Welsh (Cymraeg), the native language of Wales, is a rewarding language to study, with its distinctive consonant mutations, melodic sound and deep roots across Wales.
It’s related to other Celtic languages like Irish, and it remains a living community language with growing learner numbers worldwide.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Cardiff, Snowdonia or the coast, connecting with Welsh family and heritage, working or studying in Wales, or simply taking on a lesser-taught language challenge, the benefits of speaking Welsh can’t be overstated.
Today I’m going to give you my rundown of the best online Welsh courses.
Below, you’ll find the pros and cons of each Welsh course, along with pricing information and a brief summary.
Where applicable, I’ll also link to a full review of the course.
Table of contents
IMPORTANT: Some of the items listed below are probably only loosely defined as “courses” for Welsh.
The reason I’ve included them is that they’re popular enough Welsh tools and therefore should be included.
DISCLAIMER: The comments below are personal opinions and some affiliate links are used.
The best Welsh courses online (most popular Welsh resources)
1. Talk In Welsh
Cost: $97 (one-time purchase)
Summary: Talk In Welsh is definitely one of the best online courses for learning Welsh, with hundreds of lessons designed to take you from zero knowledge through to a B1 equivalent competency.
It’s a linear course that will walk you through every aspect of the language in an easy-to-understand format.
What I like:
- Very comprehensive, detailed course that covers all aspects of Welsh
- Inexpensive and no subscriptions necessary
What I don’t like:
- Linear course may not be for everyone
Use the code MEZZOGUILD20 to save 20% on their Welsh course.
2. SaySomethingInWelsh
Cost: Free basic tier; Premium subscription for about £10/month
Summary: SaySomethingInWelsh uses a unique audio-lingual method that prompts you to constantly construct and speak Welsh sentences on the fly.
It is widely considered one of the most effective platforms for gaining conversational confidence in Welsh quickly, especially if you prefer listening and speaking over grammar tables.
What I like:
- Extremely effective for rapid conversational fluency
- Active and supportive learner community
- Trains muscle memory for sentence construction
What I don’t like:
- Completely audio-based, which can be hard for visual learners
- Does not teach reading, writing or spelling in depth
3. Dysgu Cymraeg (Learn Welsh)
Cost: Free digital resources; one-time fees for tutor-led courses (approx. £90/year)
Summary: This is the official Welsh Government initiative for teaching the language to adults.
It offers highly structured online modules, downloadable resources and virtual classrooms led by experienced tutors following a standardized national curriculum, with pathways toward recognized qualifications.
What I like:
- Official curriculum backed by the Welsh Government
- Provides pathways to recognized language qualifications
- Offers access to virtual classrooms and real tutors
What I don’t like:
- Pacing can feel slow compared to self-directed apps
- Website and interface are functional but less modern
4. Duolingo
Cost: Free with ads, or Super Duolingo subscription (around $6.99/month)
Summary: Duolingo offers a bite-sized, gamified introduction to Welsh vocabulary and basic grammar.
The Welsh tree is one of the longer courses on the platform and was developed with the National Centre for Learning Welsh, which makes it a solid free starting point for beginners who want reading, writing, listening and light speaking practice.
What I like:
- Highly gamified and motivating for daily habits
- Comprehensive Welsh tree developed with the National Centre for Learning Welsh
- Covers reading, writing, listening and basic speaking
What I don’t like:
- Lacks in-depth grammar explanations
- Can teach some awkward or out-of-context phrases
- Audio quality can occasionally sound robotic
See this Duolingo review or check out my comparison of Duolingo and Babbel.
5. Glossika
Cost: Free for Welsh (other languages use a paid subscription)
Summary: Glossika relies on an audio-first approach to language learning.
It uses mass sentence repetition and spaced repetition to build muscle memory and improve speaking confidence.
The Welsh course is currently free on Glossika as part of their minority-language support, which makes it an unusually good deal.
It’s strongest for learners who already have a few basics and want to absorb Welsh grammar and pronunciation through heavy sentence practice rather than explicit rules.
What I like:
- Welsh course is currently free
- Thousands of sentences recorded by native speakers
- Strong focus on listening and speaking through mass repetition
What I don’t like:
- Methodology can feel repetitive without other resources
- No explicit grammar instruction
- Steep learning curve for absolute beginners
Read this Glossika review to learn more.
6. Memrise
Cost: Free (community courses), Premium subscription available
Summary: Memrise doesn’t currently offer an official Welsh path, but its community-created courses are useful for vocabulary and short phrases via spaced repetition flashcards.
You can find decks tailored to different dialects and textbooks, so treat it as a strong supplementary tool rather than a complete curriculum.
What I like:
- Excellent spaced repetition system for memorization
- Large library of user-created Welsh courses
- Great for rapid vocabulary acquisition
What I don’t like:
- No official Memrise-created Welsh course
- Quality varies depending on the community creator
- Does not teach grammar or sentence structure in depth
Read this review of Memrise.
7. Drops
Cost: Freemium (5 mins free/day) / Subscription model
Summary: Drops focuses entirely on vocabulary building through rapid, visually appealing mini-games.
It associates Welsh words with custom illustrations rather than English translations, which helps build a more direct link between meaning and the Welsh word.
What I like:
- Beautiful, highly visual interface
- Fast-paced and engaging mini-games
- Associates Welsh words directly with images
What I don’t like:
- Teaches zero grammar or syntax
- Strict 5-minute daily limit on the free tier
- Only useful for isolated vocabulary words
8. Clozemaster
Cost: Free core features, Pro subscription available ($8.00/month)
Summary: Clozemaster bridges the gap between beginner apps and native media with fill-in-the-blank exercises across thousands of Welsh sentences.
It is a strong gamified tool for intermediate learners who want vocabulary and grammar in context, though it isn’t a foundational course on its own.
What I like:
- Teaches vocabulary in the context of full sentences
- Large database of Welsh sentences
- Excellent bridge for the intermediate plateau
What I don’t like:
- Not suitable for absolute beginners
- Interface has a cluttered, retro 8-bit aesthetic
- Heavily reliant on text-to-speech audio
Read this Clozemaster review to learn more.
9. uTalk
Cost: Subscription model ($11.99/month) or one-time fee per language
Summary: uTalk is a vocabulary-focused platform designed to help learners pick up practical Welsh words and phrases quickly.
It features high-quality native speaker audio and memory games covering travel, food and everyday topics, making it a useful supplement for pronunciation and trip prep.
What I like:
- High-quality audio recorded by native speakers
- Covers practical everyday topics and travel phrases
- Fully functional offline
What I don’t like:
- Only suitable for beginners
- Exercises can feel repetitive over time
- No instruction on grammar or sentence building
Check out this uTalk review.
10. Transparent Language
Cost: Subscription model ($14.95/month) or free via select libraries
Summary: Transparent Language provides a structured course covering Welsh reading, writing, listening and speaking.
It uses proprietary speech-recognition technology so you can compare your pronunciation to native speakers, and many learners access it for free through public library partnerships.
What I like:
- Thorough, structured curriculum
- Speech-recognition tools for pronunciation practice
- Often available free through library partnerships
What I don’t like:
- Expensive if purchased individually
- Interface feels clinical and slightly outdated
- Can feel more like a traditional textbook than a modern app
Read our Transparent Language review.
11. italki
Cost: Pay per lesson (varies, typically $10-$25/hour)
Summary: italki connects learners with native Welsh speakers and professional teachers for personalized, one-on-one video lessons.
It is one of the best resources for learners at any level who need live conversation practice, pronunciation feedback and a flexible curriculum tailored to their goals.
What I like:
- One-on-one live speaking practice
- Highly personalized lessons tailored to your goals
- Direct access to native Welsh speakers
What I don’t like:
- Can become expensive with frequent lessons
- Quality and curriculum depend on the individual tutor
- Requires scheduling and time commitment
Check out this italki review.
Summary: best online Welsh courses
This pretty much sums up every decent online Welsh course option currently available.
Welsh is still less resourced than major European languages, so the best results usually come from combining a structured course (like Talk In Welsh or SaySomethingInWelsh) with free official material from Dysgu Cymraeg and real conversation practice.
In addition to a Welsh course, make sure you’re getting regular Welsh practice with native speakers - especially if you want natural pronunciation and confidence with mutations in real dialogue.
For that, italki is still the easiest way to find really inexpensive practice partners and tutors.
Just remember that even if you have all the courses on this list, you’ll still fail at Welsh without the right motivation.
Even a poor Welsh course can be effective in the hands of someone with the right amount of determination to succeed.
For tips on how to learn Welsh and overcome various language learning struggles, subscribe below by ‘Joining the Guild’ (select Welsh as your target language).
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