Which Language Should I Learn? A Quiz That Finds Your Match
Picking a language is the hardest part of starting. This quiz asks 8 questions about your goals, your travel plans, the people in your life and how much time you really have — then recommends the language that fits you best, with two alternatives, and tells you how hard each one is and how long it takes to get conversational.
How your answers turn into a recommendation
Each answer adds points to the languages it suits. Your top three are the three highest scorers — here is exactly how the points work.
- Each answer adds points to the languages it suits. A trip to Japan, a love of anime and a taste for a challenge all push Japanese up the list.
- A family language is worth more than any other single answer — 14 points, enough to win on its own. If your family speaks a language, that is usually the right one to learn.
- Difficulty is handled honestly. If you only have ten minutes a day and want an easy start, the quiz steers you to the quickest languages; if you have 45 minutes and want the hardest, it opens the door to Japanese, Mandarin, Korean and Arabic.
- Your top three are ranked by points. If two languages tie, the one more people study on Duolingo comes first.
All 16 languages at a glance
Every language in the quiz, with its difficulty for an English speaker, its script, roughly how many people speak it, and a rough time to conversational level at about 30 minutes a day.
| Language | Difficulty | Script | Speakers | To conversational* |
|---|
* At about 30 minutes a day. Difficulty follows the US Foreign Service Institute categories for English speakers. Speaker numbers are approximate and differ between sources.
Three people, three results
Try these answers in the quiz above to see how the result changes.
The Japan trip
Goal: travel. Dream trip: Japan. Loves: anime and games. Challenge: the hardest. Time: 30 minutes a day. Result: Japanese, with Korean second.
The career move
Goal: work. Dream trip: China. Loves: business and tech. Time: 45 minutes a day. Result: Mandarin Chinese, with Japanese second.
The family language
Goal: family. Family language: Polish. Challenge: an easy start. Time: 15 minutes a day. Result: Polish — the family answer counts double, so it wins even over easier languages.
Questions about picking a language, answered
How accurate is the quiz?
It is a guide, not a test. It matches your answers to the language that fits them best out of the 16 biggest Duolingo courses for English speakers. It cannot know everything about you, so if a runner-up excites you more, go with that one — motivation beats any score.
What does “conversational” mean here?
Holding everyday conversations — ordering food, making small talk, asking directions, talking about your day — roughly CEFR level B1. It does not mean professional fluency, which takes far longer.
Which language is the easiest for English speakers?
Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Swedish. They share vocabulary and the Latin alphabet with English, and the US Foreign Service Institute puts them at about 600–750 class hours to professional level — the fastest group.
Which is the hardest?
Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Arabic, at about 2,200 class hours to professional level. New scripts, new sounds and very different grammar all add up. They are still very learnable — they just take longer.
What if my top pick feels wrong?
Trust your gut. Try the runner-up, or take the quiz again with different answers and see what changes. The quiz is meant to narrow the choice, not to make it for you.
Do I need Duolingo Super to learn the recommended language?
No. Every language in the quiz has a free Duolingo course. Super removes ads and adds a few extras, but the lessons themselves are free.
Keep reading on DuolingoGuides
- Duolingo Language Report: The Most Studied Languages 2026 →
- Most Popular Languages On Duolingo By Numbers →
- Duolingo Languages Available: Full Course List →
- How Long Does It Take To Learn A Language On Duolingo? →
- Is Duolingo Good for Learning Spanish? →
- Is Duolingo Good For Learning French? Pros & Cons →
- Mastering Japanese with Duolingo: An In-Depth Guide →
- How To Become Fluent In A Language: Steps to Achieve Fluency →
DuolingoGuides is an independent guide site and is not connected to Duolingo. Speaker numbers are approximate ranges and vary between sources. Difficulty is based on the US Foreign Service Institute’s categories, and timelines are rough estimates for self-study.