If you want to learn Estonian, you’ve probably realized already that there’s no Estonian on Duolingo. But you don’t have to wait; Ling has got you covered!
In this guide, let’s break down why there is no Estonian on Duolingo, what makes it hard or easy to learn, and how Ling makes learning this language fun and simple, even for beginners.
Why Is There No Estonian On Duolingo?
There’s no official confirmation of why there is no Estonian on Duolingo, but there are four possible reasons based on how Duolingo builds new language courses:
- There are only 1.1 million Estonian speakers worldwide, with 922,000 of them living in Estonia, not a big enough market for Duolingo.
- Estonian won’t go extinct anytime soon, with its 1.1M solid speaker base and survival of many onslaughts from other dominant languages, like the Russification after World War II. Although many speak English, the official language is still Estonian. As long as the country’s politics are done in Estonian, it’s bound to survive.
- Duolingo recently released a Finnish course and might be skeptical about pursuing a closely related language. Estonian faces the same problem as many smaller languages, i.e., getting dwarfed by its neighbors, such as Finland, Sweden, England, and Russia.
- According to the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, Estonian is the 5th hardest language to learn for native English speakers. They place it under Category IV, with Hungarian and Finnish. The only languages ranked more difficult than Estonian are Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, and Arabic.
Considering these possible reasons, Ling addressed the learning gaps by focusing on underserved Asian and Eastern European languages, including Estonian.
Is Estonian Hard To Learn?
Estonian is classified as a Category IV language by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), meaning it is difficult for native English speakers. This is because of its non-Indo-European structure, many case endings, having no grammatical gender, tricky vocabulary, complex vowel/consonant gradation, and vowel and consonant length.
Take a closer look at each of these reasons that make Estonian challenging:
Non-Indo-European Structure
Unlike English, Estonian doesn’t follow a strict Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) sentence structure. Its word order is more flexible, with the sentence’s meaning often depending on case endings.
14 Grammatical Case System
Estonian has 14 grammatical noun cases affecting how the ending of words shows meaning. This is unfamiliar to native English speakers who rely on word order and prepositions.
The word maja (house), for example, means “house” in the nominative case, but majja means “into a house,” in the illative case, and majast means “from a house,” in the elative case. And so on with the other 11 cases. Moreover, each of these cases has singular and plural forms that you also have to master, making it confusing for beginners.
Tricky Vocabulary
Estonian has overly long words that are hard to remember and pronounce. Saying just one sound wrong completely changes the word’s meaning.
Complex Vowel And Consonant Gradation
Some of the vowels and consonants in Estonian change based on the word endings or word forms that you use. Often, these changes aren’t obvious from spelling alone; you have to memorize them.
Thus, Estonian words can look and sound slightly different based on their forms or cases, which is confusing to beginners.
Vowel And Consonant Length
Vowels and consonants in Estonian can be short, long, or extra long. Holding a sound too long or too short can create a different word, even if you don’t intend it.
| Length Type | Estonian Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Short | lina | Linen or sheet |
| Long | liina | To the city |
| Overly long | liina | Liina (girl’s name) – pronounced longer |
Why Should You Learn Estonian?
You should learn the language even if there is no Estonian on Duolingo because of its uniqueness, culture, history, great business opportunities, scenery/population density, and its ability to improve your communication skills.
Uniqueness
It’s safe to say that if you speak Estonian, you’ll be the only person at the dinner party who can do so. If you can find one other person who speaks it, you basically have your own secret language. People in Finland won’t even understand you!
History
Both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia occupied Estonia. Many accounts of what life was like under these tyrannical regimes come through firsthand if you can read Estonian. The two most widely read modern Estonian writers are Jaan Kross and Jaan Kaplinski.
Business Opportunities
Estonia is famous for being the birthplace of Skype. Interestingly, Estonia was also the first country to adopt online voting in 2005. This is due to their respectable internet speed, considering where the country is located.
Apart from that, the Wall Street Journal has commented about Estonia having more start-ups per capita than Silicon Valley! Even with the Coronavirus slowing the economy, Estonia’s GDP grew by 4.3%, leading to the country having one of the best credit scores in the world.
Hence, even if most businesses engage in English, learning Estonian business vocabulary may help you find some good clients.
Scenery
Estonia has an amazing natural landscape, cities, and a coastline with 1,520 islands to explore. Half the country is covered in forests, including Lahemaa National Park, Matsalu National Park, and Sooma National Park.
Cultural Appreciation
Learning Estonian goes hand in hand with a deep appreciation for Estonian culture. You’ll develop a taste for Estonian cuisine, music, literature, and art, leading to a more culturally enriched and fulfilling life as you discover the beauty of a lesser-known culture.
Enhanced Communication Skills
As you navigate the challenges of Estonian grammar and vocabulary, your overall communication skills will improve. You’ll become a more effective communicator in your native language as well, honing your ability to articulate complex thoughts and ideas clearly and persuasively.
Duolingo Vs Ling: Which One Supports Estonian?
Finding out that there is no Estonian on Duolingo can leave beginner learners confused. But the Ling app took the helm and offers a fun yet comprehensive Estonian language course complete with native-speaker audio features for listening and speaking, dialogue-based practice, and review tools.
Here’s how Ling compares to Duolingo when learning Estonian:
| Features | Ling | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Estonian course availability | Yes | No |
| Short, interactive lessons | Yes | Yes |
| Use of native speaker audio | Yes | No |
| Dialogue-based conversation practice | Yes | No |
| Gamified learning approach | Yes | Yes |
| Review tools available | Yes | Limited |
| Suited for beginner to intermediate language learners | Yes | Yes |
Though Duolingo offers short, interactive, and gamified lessons, Ling still has the upper hand since it offers speaking and listening practice and an easier way to review whenever you want.
What Makes Ling The Best Alternative To Duolingo For Learning Estonian?
With Ling designed to tackle underrated languages like Estonian, learners can improve their vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and listening skills through guided progression and real usage in a fun way.
Here’s how the Ling app takes on the no Estonian on Duolingo dilemma head-on:
- Lessons are clustered into themes/topics from beginner to advanced
- A gamified approach improves retention and motivation
- Listening exercises use native-speaker audio for accurate pronunciation
- Real-life conversations are simulated through the Dialog feature
- Voice recognition corrects speaking mistakes instantly
- Dedicated “Review” and “Exam” sections help improve recall
Who Is The Ling App Best For?
Though Ling is designed for learners of all levels studying Estonian, the app works best for these groups:
- Complete beginners who prefer structured guidance
- Self-learners who don’t have access to formal Estonian classes
- Expats and travelers who are preparing to move around and live in Estonia
- Language enthusiasts who are interested in learning Uralic languages
- Heritage learners who want to connect with their family’s Estonian roots
Hence, Ling’s Estonian course is suitable for beginners, intermediate, and advanced learners with its carefully designed lessons to build vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and listening skills without app jumping.
Why Serious Learners Choose Ling
Why do you think Estonian learners choose Ling over mainstream apps like Duolingo? Here’s what real users have to say:
“I totally enjoy LING language app! It not only has an easy way of unpacking the language for learning but also builds from simple to more complex lessons in a creative and fun way! The interphase is also very user friendly making it easier to learn and retain the lessons. It’s like playing and learning at the same time! Amazing!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
iyorwa
“I love how it is full of dialogs that help you speak the language directly, i love it ♥️”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Youssef Smeti
What You’ll Achieve With Ling In 7 Days
| Day | What You’ll Learn | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Greetings + Introductions | Te olete mees. – You’re a man. Kuidas sul läheb? – How are you? |
| Day 2 | Age & Numbers | Tüdruk on neljateist aastane. – The girl is fourteen years old. |
| Day 3 | Country Names in Estonian | Ta on Saksamaalt. – She is from Germany. |
| Day 4 | Languages in Estonian | Ma räägin inglise keelt. – I speak English. |
| Day 5 | Speaking Practice | Poiss on kaksteist aastat vana. – The boy is twelve years old. |
| Day 6 | Estonian Verbs | Poodlemine – To shop |
| Day 7 | Food & Reading Materials in Estonian | Kuum kohv – Hot coffee |
As you can see, you can begin learning how to introduce yourself and say hello in Estonian, then move to basic phrases and sentences describing the food you’re eating in just 1 week with Ling.
What Common Mistakes Do Beginners Make When Learning Estonian?
Though you can learn to speak Estonian with Ling’s Dialog feature, new learners often directly translate English to Estonian, leading to awkward-sounding sentences. Plus, beginners often use the wrong case endings, ignore vowel and consonant length, mispronounce special vowels, and confuse vocabulary “false friends.”
Let’s go into detail with what these common beginner mistakes are:
- Direct English translation to Estonian: Though Estonian sentences have a flexible word structure, directly copying the English SVO pattern leads to an unnatural translation.
- Wrong use of case endings: Beginners often mix up or confuse the 14 noun cases, which makes sentences hard to understand.
- Ignoring vowel/consonant lengths: It’s common for beginners to pronounce Estonian vowels and consonants in the same length, making them confusing or incorrect.
- Mispronouncing special vowels: Estonian special vowels (õ, ä, ö, ü) don’t exist in English, so speakers tend to replace them with English-style sounds, changing the word itself or making the word difficult for natives to identify. For example, sõber (friend) is pronounced as an English “o” instead of the central õ sound.
- Confusing vocabulary “false friends”: Beginner learners often confuse Estonian words that look like Finnish, English, or German. For example, kass means “cat” in Estonian, but the Finnish kassi refers to “sack” or “bag.”
No Estonian On Duolingo: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Estonian On Duolingo?
No, Estonian is currently not available on Duolingo as of 2026.
Why Is Estonian Not On Duolingo?
Although the reason has not been confirmed, there’s probably no Estonian on Duolingo due to a smaller global speaker base, discontinuation of the Incubator program leading to loss of volunteers, and grammatical complexity.
Is Estonian One Of The Hardest Languages To Learn?
Yes, Estonian is one of the hardest languages to learn despite its Latin-based alphabet and phonetic spelling due to its grammar complexity and numerous noun cases.
Can I Learn Estonian By Myself?
You can learn Estonian by yourself if you practice daily, study the language using structured apps like Ling, and combine grammar with listening and speaking.
How Long Does It Take To Learn Estonian?
Since Estonian is classified as a Category IV language by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you need at least 44 weeks or 1,100 class hours to achieve fluency, provided you are consistent in your study time and learning methods.
What Language Is Closest To Estonian?
Finnish is the closest language to Estonian since they are both Uralic languages, sharing similar grammar and vocabulary. However, they are not mutually intelligible.
What Language App Has Estonian?
The Ling app offers a structured, comprehensive Estonian course through short, gamified lessons, native-speaker audio, grammar, and speaking practice.
Start Learning Estonian The Smart And Fun Way With Ling!
Just because there’s no Estonian on Duolingo doesn’t mean you have to stop learning the language. With Ling, you can learn Estonian and 70+ other languages with a fun yet comprehensive approach, even if you only have 15 minutes to spare in a day.
Plus, the Ling app’s 4.6-star rating and 5M+ downloads are proof that learners love it!
Want to try the app? Download Ling on Google Play or the App Store to start your 7-day free trial today!
