🇰🇷 Korean · checked 21 October 2026
Best apps to learn Korean by reading (2026)
4 apps whose own sites list Korean, and what each is good for.
At a glance
| App | Type | Korean | Audio | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReadNative (ours) | Graded books | Yes — 3 books | No narration for Korean | 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. Korean books:
- The Tale of Hong Gildong (홍길동전) — A1–B1, 40 chapters, free
- Heungbu and Nolbu (흥부와 놀부) — A1–A2, 16 chapters, Pro
- The Tale of Chunhyang (춘향전) — A2–B1, 18 chapters, Pro
Try it: the first lines of The Tale of Hong Gildong
옛날 조선의 한양에 큰 집이 있어요.
Long ago, in Hanyang, the capital of Joseon, there is a big house.
이 큰 집에 홍판서가 살아요.
In this big house lives Minister Hong.
홍판서는 아주 높은 사람이에요.
Minister Hong is a man of very high rank.
임금님도 홍판서를 좋아해요.
Even the king likes Minister Hong.
집에는 사람이 많아요.
In the house there are many people.
춘섬은 이 집의 하인이에요.
Chunseom is a servant of this house.
| Korean | Romanization | Gloss in the reader |
|---|---|---|
| 옛날 | yennal | long ago |
| 조선의 | Joseon-ui | of Joseon |
| 한양에 | Hanyang-e | in Hanyang (the capital) |
| 큰 | keun | a big |
| 집이 | jibi | house |
| 있어요 | isseoyo | there is |
| 이 | i | this |
| 집에 | jibe | in house |
| 홍판서가 | Hong Panseo-ga | Minister Hong |
| 살아요 | sarayo | lives |
| 홍판서는 | Hong Panseo-neun | Minister Hong |
| 아주 | aju | very |
| 높은 | nopeun | high-ranking |
| 사람이에요 | saramieyo | is a person |
Read the whole of chapter 1 free →
Strong at: whole stories written for beginners. Weaker at: variety beyond its 3 Korean books; no narration in Korean. Price model: first book free; Pro unlocks the rest and EPUB imports.
Your Korean reading path in ReadNative
The Tale of Hong Gildong 홍길동전: ch. 1–14 ≈A1 (from 제1장: 홍판서의 집 — Chapter 1: The House of Minister Hong); ch. 15–28 ≈A2 (from 제15장: 산길 — Chapter 15: The Mountain Road); ch. 29–40 ≈B1 (from 제29장: 삼천 석 — Chapter 29: Three Thousand Sacks).
Heungbu and Nolbu 흥부와 놀부: ch. 1–8 ≈A1 (from 제1장: 두 형제 — Chapter 1: Two Brothers); ch. 9–16 ≈A2 (from 제9장: 매품 — Chapter 9: A Flogging for Pay).
The Tale of Chunhyang 춘향전: ch. 1–9 ≈A2 (from 제1장: 단옷날 — Chapter 1: The Day of the Dano Festival); ch. 10–18 ≈B1 (from 제10장: 옥중의 꿈 — Chapter 10: The Dream in Prison).
Other apps that list Korean
LingQ — importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio. Korean is listed (lingq.com/en/learn-korean-online). ReadNative vs LingQ →
Beelinguapp — side-by-side translation and audiobooks. Korean 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). Korean is listed (clozemaster.com). ReadNative vs Clozemaster →
What matters in a Korean reading app
Hangul can be learned in a few days, but Korean grammar works through particles and verb endings that change with politeness. A reading tool that glosses whole word-forms (stem plus ending) and adds romanization at first saves a lot of dictionary time.
Questions
What is the best app to learn Korean 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 The Tale of Hong Gildong starts at A1 and is free. To import and read your own Korean content with audio, LingQ supports Korean. If audio on everything matters most, look at LingQ, Beelinguapp.
Is there a free app to read Korean?
Yes: The Tale of Hong Gildong is free in ReadNative and readable here in your browser (42 chapters online); LingQ, Beelinguapp, Clozemaster also start free.
Do I need hanja to read Korean?
No. Modern Korean is written in Hangul; hanja (Chinese characters) appear only occasionally in newspapers and academic text. Knowing some hanja roots helps with vocabulary later, but it isn't needed to start reading.
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.
More Korean: learn Korean by reading · Korean graded readers · Korean short stories · how long it takes to learn Korean