If you’ve ever used language apps seriously, you already know this feeling. You know the words. You recognize sentences. You even score well inside the app. And then someone speaks to you — and your brain freezes.
It’s awkward. It’s frustrating. And it makes you wonder if you’ve been wasting your time.
The truth is, most language apps aren’t designed to help you speak. They’re designed to help you recognize. That’s safer. Easier. Less uncomfortable. But speaking is uncomfortable by nature — and if an app doesn’t make space for that discomfort, it won’t help you get past it.
These AI language apps take a different approach. They don’t wait for confidence. They build it by making you speak first.
Why Memorising Feels Productive (But Doesn’t Help You Talk)
Memorizing words feels good. You get instant feedback. You feel progress. You stay motivated. Speaking doesn’t offer that comfort. When you speak, you don’t know if your sentence is “right.” You have to think on your feet. You hear your own mistakes out loud.
Most apps quietly avoid this by giving you buttons to tap instead of chances to talk. That’s why people spend months “learning” a language and still avoid opening their mouth.
VORLI
What stands out about VORLI is how little time it gives you to overthink.
The app is built around short, 90-second speaking missions. You’re given a prompt — usually something very normal, very real — and you’re expected to respond by speaking. No long explanations. No multiple-choice safety net. Just you and your voice.
That sounds intimidating at first, but that’s the point. The short format lowers the pressure while still forcing action. You speak, you finish, you move on. VORLI also structures its content around clear progression levels, so you’re not just talking randomly — there’s a sense of movement without the classroom vibe.
It’s especially useful if you already understand a language reasonably well but hesitate when it’s time to actually speak.
Speak
Speak feels more like having a conversation than doing a lesson. You talk. The AI responds. The exchange keeps moving.
This is helpful for people who get stuck trying to form the perfect sentence in their head. Speak gently pushes you to respond faster, even if your answer isn’t flawless. It’s less about sounding correct and more about sounding natural.
If your biggest issue is freezing mid-conversation or translating everything in your head before speaking, this kind of flow-based practice can make a real difference.
ELSA Speak
ELSA is a bit different from the others, and that’s a good thing. It’s not trying to simulate full conversations. Instead, it focuses very narrowly on how you sound — pronunciation, clarity, and stress.
This makes it incredibly useful for situations where speaking clearly matters more than speaking a lot: job interviews, presentations, professional calls.
Many learners combine ELSA with a more open speaking app. One helps you talk more. The other helps you sound better while doing it.
SmallTalk2Me
If you’re practicing for something specific — like an interview — SmallTalk2Me feels more serious than most apps.
It puts you in structured speaking situations and asks you to respond like you would in real life. There’s less casual chatting and more focused practice. This can feel demanding, but that’s exactly why it works when the stakes are high.
It’s especially useful once you already have some speaking confidence and want to sharpen how you present yourself.
Praktika
Praktika takes a slightly gentler route.
Instead of throwing you straight into open-ended conversations, it uses AI avatars to simulate interaction. For shy learners, this can feel much safer than speaking to a human or even a realistic AI voice. It’s a good starting point if speaking anxiety is your biggest blocker and you need a low-pressure way to get comfortable using your voice.
So Which One Should You Use?
That depends on where you’re stuck.
If you know the language but won’t speak ? VORLI or Speak. If you speak but sound unclear ? ELSA Speak. If you need professional practice ? SmallTalk2Me. If you’re very shy ? Praktika.
The important thing is this: choose an app that makes speaking unavoidable. Because confidence doesn’t arrive before speaking. It arrives because you spoke — badly at first, and better over time.
What’s been your experience with language apps — do you feel confident speaking, or do you still hesitate even after months of learning? Let us know in the comments below.
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