8 Best Pronunciation Apps that ESL learners Actually use in 2025
Table of Contents
Introduction
Do you struggle with English pronunciation? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. Both native and non-native speakers make pronunciation mistakes during their learning experience. These days, pronunciation apps are a great way to get better at speaking clearly.
Speaking clearly makes a big difference. Your message needs to come across exactly as intended. ESL students often face a common problem – they can only practice pronunciation in class. This makes it hard to get better quickly.
Modern technology has changed everything. Now you can improve your pronunciation skills anytime. Apps like ELSA Speak use AI to coach you, while platforms like Howjsay give you access to more than 150,000 words. Some apps take it further and include video lessons with thousands of practice exercises.
We tested many apps and made a list of the 8 best ones that ESL learners use in 2025. This list will help you pick the right tool to improve your English pronunciation skills.
ELSA Speak: The AI-Powered Pronunciation Coach
Image Source: elsaspeak.com
ELSA Speak stands out among pronunciation apps because of its AI-powered speech recognition technology. The app analyzes how non-native speakers talk with remarkable 95% accuracy at the phoneme level.
ELSA Speak Key Features and Technology
The English Language Speech Assistant (ELSA) brings together advanced AI with detailed learning modules. The app’s technology recognizes speech patterns of non-native speakers, which makes it different from standard voice recognition systems.
Notable features include:
- Instant feedback on pronunciation, intonation, and fluency
- Over 7,900 lessons about business, travel, and academic topics
- Customized learning paths based on the original assessment
- Role-play scenarios for real-life situations
- Dictionary with video examples of native speakers
On top of that, ELSA’s AI coach adapts to your progress and customizes daily curriculum based on how you perform. The app’s self-evolving AI looks at both pronunciation and behavioral patterns to create targeted improvement strategies.
ELSA Speak Pricing Plans
ELSA has flexible pricing options that match different learning needs. The free version gives limited access to simple features, like pronunciation practice and study plans.
The premium plans include:
- ELSA Pro: USD 11.83 monthly (billed annually at USD 141.99)
- ELSA Premium: USD 16.67 monthly (billed annually at USD 199.99)
If you’re struggling with pronunciation, be sure to check out our blog for valuable tips on overcoming pronunciation challenges.
BoldVoice: Hollywood Speech Coaching at Your Fingertips
Image Source: BoldVoice
BoldVoice brings professional accent coaching to your smartphone by combining Hollywood expertise with advanced technology. Users have given the app an exceptional 4.8 out of 5 stars rating from more than 31,000 public reviews on the Apple App Store.
BoldVoice’s Unique Teaching Approach
Through collaboration with Hollywood accent coaches from Netflix, Hulu, Marvel, and Broadway productions, BoldVoice has created a powerful learning system. The app stands out by focusing on tongue positions and mouth movements that help users develop muscle memory for natural American English pronunciation.
The learning experience has:
- 150+ video lessons from professional coaches
- 12,000+ practice items with instant feedback
- Personalized curriculums based on native language
- AI-powered pronunciation assessment
- Ground conversation scenarios
BoldVoice Pricing and Plans
Users can choose from flexible subscription options that fit different learning needs. The Standard plan costs $12.50 per month with annual billing ($150.00) and provides access to personalized accent training and unlimited practice exercises. The Super plan costs $16.66 monthly when billed annually ($199.99) and has additional features like AI Chat for conversation practice.
Users can try all features with a 7-day free trial without immediate payment. They can cancel or change their plan during this period without charges.
Pronuncian: The Complete Pronunciation Learning System
Learning the 43 sounds of American English becomes easy with Pronuncian’s complete learning system. This pronunciation app stands out because of its step-by-step approach to teaching proper articulation and speech patterns.
Pronuncian’s Teaching Methodology
Pronuncian uses a structured way to build strong foundational skills. The app teaches through listen-and-repeat exercises and introduces students to vowel and consonant sounds. Students learn exact mouth and tongue positions.
The learning process has:
- Video demonstrations with picture guides
- Detailed word definitions
- Topic-based lesson organization
- Common pronunciation problem solutions
- Offline practice capabilities
Pronuncian excels by focusing on proper articulation right from the start. Users develop muscle coordination through regular practice instead of just learning theory.
Pronuncian Subscription Options
Pronuncian gives away its core features for free, unlike other pronunciation apps. The free version lets users access basic learning tools, including:
Users can practice pronunciation anywhere thanks to the app’s offline features. This makes it perfect for people who don’t always have internet access. You can use all pronunciation guides and practice exercises without needing to stay connected.
Pronuncian User Experience
Students of all skill levels report great results with Pronuncian. The app helps people prepare for TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC exams. Users love its simple interface and clear pronunciation guides that help them talk confidently with colleagues, friends, and tourists.
The app works well because it takes a practical approach to better pronunciation. Users pick topics they like, which makes learning more fun and relevant. The video-based system shows proper mouth movements and tongue positions that lead to better pronunciation.
Teachers use Pronuncian as a helpful classroom tool to support their pronunciation lessons. The app’s thorough coverage of American English sounds and practical exercises makes it valuable for both self-learners and classroom use.
Say It: Oxford’s Premium Pronunciation Tool
Image Source: App Store – Apple
Oxford University Press has revolutionized pronunciation practice with its award-winning app, Say It. The app received the English-Speaking Union President’s Award for New Technology in ELT 2016. Students and teachers around the world trust this tool to learn English.
Say It’s Core Features
The app stands out because of its visual approach to pronunciation learning. Students can access 70,000+ recordings from Oxford’s dictionaries. Say It lets learners:
- Listen to individual sounds with interactive phonetic spelling
- Compare their recordings with Oxford model pronunciations
- Look at soundwaves to match pronunciations exactly
- Send recordings to teachers or peers through email
- See their progress with star ratings
- Learn both British and American accents
The app has a huge word database. Users can slow down pronunciations with a “touch and drag” feature to spot tricky parts in each word. Soundwave patterns and stress markers help students see how words should sound.
Say It Pricing Structure
The Say It app offers a free version with 100 British English words that cover all 44 sounds in standard English. For additional features, Apple users can make a one-time purchase for American English words, while Android users have subscription options. The pricing varies, with a rough range for Apple users around $6.99 and Android users having different subscription plans.
Say It Learning Outcomes
Research at the University of the West of England shows the app works well. Students rated everything as ‘very useful’ – from vocabulary range to phonetic alphabet blocks and stress markers. They did better in class and felt more confident talking to native English speakers.
The app helps more than just individual students.
Teachers love using Say It in classrooms because students pay more attention when they see spelling, IPA, syllable blocks, and soundwaves on big screens. The accessible interface shows exactly what needs work, which helps students improve their pronunciation faster.
ESL teachers say the app is great at the time students need to work on specific word sounds. Students get better results because they can see how they’re doing and practice as much as they want. This makes Say It valuable for both self-study and classroom teaching.
FluentU: Contextual Pronunciation Practice
Image Source: www.fluentu.com
FluentU makes pronunciation practice engaging through authentic video content and interactive learning. The platform uses real-life videos to help learners become skilled at English pronunciation in context.
FluentU’s Immersive Approach
We focused on authentic language exposure through carefully curated video content. The platform reshapes popular media like music videos, movie trailers, and news segments into customized language learning lessons.
The platform’s distinctive features include:
- Interactive captions with instant word definitions
- Video-based pronunciation practice
- Personalized vocabulary tracking
- Built-in dictionary with audio pronunciations
- Custom learning paths based on progress
FluentU adapts to your progress and creates a tailored experience that matches your skill level. The platform’s intelligent system tracks learned words and phrases, which changes how you practice pronunciation.
FluentU Cost Analysis
FluentU’s subscription options fit different learning needs. Users can access simple features and selected video content through a free trial period.
Premium subscriptions give you access to the complete video library and advanced features. Monthly plans start at $29.99, while annual subscriptions offer better value at $239.88 per year. The pricing reflects the vast video library and interactive features subscribers can access.
Sounds: The Pronunciation App by Macmillan
Image Source: Macmillan Education
Macmillan’s Sounds app brings professional pronunciation training to mobile devices, building on Adrian Underhill’s best-selling “Sound Foundations.” This British Council ELTon Award winner from 2012 is a chance to become skilled at English pronunciation.
Sounds App Features Overview
This app has an interactive phonemic chart that shows all English sounds in three categories: vowels, diphthongs, and consonants. Users can tap any symbol to hear the sound or hold it to hear an example word. The app works with both British and American English.
Premium version capabilities include:
- Practice activities in three modes – listening, writing, and reading
- Custom focus on specific sound combinations
- Recording and playback features to compare pronunciation
- Access to 650+ high-frequency words with audio recordings
- Phonemic typewriter to practice transcription
Sound patterns connect with spelling in this app, which sets it apart from traditional pronunciation tools.
Sounds App Pricing Details
Learning needs vary, so the app comes in two versions. The free version gives you:
- Interactive Phonemic Chart with high-quality audio
- ‘Introduction to the Chart’ video
- Demo versions of Quiz and Practice sections
The Premium Edition costs £3.99 / USD 5.99 and unlocks all features. Additional wordlists cost £0.69/USD 0.99 each, covering everything from general English to specific Macmillan coursebook vocabulary.
Sounds App User Reviews
Teachers find it valuable in classrooms, and ELTons judges praise its accessible interface and depth.
The app takes a systematic approach to phonemic awareness. Users can switch between British and American English pronunciations to match their learning goals. Practice sections adapt to user priorities and help focus training on sound combinations that need work.
English Pronunciation by Cambridge
Image Source: App Store – Apple
Cambridge’s English Pronunciation app stands as the go-to guide for modern pronunciation, putting over 230,000 pronunciations of words, names, and phrases at your fingertips. This app serves as a detailed tool to help users become skilled at both British and American English pronunciation patterns.
Cambridge App Key Features
Native speakers have recorded the app’s vast database of pronunciations to ensure authentic learning. The app offers these powerful features:
- Flash Card Quiz system for memorization and testing
- Multiple clipboard look-up functionality
- Wildcard search for uncertain spellings
- Anagram search capabilities
- Offline access to all features
The app stands out by providing phonetic transcriptions for each word and videos that show pronunciation in isolation and within sentences. Users can grasp both individual sounds and natural speech patterns easily.
Cambridge App Cost Structure
Users can access Cambridge’s pronunciation resources through several channels. The simple online dictionary gives free access to basic pronunciation features. Premium version unlocks additional benefits for advanced learners:
Users can get unlimited access to the complete pronunciation database for $5.99. The original cost might seem high, but offline functionality eliminates the need for recurring subscription fees. However, for the most accurate and current pricing details, it’s best to check directly with Cambridge’s official resources or app store listings.
Cambridge App Learning Impact
The mix of audio pronunciations and phonetic transcriptions helps them master difficult sounds. ESL learners find great value in the app’s syllabification approach that aligns with American English patterns.
The app succeeds because it takes a detailed approach to pronunciation learning. Users can choose to focus on:
- Segmental features (individual sounds)
- Suprasegmental features (rhythm and intonation)
- Word stress patterns
- Connected speech phenomena
Duolingo: Free Pronunciation Practice
Image Source: Duolingo Blog
Duolingo stands out among accessible pronunciation apps because of its fresh take on speech practice. The platform creates an engaging learning experience by combining native speaker recordings with advanced voice recognition technology.
Duolingo Pronunciation Features
We focused on shadowing techniques in the app’s pronunciation system. Students repeat sentences from native speakers to improve their listening skills and develop proper pronunciation patterns.
Key pronunciation features include:
- Voice recognition software that gives instant feedback
- Native speaker recordings for authentic learning
- A specialized pronunciation practice tab for English sounds
- Exercises that target specific vowels and consonants
Students can work on their pronunciation through a dedicated practice tab in the English course. The app also weaves speaking exercises naturally into regular lessons.
Duolingo Premium Benefits
Users can choose between free and premium versions. Super and Max subscriptions come with extra features. Duolingo Super removes ads and lets users practice without limits.
Duolingo Max, the latest tier, brings two AI-powered features:
- Explain My Answer: Clear breakdowns of right and wrong responses
- Roleplay: Real-life conversation practice with AI feedback
Premium users get access to the Practice Hub with daily rotating review sessions. These include Perfect Pronunciation modules with 10 speaking exercises and Listen-Up modules featuring 10 listening tasks.
Conclusion
English pronunciation is more available than ever through specialized apps. ELSA’s AI-powered coaching, BoldVoice’s Hollywood expertise, Pronuncian’s systematic approach, and FluentU’s authentic content each bring unique strengths to the table. Your specific needs and learning style should guide your choice of app.
The specific tool matters less than consistent practice. You can start with an app that fits your budget and priorities. Most apps provide free trials or simple versions that let you test their features before you buy a premium subscription.
These pronunciation apps complement traditional learning methods well. Your pronunciation skills will improve when you practice with any of these tools. They will boost your speaking confidence and improve your English communication abilities.
If you’re facing challenges with pronunciation, be sure to visit our next blog for insightful tips on how to improve English pronunciation.