Luuqad vs Memrise for learning Somali

Memrise is the one big-name app where you can find Somali at all, so it deserves a careful comparison rather than a flat "no".

Last updated September 2026 · We make Luuqad. Memrise facts come from its public course list and store page.

Feature
Luuqad
Memrise
Somali course
Yes. Somali is the only language we teach
No official course; old community word lists only
Designed for
Kids first; also beginners and heritage speakers
Adults learning from video clips of native speakers
Lessons
18 real-life topics, 250 words and phrases, a quiz for every topic
Official courses for 23 languages, built around short videos
Audio
Recorded by native Somali speakers
Native-speaker video clips for official languages
Cultural content
Somali food, family, countryside and heritage story games
Real street-recorded clips, official languages only
Practice
Quizzes per topic, 12 games, guided Learning Path
Review, listening, MemBot AI conversation practice
Motivation
XP, day streaks, levels, weekly leaderboard
Streaks, points, leaderboards
For parents
Grown-ups area
No children's mode
Platforms
iPhone and iPad (Android coming)
iOS, Android, web
Price
Free download; Premium $6.99/month or $69.99/year with a 3-day trial
Free tier; Pro subscription

What Memrise does brilliantly is video: thousands of short clips of native speakers saying real phrases in its official languages, plus an AI conversation partner. None of that exists for Somali. The Somali content is user-made flashcard lists from the old community era, now hosted on a separate site, without native audio or editorial review.

Luuqad is the opposite shape: one language, every word recorded and illustrated, a guided path for beginners and games built around Somali culture. It has no AI chatbot, and for a five-year-old that is a feature.

Choose Luuqad if…

  • You want to learn Somali, full stop
  • Your learner is a child or a complete beginner
  • You want real pictures and native voices, not synthesized audio
  • Culture matters as much as vocabulary
Download Luuqad

Choose Memrise if…

  • You want native-speaker video for one of its 23 official languages
  • You are an adult who just wants a Somali word list to drill
  • You want an AI conversation partner

Visit Memrise →

Common questions

Can I still find Somali on Memrise?

Old community-created Somali word lists exist on Memrise's separate community-courses website, but there is no official Memrise Somali course in the main app.

Do the Memrise community Somali courses have audio?

Most are text-only flashcards made by volunteers, without native-speaker recordings or editorial review.

Does Memrise teach Somali?

Not officially. Memrise's own courses cover 23 languages and Somali is not one of them. Somali word lists created by users in Memrise's old community-course era still exist, but they were moved off the main app in 2024 to a separate community site. Read the full answer.

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