Duolingo is a free language-learning platform. Anyone who wants to learn a new language can get started fairly quickly.
Step 1: Sign up!
Create a user account at the website or the mobile application and log in. You should be asked what language you want to learn. You can add more later, but for the moment pick one. Then you will be guided through a short tutorial that should familiarize you with the main types of questions asked by Duolingo. If the website or application is in a different language see Troubleshooting.
The language "skill tree"language "tree" on the first skill or opt to try to test to a higher level or test-out . If you start at the top, you will be introduced to the language through a series of lessons contained in each skill. Complete each lesson then move on to the next. If you are not comfortable with the material, you can repeat a lesson without penalty. Once you have completed all the lessons in a skill , you can either use the "Practice" option inside of that skill , or pick another unlocked skill and work on that. The goal is to complete the entire tree.
Inside Duolingo lessons
Each lesson consists of several exercises. There are a number of different types of exercise, each one aimed at helping users learn in a different way: translation exercises, where you are presented with a sentence in one language and asked to translate it to the other; listening exercises, where you hear a sentence and have to type it in; and speaking exercises, where you are asked to speak a sentence into your computer's microphone.
New vocabulary hints
Translation exercises are where Duolingo introduces you to new vocabulary and grammar. Words or grammatical constructs that Duolingo hasn't shown you before are highlighted in yellow, and you can hover over any word or phrase with your mouse cursor (even if it's one you've seen before but forgot) to see a list of possible translations.
If at first you don't succeed...
If you get the answer to an exercise wrong, you will be provided with the correct answer and get points upon completing it. However, if you fail or quit a lesson you will not get any points for it. You can retry each lesson as many times as you need to in order to pass it.
Learning new things is nice, but remembering what you've learned is even better. Duolingo helps you get your new knowledge into long-term memory using the Practice button, which lets you review previously-learned material that Duolingo thinks it's time for you to practice again.
You can also review material from any specific lesson or skill by clicking on the Practice button within a skill.
As you get better at a language, your level will increase. You start on level one, but it keeps increasing until it reaches 25. You can see your levels on your profile.
But wait, there's more!In addition to learning a new language for free, you get a few other perks from learning on Duolingo.
When you do something cool like complete all the lessons in a skill, or practice your language for ten days in a row, Duolingo will reward you with lingots. Lingots are Duolingo's virtual currency that can be spent on various language and owl-related items in the Lingot store.
And when you complete all the skills in your language "tree" you'll earn a special virtual trophy to recognize your new-found knowledge.
Finally, you can certify your language proficiency (initially in English) at the Duolingo Test Center.
The Duolingo community
When you learn on Duolingo, you don't have to learn alone. In addition to being able to follow your friends and compete with them for XP, you can also interact with other learners in the Duolingo discussion areas. When you do so, please be sure to follow all official Duolingo guidelines. This wiki has also compiled some additional guidelines in the community and discussions guide.
Duolingo on the goIn addition to the website, Duolingo is available as an app for iOS and Android devices. You can use the same user login for the mobile apps as you use for the website.
Looking for more info? We've got you covered.
If you have any questions this guide hasn't covered, be sure to check our frequently asked questions section as well as the other guides on this site. If you still can't find your answer, you can always ask a question in the discussion area on the Duolingo website. Just be sure to use the search box there first to see if it's been asked before.