Questions parents ask

Children from about 5 up, plus beginners and heritage speakers of any age. Pictures and native audio mean early readers can use it too.

18 topics with 250 words and phrases: the alphabet, numbers 1–20, colors, family, animals, face and body, food, house, clothing, activities, weather, school, city, emotions, small talk, expressing emotions, asking questions, and shopping and ordering. Every topic has pictures, native-speaker audio and a quiz. See the full topic list.

A topic lesson takes five to ten minutes. Quizzes take two or three minutes. The app is designed for a short daily session rather than long study blocks.

Standard Somali as used in schools and media, which speakers of regional varieties understand.

Yes. Every word is recorded by a Somali speaker, not generated by a computer voice.

Twelve: Baadiyo Journey, Heritage Hunt, Animal Trails, Market Day, Word Weaver, Coloring, Word Match, Drag & Learn, House Builder, Listen and Tap, Number Match and Tap the Word. See the games page.

A guided route through five units and fifteen topics, from the alphabet to small talk. Each step unlocks when the previous quiz is passed, so beginners always know what to do next.

A section for parents, behind a simple check, with account, subscription and settings, so children stay in the learning screens.

You can download Luuqad and start free. A small subscription ($6.99 a month or $69.99 a year, with a 3-day free trial for eligible Apple subscribers) unlocks full access to every topic, quiz and game, and supports ongoing development.

Subscriptions are managed by Apple. Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and choose Luuqad. Cancelling at least 24 hours before the trial or billing period ends avoids the next charge.

Not yet. Luuqad is currently on iPhone and iPad (iOS 15.1 or later). Join the list on our download page to hear when Android ships.

Yes. Luuqad supports iPad with a layout adapted to the larger screen.

Lesson content and audio are bundled with the app, so lessons and games work without a connection. The leaderboard and account features need internet.

Currently one profile per account. Families with several children often let each child use the app on their own device with their own Apple ID, or share one profile and take turns on the leaderboard.

No. Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur do not offer Somali. Luuqad is built only for Somali, by Somalis, with culture woven into every topic and game. See apps that teach Somali.

Besides Luuqad, uTalk, Ling and LinGo Play offer Somali content aimed at adults. Our alternatives page compares them honestly.

Spelling is easy because Somali is written exactly as it sounds. The hard parts are vowel length and a few throat sounds (c, x, q). Children pick these up quickly when they hear native speakers. Read our honest answer.

Yes. That pattern is common and fixable. Luuqad gives children the vocabulary to answer and low-pressure ways to practise saying it. See what to do when your child answers in English.

Luuqad is rated 4+ on the App Store, has no third-party advertising, and keeps account and subscription settings in a Grown-ups area. See our privacy policy.

An email address for the account, a display name and optional profile photo, and learning progress (XP, streaks, quiz scores) so the leaderboard works. We do not sell data. Details are in the privacy policy.

From the Grown-ups area in the app, or by emailing support@luuqad.com from the address on the account.