🇸🇦 Arabic · checked 21 October 2026
Best apps to learn Arabic by reading (2026)
4 apps whose own sites list Arabic, and what each is good for.
At a glance
| App | Type | Arabic | Audio | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReadNative (ours) | Graded books | Yes — 3 books | No narration for Arabic | Free first book | Beginners who want whole stories from A1 |
| LingQ | Library + import | Yes | Yes | Yes | importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio |
| Beelinguapp | Curated library | Yes | Yes | Yes | side-by-side translation and audiobooks |
| Readlang | Read anything (web, uploads) | Not listed by name — check | Voices for words and phrases | Yes | reading real web pages with click-to-translate and flashcards |
| Clozemaster | Sentence drills | Yes (depends on your base language) | — | Yes | fill-in-the-blank vocabulary drills (not a reading app) |
The apps
ReadNative (ours)
Graded retellings of real stories that start at absolute beginner and get harder chapter by chapter. Tap a word for an English gloss with romanization, tap a sentence for its translation; words you meet are counted automatically. Arabic books:
- Kalila and Dimna (كليلة ودمنة) — A1–B1, 38 chapters, free
- The Tales of Juha (نوادر جحا) — A1–A2, 16 chapters, Pro
- Sindbad the Sailor (السندباد البحري) — A2–B1, 18 chapters, Pro
Try it: the first lines of Kalila and Dimna
هذه بلاد الهند.
This is the land of India.
الهند بلاد كبيرة وجميلة.
India is a big, beautiful land.
في الهند مدينة كبيرة.
In India there is a great city.
وفي المدينة ملك عظيم.
And in the city there is a mighty king.
اسم الملك دبشليم.
The king's name is Dabschelim.
الملك دبشليم قوي وغني.
King Dabschelim is strong and rich.
| Arabic | Romanization | Gloss in the reader |
|---|---|---|
| هذه | haadhihi | this is |
| بلاد | bilaad | the land of |
| الهند | al-hind | India |
| كبيرة | kabiira | big |
| وجميلة | wa-jamiila | and beautiful |
| في | fii | in |
| مدينة | madiina | (there is) a city |
| وفي | wa-fii | and in |
| المدينة | al-madiina | the city |
| ملك | malik | (there is) a king |
| عظيم | aziim | mighty |
| اسم | ism | the name of |
| الملك | al-malik | the king |
| دبشليم | dabshaliim | (is) Dabschelim |
Read the whole of chapter 1 free →
Strong at: whole stories written for beginners. Weaker at: variety beyond its 3 Arabic books; no narration in Arabic. Price model: first book free; Pro unlocks the rest and EPUB imports.
Your Arabic reading path in ReadNative
Kalila and Dimna كليلة ودمنة: ch. 1–13 ≈A1 (from الفصل 1: الملك والحكيم — Chapter 1: The King and the Sage); ch. 14–26 ≈A2 (from الفصل 14: غضب دمنة — Chapter 14: Dimna's Anger); ch. 27–38 ≈B1 (from الفصل 27: الحرب — Chapter 27: The War).
The Tales of Juha نوادر جحا: ch. 1–8 ≈A1 (from الفصل 1: جحا والحمار والناس — Chapter 1: Juha, the Donkey, and the People); ch. 9–16 ≈A2 (from الفصل 9: السقف والورقة — Chapter 9: The Roof and the Paper).
Sindbad the Sailor السندباد البحري: ch. 1–9 ≈A2 (from الفصل 1: الحمال والبحري — Chapter 1: The Porter and the Sailor); ch. 10–18 ≈B1 (from الفصل 10: كهف الموتى — Chapter 10: The Cave of the Dead).
Other apps that list Arabic
LingQ — importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio. Arabic is listed (lingq.com/en/learn-arabic-online). ReadNative vs LingQ →
Beelinguapp — side-by-side translation and audiobooks. Arabic is listed (beelinguapp.com). ReadNative vs Beelinguapp →
Readlang — reading real web pages with click-to-translate and flashcards. Says it covers 100+ languages; check yours. ReadNative vs Readlang →
Not a reading app, but useful alongside
Clozemaster — fill-in-the-blank vocabulary drills (not a reading app). Arabic is listed (clozemaster.com). ReadNative vs Clozemaster →
What matters in a Arabic reading app
Arabic runs right to left, letters change shape in a word, and short vowels are normally left out, so you often can't pronounce a new word from its spelling. Look for a tool that gives a transliteration with vowels and glosses each word in context; Arabic's root system rewards seeing the same roots again and again in one story.
Questions
What is the best app to learn Arabic by reading?
It depends on your level and what you want to read. For a complete beginner who wants a story written for their level, ReadNative’s Kalila and Dimna starts at A1 and is free. To import and read your own Arabic content with audio, LingQ supports Arabic. If audio on everything matters most, look at LingQ, Beelinguapp.
Is there a free app to read Arabic?
Yes: Kalila and Dimna is free in ReadNative and readable here in your browser (40 chapters online); LingQ, Beelinguapp, Clozemaster also start free.
Should I read Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect?
Books and news use Modern Standard Arabic (fusha), so that is what you read. Dialects are mostly spoken. Reading MSA gives you the written language shared across the Arab world; add a dialect for conversation.
Sources
Every statement about another app on this page comes from that app’s own website, checked on 21 October 2026. Features and plans change; check their sites for the latest.
- LingQ: lingq.com/en · lingq.com/en/learn-georgian-online
- Beelinguapp: beelinguapp.com
- Readlang: readlang.com · readlang.com/features
- Clozemaster: clozemaster.com
ReadNative facts: about ReadNative and the book catalog. We make ReadNative.
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