Learn English may seem difficult, but you don’t need to know much to get started.
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With a few minutes a day, you can start understanding words, phrases and simple situations.
And if you think you need to have a “gift” for learning languages, you can breathe easy.
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The right apps turn studying into small activities that fit into your routine.
But which one really helps those who are starting from scratch?
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That’s exactly what you will discover here!
Start from Scratch: How to Create a Routine to Learn English
Before choosing the app, it’s worth remembering: you don’t need to study English for hours.
The most important thing is to create a routine you can maintain.
Ten minutes a day can be worth more than two hours on Sunday followed by fifteen days of disappearing.
The secret to learn English is having frequent contact with the language.
Start with simple words and phrases, such as greetings, numbers and everyday objects. A simple routine to get started:
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Learn new words |
| 5 minutes | Do a lesson in the app |
| 5 minutes | Listen to and repeat phrases |
| 5 minutes | Review what you learned |
You don’t have to do everything at once!
Choose a small daily goal and try to stick to it even on your busiest days.
Duolingo App: Learn English with Short and Fun Lessons
Duolingo is a great fit for beginners because it turns studying into short and interactive lessons.
You can practice reading, writing, listening and speaking through activities organized by levels.
Why does it work well for beginners?
Imagine opening the app and finding an activity that takes just a few minutes.
You answer, make a mistake, try again and move on to the next one.
This dynamic makes the process feel less overwhelming and helps create consistency in learning.
Some features that can help include:
- Short and interactive lessons
- Vocabulary and grammar exercises
- Reading practice
- Listening exercises
- Speaking activities
- Error review
- Daily goals
- Progress system
- Content organized by levels
What about the Premium version?
Duolingo can be used for free, but it offers paid plans starting at US$ 9.99.
Babbel App: Learn English with Practical and Structured Lessons
Have you ever felt that learning English becomes confusing because you don’t know where to start?
Yep. Babbel was created to help learners follow lessons in a more structured way.
Here the focus is learning step by step
Instead of simply memorizing isolated words, you can follow lessons organized by level and topic.
You learn words and phrases while practicing situations that can be part of everyday communication.
This is especially interesting for people who prefer to study English with a clearer learning path. Some of the main features include:
- Lessons organized by level
- Vocabulary and grammar exercises
- Reading activities
- Listening exercises
- Speaking practice
- Everyday situations
- Practical dialogues
- Review activities
- Personalized learning experience
What about Premium?
Babbel offers access to selected free content so you can explore the app.
Paid plans start at US$ 8.95 per month, although prices may vary depending on the plan and location.
Cake App: Practice English with Videos and everyday Conversations
Now imagine using learn English through videos, dialogues and real life situations.
That’s exactly what Cake is all about.
Instead of memorizing, see the language in action
Cake lets you learn through videos of celebrities, vloggers, shows and original content.
You can watch, follow the subtitles and repeat the phrases.
Available features include:
- Daily videos
- Expressions used in everyday life
- Lessons organized by topics
- Quizzes
- Listening exercises
- Speaking practice
- AI pronunciation analysis
- Dialogues
- Saving words and phrases
- Reviews
The app also has a 10minute a day goal, which is perfect for anyone who wants to get started without turning studying into a huge obligation.
What about Cake Plus?
Cake can be used for free, but it offers in app purchases.
Cake offers paid plans with additional features starting at US$ 9.99.
How Much Time per Day do You Need to Study English?
The most honest answer is: it depends on your routine.
But you don’t need to start by studying for an hour a day.
For those just getting started, 10 to 20 minutes may already be enough to build the habit.
The important thing when learning English is to maintain frequent contact with the language. A simple suggestion:
- Start with 15 minutes a day. For the first five minutes, do a lesson.
- Then spend a few minutes reviewing words.
- Finally, listen to a few phrases and try to repeat them.
- When that becomes easy, gradually increase the amount of time.
The goal is not to study until you’re exhausted, it is to create a routine that you can repeat tomorrow.
And the day after tomorrow. And the following week…
It is this repetition that turns small sessions into accumulated progress.

How to Memorize Words and Expressions more Easily
One of the biggest challenges when starting to learn English is forgetting a word five minutes after discovering it. It happens!
That’s why you should try to learn words within phrases and situations.
Instead of memorizing just “hungry,” for example, associate it with a simple phrase like “I am hungry.”
This way, you begin to memorize not only the word, but also how it works in practice.
- Review old words regularly.
- Use short phrases.
- Repeat expressions out loud.
- Associate words with situations.
- Save interesting phrases.
- Try to use new words throughout the day.
- Don’t try to memorize dozens of terms at once.
It’s also worth accepting that forgetting is part of the process.
You will learn a word today, forget it tomorrow and remember it again later!
Common Mistakes Made by People Starting to Learn English
People who learn English often make some predictable mistakes. Avoid these pitfalls:
- Wanting to speak perfectly from the start, without seeing mistakes as part of learning.
- Being afraid of mistakes and avoiding practice.
- Studying only grammar and neglecting listening and conversation.
- Ignoring pronunciation, which can improve communication.
- Memorizing words without context, making real phrases harder to use.
- Having long study sessions and then abandoning the routine.
And perhaps the biggest mistake is thinking: “I’m not good at languages.”
You don’t need to be naturally good at it. You need practice!
And remember, starting from scratch is not a disadvantage, but the first step toward discovering how far you can go.






