Why We Built Lalo
We got tired of language apps that string you along for years and never let you finish. So we built Lalo — a free, no-signup vocabulary app that teaches you the 1,000 most common words in any of 12 languages using real spaced repetition. Learn what matters, skip the fluff, and actually be done.
Quick Facts
Lalo (LaloLearning)
Education / Language Learning
Free (core features forever)
FSRS
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Russian
1,000 most frequent words per language
Not required (guest-first)
Yes — data stays on your device
The Problem With Language Apps
Every language app out there wants to be your lifelong subscription. They drip-feed you random words, gamify the hell out of streaks, and make sure you never actually finish. Meanwhile, linguists have known for decades that just 1,000 high-frequency words cover roughly 85% of everyday conversation. You don't need 10,000 words to order coffee, read a menu, or have a real conversation. You need the right 1,000.
What We Do Differently
Lalo is opinionated. We don't try to teach you everything — just the 1,000 words that actually matter. We use FSRS, the same open-source spaced repetition algorithm behind modern Anki, to schedule reviews at exactly the right moment. You learn fast, retain long-term, and finish in weeks. Yes, finish. That's the point.
A finish line. 1,000 words, then you're done. No content treadmill designed to keep you paying.
Real science. FSRS spaced repetition — not some proprietary black box optimized for engagement metrics.
No account wall. Start learning in seconds. Your data stays on your device, not our servers.
Free where it counts. Core vocabulary learning will always be free. We won't paywall the basics.
How Lalo Compares
| Lalo | Duolingo | Anki | Memrise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | 1,000 words (finite) | Full course (years) | User-created | — |
| Price | Free | $8/mo | Free (desktop) | — |
| Account | Not needed | Required | Required | — |
| Algorithm | FSRS | Proprietary | SM-2/FSRS | — |
| Cross-language pairs | 132 | ~30 English-only | User-made | English-only |
| Choose your native language | Yes | Mostly English-only | ||
Why Guest-First?
This one's personal. We hated signing up for yet another app just to see if it was any good. So Lalo works without an account, period. Open the app, pick a language, start learning. Your progress saves locally on your device. If you eventually want to sync across devices or compete on leaderboards, you can sign up — but we'll never force you to just to learn words.
Who's Behind This
Lalo is a tiny indie project. No venture capital, no growth team, no 200-person company optimizing your engagement. Just a couple of language nerds who got fed up with paying $8/month to learn the word for "cat" after six months of daily streaks. We built the tool we actually wanted to use — and figured others might want it too.
What's Shipped & What's Next
We ship fast because there's no committee to approve things. Here's what's live and what's next:
Ready to start?
Pick a language and learn your first words in under a minute.
Start Learning — Free →