $179.99 for access to all languages |
| Simply Learn Urdu | Best Beginners App | The app is absolutely free to use |
| Dinolingo | Best Games App | Fixed monthly fee of $14.95 per month |
| Mondly | Best Hands-Free App | $9.99/month with a 7-day free trial |
| Pimsleur | Best Audio App | Free 7-day trial for all of its courses. Subscribe to the Pimsleur app for $14.99 per month. |
1. Ling – Best All-Round App
We all know that grabbing kids attention is of primary importance if we want to encourage them to stick to their Urdu lessons and that means any app out there for young people has to be entertaining. Well, the Ling app’s second name is ‘entertainment’! There is never a dull moment with Ling app with its wide range of Urdu language lessons, flashcards, quizzes, games, and conversations for children to lose themselves in. Every lesson is short and sweet, meaning there is no time for younger minds to get distracted.
Features
- An engaging interface the kids will easily engage with and bite-sized lessons that are not overwhelming.
- AI chatbot that is always available when the little ones feel like brushing up on their conversation skills.
- Quizzes and games are a great way of assessing how your child is coming along while keeping things fun and interactive.
Customer Review
“Really easy to use with lots of lessons divided into neat categories from beginner to advanced. Reading, writing, and spoken exercises give a well rounded foundation in your preferred language. Ling is probably my favorite app for learning languages on the go. The free version offers enough value to convince serious students to go pro. Give it a shot. I’m glad I did!” A Google User.
Devices: iOS and Android
Pricing
- Ling offers some of its content for free but, if you want to access all lessons and tools, you will need to pay for a subscription.
- The app charges $8.99 per month, but you can also get a yearly subscription for $79.99 or a Lifetime membership for $149.99.
- You can also try Ling for free with a 7-day trial so you can see if it works for you.
2. Mango languages – Best Cultural App
What makes Mango a stand-out choice among the Urdu learning apps aimed at kids is that the concept behind the way it works is organic language acquisition which is precisely how children go about learning how to communicate. As your child progresses through the lessons designed to stimulate through both visuals and audio, they will build on what they have learned previously. The interface is both aesthetically pleasing and easy for young fingers to use.
Features
- Each chapter teaches vocabulary and grammar against a backdrop of recognizable, real-life situations.
- But, Mango is not just about vocab and grammar. It also offers cultural notes so the kids get to learn more about Pakistan and the people who live there.
- The app’s pronunciation tool encourages kids to concentrate on improving their speaking skills and practice them against native Urdu speakers.
Customer Review
“I can not express enough how helpful, engaging and absolutely engaging this program is for learning a new language. My daughter and I polishing up our Spanish. She is all of 15 years old. And we plan to move on to Japanese! It moves as quick or slow as you need it to. You can record your pronunciation and compare it to the native speaker and the situations in which the language is presented i.e. library conversations, Meet and Greet conversations, even legal conversations are quite relevant and give you a great start to being able to converse with someone in their native language. Please, please keep it free!!!” USA
Devices: iOS and Android
Pricing
- A subscription to Mango Languages costs $7.99 per month for access to one language or $17.99 per month for access to all languages.
- There are also yearly options available: $79.99 for one language or $179.99 for access to all languages.
- Many schools and public libraries offer Mango Languages for free.
3. Simply Learn Urdu – Best Beginners App
As the name of the app suggests, this is a language-learning tool for those just setting out on their learning Urdu adventure. Native Urdu speakers have created crisp, clear audio for the essential vocabulary and phrases for your little ones to practice until they are perfect. Flashcards provide a graphic accompaniment and there are plenty of high-quality games and quizzes to keep things fun and allow the grown-ups to see how the nippers are progressing.
Features
- A colorful, well-designed interface that will keep the kiddies focused and entertained.
- Bold, memorable flashcards visually back up the Urdu words being taught.
- Fun quizzes to help assess how well the lessons are being retained in younger brains.
Customer Review
“You know that you solve my big problem i want learn to Urdu but i have no Teacher but your Application is very helpful thanks.” Google user.
Devices: iOS and Android
Pricing
The app is absolutely free to use.
4. Dinolingo – Best Games App
Dinolingo’s self-learning method means your children can learn Urdu anywhere, any time, and at a pace that suits them. Colorful videos and cartoons are used to encourage the kids to speak Urdu and Urdu books are available to teach the basics of the Urdu alphabet and encourage the nippers to write Urdu at the same time as getting to grips with basic vocabulary. Cleverly designed dinosaur games give out rewards for those children who correctly repeat words and phrases, and vibrant flashcards and worksheets keep the kiddies interested in the reading and writing aspect of the course.
Features
- Game-based teaching technique that gives rewards to children who successfully navigate this Urdu adventure as they speak, listen, read, and write.
- Age-appropriate Urdu language lessons with games, videos, songs, etc.
- Proven language immersion method used to help the little ones learn common words and phrases quickly.
Customer Review
“I couldn’t believe how fast my children and myself for that matter started to pick up a new language! They started repeating the new words just seconds after hearing and seeing them on screen.” Paula C.
Devices: iOS and Android
Pricing
Get unlimited access to the Dinolingo Urdu course on your desktop, laptop, smartphone, and tablet, all for one fixed monthly fee of $14.95 per month. Cancel anytime. No obligations, no contracts, no extra costs.
5. Mondly – Best Hands-Free App
Mondly is an excellent choice for kids who like to play games as they improve their Urdu vocabulary while using and improving their listening skills. The app is perfect for short attention spans as the lessons are provided in short bursts, so are ideal for children with busy diaries. Sounds and images are used to introduce essential vocabulary, and Mondly aims to incentivize daily use to create a habit that will have the kids wanting to return for more bite-sized classes.
Features
- A hands-free format that means kids can continue learning when they are busy with other things.
- Lessons are short and to the point and delivered in dynamic bursts meaning your children will be speaking Urdu after the very first visit.
- Interactive lessons and games keep things interesting.
Customer Review
“Like many other language apps that you can carry in your pocket, Mondly places an emphasis on short but frequent lessons. It prepares a “daily lesson” for you, with sentences and new vocabulary that you can learn in your target language. Everything you learn is then recapped at the end of the class, and you can go back and review it at a later point.” Marie, TX
Devices: iOS and Android
Pricing
Mondly offers a free lesson a day or $9.99/month with a 7-day free trial.
6. Pimsleur – Best Audio App
We’ve picked out Pimsleur as an app to try if you are going to be learning Urdu along with your kids. It’s a fantastic audio-only app that we guarantee will have you and your children speaking your first phrases after the very first lesson. Pimsleur uses lessons set by native Urdu speakers to ensure you will always be conversing like a local and not wasting your time on generic vocab taken from a standard language template with Urdu tacked on.
Features
- Handsfree audio lessons you and your kids can listen to and practice while on the go.
- Logical lessons that teach you words and phrases Urdu speakers actually use in everyday life.
- A perfect conversational app that cuts out the reading and writing aspects of Urdu you might not want to get bogged down in to begin with.
Customer Review
“Pimsleur is great! After completing Rosetta Stone, I still couldn’t really SAY anything, I knew vocabulary but struggled with making up sentences and conversing. Pimsleur is great at forcing me to recall phrases and sentences, really allowing me to converse more effectively. Pimsleur also does a much better job with grammar.” Jackeye, Alaska
Devices: iOS and Android
Pricing
Pimsleur offers a free 7-day trial for all of its courses. Subscribe to the Pimsleur app for $14.99 per month. If you’re learning multiple languages, you can access all of Pimsleur’s language courses for $20.99 per month.
Have We Picked The Best Urdu Kid’s Apps Out There?
At Ling, we are always on the lookout for other great apps to help you and your kids learn a new language in the best way possible. Although we would love for you to choose Ling app to help your children with their Urdu language needs, as language lovers who are passionate about the world of words we also feel we have a duty to introduce you to other language-learning apps that impress us.
Everyone learns in a different way and there are no right and wrong ways to master a foreign tongue. At the end of the day, it is a matter of finding the method that works best for you and your children. Since there has never been so much on offer to those looking to master a new language, we hope we can do our bit as language professionals and trawl through what is out there so you can make a better, more informed decision before signing up.
We want you to find an app you and the kids will stick with as there is nothing more discouraging than having to chop and change halfway through a course that fails to live up to its promises. Do feel free to check out our Urdu language course at Google Play or the App Store if you are looking for a fun app packed with interactive games, quizzes, and an AI chatbot for your little ones to try. It’s free!
