If you go back far down memory lane, you might remember a time when language learning wasn’t readily available.
Back then if you wanted to learn Turkish or any other language, you might have been left to decide between signing up for a language school, travelling, or paying for a private tutor.
But with the rise of the internet, there’s now a wide range of online Turkish resources and tools available for free to help you become fluent in Turkish.
Read on for a rundown of some of the most useful online Turkish resources for learning Turkish in no time!
Pro Tip
By the way, if you want to learn Turkish fast, my top recommendation is Turkish Uncovered. It’s a course where you can adopt the unique StoryLearning® approach to learn Turkish through stories, and not through rules or drills. It’s fun, easy, and effective!
If you’re ready to get started, click here for a 7-day FREE trial.
Here’s a rundown of some useful Turkish language resources, grouped by:
Table of Contents
Let’s check out these online Turkish resources!
Online Turkish Courses
Taking a course is one of the most classic approaches to learning a language. These days, there are enough courses online to meet the needs of every type of learner. Here are three great courses you can try out:
1. Let’s Speak Turkish By Magic Talk Academy
Let’s Speak Turkish is run by the Magic Talk Academy, an accredited Turkish language school for foreigners based in Istanbul.
They run all types of courses, including face-to-face courses in Istanbul, online courses, and one-to-one courses. All of their courses are taught by certified Turkish teachers.
These online courses are some of the most popular on the market because they help prepare you to eventually study in Turkey. At the end of a course, you receive a TÖMER certificate, a requirement for enrolling in universities in Turkey.
There are new courses starting up every month, and you can simply reach out to the course organisers if you’re interested in joining an online course!
2. Turkish Uncovered
Turkish Uncovered is a beginner course that teaches you Turkish in an effective and exciting way through a story.
The course truly allows you to immerse yourself in Turkish, and is one of the most creative courses around because it doesn’t overburden you with grammar rules and memorization exercises.
Plus, you can read and listen to the story in the course as many times as you want to pick up something new every time! Get your free 7-day trial of the course.
3. Dilmer Online Courses
Dilmer is another language school based in Turkey that organizes both in-person and online Turkish courses.
There are seven different Turkish courses geared towards different levels, from beginner to advanced. And better yet, all of the courses are taught by certified Turkish language teachers.
Dilmer organizes 4-week and 8-week online intensive courses on a regular basis, so you can check out their schedule for the next course if you're looking for something more traditional.
Websites To Learn Turkish
Websites are invaluable for learning languages, and it’s no exception for learning Turkish. Many websites even come with their own courses, YouTube channels, podcasts series, or other online Turkish resources!
4. Turkish Class 101
Turkish Class 101 is by far one of the most comprehensive and useful resources! The website has thousands of lessons that you can draw on for learning Turkish.
The website includes short audio and video lessons, study tools like slideshows and flashcards, and pairs you with a personal teacher who provides you with guidance.
Turkish Class 101 also manages its own YouTube channel for learning Turkish in a quick and easy way using short videos. They’re also extremely useful for picking up cultural tips about Turkey.
5. Lingohut
Are you hard-pressed for time, but still wanting to master Turkish? Lingohut might be for you!
Lingohut teaches Turkish using what they call the “drip-feed” approach, which approaches language learning by teaching in small increments.
The website has 125 short lessons to help you learn all the basic vocabulary and Turkish phrases you need to know for every occasion and situation.
YouTube Channels For Learning Turkish
There is an abundance of video content on YouTube for learning Turkish, and they can be a fun way to learn Turkish while also being entertained.
If you’re a visual learner, then learning Turkish with YouTube channels might be the right fit for you! Here are some of the best Turkish YouTube channels for learners:
6. Turkishle
Turkishle is a quintessential channel for learning all the basics in Turkish.
There are hundreds of videos that teach you different vocabulary and phrases, as well as provide you pronunciation tips. The videos are produced in a way that gets you speaking right away!
The channel also provides great pointers about Turkish culture, and exposes you to different accents of Turkish to hone your listening skills.
7. Easy Turkish
Easy Turkish shares videos of informal interviews they recorded in Turkish with everyday Turkish speakers on the street.
The channel’s focus on showing realistic Turkish conversations, all while providing subtitles and written translations, makes it a great resource for practising listening.
It’s especially good for learning the particulars of Turkish slang and culture, as the interviews allow the interviewees to express themselves naturally.
Easy Turkish also runs its own podcast series through which it shares daily conversations in Turkish, so be sure to check it out as well.
Turkish Podcasts
Turkish podcasts are always a great way to build your listening skills, learn how to use new vocabulary in context, and practice Turkish pronunciation. They’re also a lot more fun to listen to than other types of listening exercises in a textbook!
8. Turkish Tea Time
Turkish Tea Time is the perfect podcast for a short 20-minute tea break. With over 100 episodes, each episode features a dialogue in Turkish, and a breakdown of the dialogue content and grammar.
It’s a great podcast for learners of all levels because the episodes rotate in difficulty, so there’s something for everybody on a regular basis.
The podcast itself is available for free, but you can also buy additional materials like vocabulary lists and quizzes that go with the lesson with a monthly subscription.
9. Learn Turkish With Turkish Coffee
Learn Turkish with Turkish Coffee is a podcast that is fully in Turkish, making it a great way to hone your listening skills.
It’s tailored to intermediate learners to help them overcome the “intermediate plateau” by hearing new vocabulary in context and practising listening.
There are plenty of fun episodes to listen to where you can learn how to make Turkish coffee or learn about the history of different landmarks in Turkey!
Each episode comes with a transcription and translation, which makes it helpful for practising even after listening.
Online Turkish Dictionaries
It’s hard to imagine trying to learn a new language without having a dictionary on hand. But these days, online dictionaries have made it easy to look up new words without a hassle! Here are some of the best online dictionaries for Turkish learners.
10. Cambridge Dictionary
The Cambridge Dictionary is great for learners of any language, including Turkish! The English-Turkish dictionary will help you cut down on time looking up new words.
One of the best features of the Cambridge Dictionary is that it shares example sentences for new words so that you can learn from the beginning how to use them correctly.
11. Tureng
Tureng is short for Turkish and English, and is a great dictionary for going back and forth between both Turkish and English.
Just type a word in either language in the search bar to get all the potential translations of the word.
After you look up the meaning of a word in either English or Turkish, Tureng categorizes the word to help you figure out which word is the correct one you’re looking for.
Best Turkish Learning Apps
Apps make it easy for you to learn Turkish any moment you find yourself with some extra free time. But there’s no doubt that some apps are better than others for learning Turkish. Here’s a few that can yield some great results.
12. Pimsleur
The Pimsleur Turkish App adopts the Pimsleur method for learning languages, which emphasizes repetition of words and dialogue used in realistic situations.
Its approach to language learning can help you start speaking in Turkish intuitively from day one. Its repetitive approach will also ensure that you learn to pronounce words correctly from the get-go!
13. Busuu
Busuu is another app similar to apps like Duolingo that allow you to practice new words through game-like exercises.
But there are some additional features of Busuu in its premium mode that make it a bit more interactive and more like a course.
For example, Busuu equips you with a study plan that fits your needs, and also lets you interact with native speakers to practice reading and writing.
There’s also two different versions of the Busuu app in Turkish – one for regular Turkish learners, and another that is geared towards people preparing to travel in Turkey.
Online Turkish Tutoring
In the past, you might have sought out a tutor to practice Turkish in a face-to-face setting. But these days, you can learn with tutors in a virtual setting! Here are some options for finding online Turkish tutors to hone your skills.
14. italki
italki is an online platform and app that allows learners of a variety of languages to connect with online language tutors, including for Turkish.
The platform allows you to book online trials with different tutors to find the right tutor for you to work with in the long-term!
Since the tutors work with you one-on-one, there’s plenty of opportunities for tutors to adapt their approach to your needs.
15. Classgap
Like italki, Classgap is another online platform where you can book lessons with online Turkish tutors.
They guarantee satisfaction by giving you a chance to try out different tutors and get refunded if you aren’t happy with the session.
To date, there are over 50 tutors you can choose from to practice Turkish in your spare time outside of lessons. While some of the tutors have extensive teaching experience, others offer valuable speaking practice.
Online Turkish Resources FAQ
What is the best website to learn Turkish?
The best websites to learn Turkish include Busuu and Babbel for structured lessons, and italki for one-on-one tutoring with native speakers.
Websites like TurkishClass101 offer video and audio lessons, and Memrise focuses on vocabulary building.
Is Turkish harder than Arabic?
Turkish is generally considered easier to learn than Arabic for English speakers due to its straightforward alphabet (based on Latin script) and consistent pronunciation.
However, Turkish grammar, with its agglutinative structure and suffix-heavy words, can still be challenging. Arabic is more complex due to its script, pronunciation, and rich morphology.
How long does it take the average person to learn Turkish?
It typically takes around 1,100 hours of study to reach a conversational level in Turkish, as estimated by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI).
With regular practice, you could achieve basic proficiency in 6-12 months, while fluency might take 1-2 years.
What is the most effective way to learn Turkish?
The most effective way to learn Turkish is to spend an hour every day reading and listening to Turkish at your level. The options are endless – you can read a beginner Turkish book, work through a StoryLearning Turkish course, or listen to Turkish podcasts.
Pick And Choose Online Turkish Resources
As you can see, there are plenty of useful online Turkish resources. The resources listed here are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to online resources for learning Turkish.
Since there isn’t one exclusive approach to learning Turkish, you can always pick and choose the right online Turkish resources that fit your learning style and needs.
So check out some of the resources here to keep up the great work you’re already doing to learn Turkish!
And if you’re in doubt about any of the resources, then you can always rely on the unique StoryLearning® approach in Turkish Uncovered! You can dive right into reading a story in Turkish, and learn while having fun.
Check it out today by clicking here for a 7-day FREE trial!
Olly Richards
Creator of the StoryLearning® Method
Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.
Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.
When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.