Apps for speaking and pronunciation practice in 2026
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Fact-checked
Speaking is the hardest skill to practise alone, because someone has to listen and point out what went wrong. The six apps below do that in different ways: imitating model speakers in video, sound-level pronunciation scoring, conversation with an AI tutor, talking with native speakers, and exam speaking practice. Picks are arranged by role, not ranked.
AppDuo's research found no independent assessment of how accurate the AI scoring in these apps is, so treat AI scores as prompts for another attempt. Each app also handles voice recordings differently; the trade-offs in each entry and the FAQ summarise what to read before granting microphone access.
Video shadowing with AI coaching8.1/101. Corodomo
Suits learners who want to practise speaking by imitating model speakers in video, with bilingual subtitles, Japanese furigana, English IPA and sentence-level practice. 1:1 AI shadowing coaching sets tasks by goal and level, guides you through listening, comprehension, overlap reading and shadowing, then scores your recording sentence by sentence and word by word, flagging mispronounced or skipped words so you can retry weak sentences. CoroAI adds situational conversation, including Japanese kaiwa and English speaking. The free plan includes 1 AI quota hour a month; Plus costs 179,000 VND/month, or 116,000 VND/month billed yearly, with 30 AI hours (prices as listed in VND on Corodomo's pricing page). Trade-off: speaking, detailed pronunciation scoring and subtitle generation share that allowance, and all feedback comes from AI, not a teacher. Rated 4.9/5 on the Vietnam App Store (946 ratings) and 4.8/5 on Google Play Vietnam (531).
Read our full Corodomo review
Sound-by-sound English pronunciation6.9/102. ELSA Speak
For English learners who want to know exactly which sounds they get wrong. According to Voicebot.ai (2021), the app breaks sentences into individual sounds to pinpoint errors; ELSA's Vietnamese homepage lists five scored areas: pronunciation, intonation, fluency, grammar and vocabulary. The free tier has only 3 ELSA AI trial uses and a 30-minute Speech Analyzer trial. ELSA's Vietnamese price list is on promotion: Pro at 495,000 VND/year (list 1,595,000 VND); Premium at 999,000 VND/year (list 2,745,000 VND) adds Speech Analyzer, IELTS/TOEIC courses and limited Interview Coach and Meeting Coach access. Trade-offs: English only, with an English-only interface; ELSA's own pages show different prices; and the privacy notice gives no retention period for recordings and says some data was “sold” or “shared” in the past 12 months. Rated 4.7/5 on the US App Store (114K+ ratings) and 4.6/5 on Google Play (about 1.02M).
Read our full ELSA Speak review
Phrase-based AI tutor conversation6.8/103. Speak
Suits learners who want to speak aloud every day without booking a teacher. Speak follows three steps: learn phrases native speakers use, practise until they feel natural, then use them in conversation with Speak Tutor. English speakers can learn Spanish, French, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Simplified Chinese, and the app also teaches English; Pronunciation Coach is for English learners only. There is a 7-day trial that requires a card. On the US App Store, Premium is $17.99/month or $83.99/year (about $7/month); the personalised study plan and frequent-mistake targeting are Premium Plus only ($39.99/month or $164.99/year). Trade-offs: fees are generally non-refundable and you must cancel at least 3 days before renewal; the privacy notice allows audio to be used to develop AI, its EU/UK/Swiss section says audio is shared with OpenAI and Microsoft, and the company says some data was “sold” or “shared” for targeted advertising. Rated 4.8/5 on the US App Store (66,605 ratings) and 4.7/5 on Google Play (126K).
Read our full Speak review
Open conversation with AI avatar tutors6.7/104. Praktika
For adults who want free-form conversation with avatar AI tutors on topics they choose. The help center lists 14 speaking languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and French; tutors give real-time feedback on messages and pronunciation and can explain in a language you already speak. The free tier offers 3 avatars, limited speaking practice and basic feedback. Praktika publishes no prices outside the app; the US App Store in-app list shows Premium at $9.99 for one month and 1-year options from $49.99 to $139.99. Trade-offs: the terms are for users 18 and over although the App Store rates the app 4+; voice recordings and transcripts are used to fine-tune AI, and the policy says the company may sell some data types; the terms say fees are generally non-refundable, and the help center only mentions refunds requested within 48 hours of the charge. iOS and Android only. Rated 4.7/5 on the US App Store (168,406 ratings) and 4.8/5 on Google Play (1.35M).
Read our full Praktika review
Native-speaker exchange6.5/105. HelloTalk
The pick for learners with some basics who want to talk to people rather than software. You connect with native speakers and chat or call to practise their language while they practise yours; Voicerooms and livestreams add group speaking and listening. The site lists 260+ languages. The free tier keeps chat and Voicerooms uncapped but shows ads and caps daily translation, AI correction and voice-to-text; VIP costs $12.99/month or $79.99/year on the US App Store. Trade-offs: there are no structured lessons and practice quality depends on your partners; some Trustpilot reviewers (2.5/5 from only 41 reviews) report harassment or account bans with little explanation; the privacy policy does not state that chats are end-to-end encrypted. Rated 4.6/5 on the US App Store (44,186 ratings) but 3.6/5 on Google Play (about 240K).
Read our full HelloTalk review
Exam speaking practice6.8/106. Prep
For learners practising speaking for an exam. Virtual speaking rooms in the IELTS courses score against the 4 exam criteria; each stage has 8 AI-graded tasks, each resubmittable up to 5 times, and a teacher re-marks a disputed score for free. The TOEIC page describes a virtual speaking room simulating all 11 TOEIC Speaking question types on a 200-point scale, and PrepTalk English offers AI role-play speaking. Prep sells one-off courses rather than monthly subscriptions: each IELTS stage costs 1,500,000 to 4,500,000 VND with lifetime access once activated, and a 12-month AI practice pack is 1,500,000 VND (Prep publishes prices in VND). Trade-offs: Prep's own AI usage policy says outputs may be inaccurate; App Store prices differ from the website; and the privacy policy gives no retention period although the app collects voice recordings. Rated 4.7/5 on both the Vietnam App Store (6,588 ratings) and Google Play (about 4.75K).
Read our full Prep review
Apps for speaking and pronunciation practice at a glance: data table
Data (JSON)Prices are per month in the currency the vendor lists, from the plans checked on the date shown. Download the full data as JSON.
| App | Score | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan | User rating | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corodomo | 8.1 | Yes | ≈ $6.98₫179,000Plus | 4.9/5App Store (Vietnam) | Web, iOS, Android | Nov 10, 2026 |
| ELSA Speak | 6.9 | Yes | ≈ $1.61₫41,250ELSA Pro | 4.6/5Google Play | iOS, Android, Web | Nov 10, 2026 |
| Speak | 6.8 | No | $17.99Premium | 4.7/5Google Play | iOS, Android, Web | Nov 10, 2026 |
| Praktika | 6.7 | Yes | $9.99Premium | 4.8/5Google Play | iOS, Android | Nov 10, 2026 |
| HelloTalk | 6.5 | Yes | $12.99VIP | 3.6/5Google Play | iOS, Android, Web | Nov 10, 2026 |
| Prep | 6.8 | No | — | 4.7/5App Store (VN) | Web, iOS, Android | Nov 10, 2026 |
Prices marked ≈ are converted to USD at the reference rate of Nov 12, 2026 (ExchangeRate-API) so they can be compared. What you pay follows the vendor's price and exchange rate.
How we chose
Picks come from AppDuo's published, research-based reviews; AppDuo did not install or measure these apps. Only products whose profiles clearly document speaking practice were kept, then compared on practice format, type of feedback (AI or human), supported languages, free-tier limits, personal-plan prices and voice-recording terms. Every plan mentioned is a personal plan; prices are quoted in the currency and market each vendor publishes, never converted. Prices, store ratings and policies keep the check date of each review (10 November 2026).
Frequently asked questions
Should I pick a pronunciation scorer or a conversation app?
It depends on where you get stuck. If listeners struggle with your sounds or intonation, ELSA Speak (English only) or Corodomo's sentence- and word-level scoring help locate the errors. If you know the words but cannot produce them in conversation, Speak, Praktika or Corodomo's CoroAI offer AI conversation practice. For real-time exchange with people, there is HelloTalk; for IELTS or TOEIC question formats, Prep.
Which apps let me practise speaking for free?
HelloTalk keeps chat and Voicerooms uncapped on its ad-supported free tier. Corodomo's free plan includes 1 AI quota hour a month; Praktika offers 3 avatars and limited speaking practice; ELSA Speak gives only 3 ELSA AI trial uses and a 30-minute Speech Analyzer trial. Speak has a 7-day trial that requires a card, and a free membership is mentioned but no source details its scope. Prep offers free entry tests, with no full free learning plan documented.
Can I trust the AI scores?
Treat them as prompts to retry, not exam results. The research found no independent assessment of AI scoring accuracy for Corodomo, ELSA Speak, Speak, Praktika or Prep; Prep's own AI usage policy says outputs may be inaccurate, and its IELTS page lets learners request a free teacher re-mark of a disputed score. HelloTalk is the exception because you speak with people, though quality depends on who you meet.
What happens to my voice recordings?
It varies, so read the policy before granting microphone access. According to each vendor's policy: Speak allows audio to be used to develop AI, and its EU/UK/Swiss section says audio is shared with OpenAI and Microsoft; Praktika uses recordings and transcripts to fine-tune AI and may sell some data types; ELSA Speak and Prep give no retention period for recordings. Corodomo's policy names its AI processors, describes in-app consent and restrictions on training use, but gives no concrete retention period. HelloTalk does not state that chats are end-to-end encrypted.
Which apps cover Japanese, Korean or Chinese?
Speak teaches Korean, Japanese and Simplified Chinese (alongside Spanish, French, Italian and English). Praktika offers speaking practice in 14 languages, including Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese. Corodomo covers Japanese kaiwa with furigana in subtitles, plus JLPT and HSK practice tests. HelloTalk lists 260+ languages for finding native speakers. ELSA Speak is English only. Prep offers HSK, but its virtual speaking rooms are described only for IELTS and TOEIC.
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