Speak the Punjabi you grew up hearing.
The first app to teach Punjabi in both Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi, built for the diaspora.
For complete beginners starting from zero, and for everyone who understands Punjabi but can't speak it.
- Bite-size lessons
- A full script track
- Illustrated stories
- A tutor that listens while you talk
Free to start. No ads. Join 5,000+ users already on the app.
No download needed
Try lesson one, right here
Five quick questions from the real first lesson. A few words first, then your first full sentence.
About a minute.
- Who it is for
- Ladoo is built for two kinds of learners: complete beginners starting Punjabi from zero, and heritage speakers who understand Punjabi but can't speak it.
- The scripts
- Ladoo teaches Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi, every letter, vowel sign, and numeral, with native-quality audio.
- What is inside
- The app includes 170+ bite-size Punjabi lessons, 8 illustrated stories with line-by-line narration, and Bhaji, an AI speaking tutor.
- Free and Pro
- Every lesson in both tracks is free; Ladoo Pro adds the full script hub, unlimited word cards, unlimited tutor chat, and every story.
The Language track
Punjabi lessons, from words to sentences
Start with greetings and build toward real conversation, one short lesson at a time.
- Bite-size lessons that fit into a commute or a chai break.
- A word bank that grows with every lesson you finish.
- Streaks and gems that keep you coming back without pressure.
The scripts
Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi, from zero to reading
Pick your script, then a dedicated track takes you letter by letter. Master every letter and vowel, then trace them with your finger until they feel like home.
- Every letter and vowel, taught in a careful order.
- Finger tracing so your hand learns the shapes too.
- No prior reading ability assumed, ever.
See the full Gurmukhi alphabet chart with audio · How to learn Shahmukhi
Speaking practice
Speaking practice: hear it, then say it
Every lesson makes you speak out loud. Ladoo listens and checks your pronunciation word by word, so you build a voice, not just a vocabulary.
- Native-quality audio for every word and sentence.
- Word-by-word feedback on what you said.
- A gentle pace that never punishes a wobbly first try.
Read in context
Punjabi short stories, real context
Mornings in the village, kite festivals, langar at the gurdwara. Read Punjabi the way it is actually used, with narration and translations a tap away.
- Beginner to intermediate reads, three to five minutes each.
- Full narration recorded line by line.
- Culture built in, not bolted on.
Talk it out
Bhaji, your AI Punjabi speaking tutor
Bhaji chats with you in Punjabi, drills your current lessons, and remembers your past mistakes. Type or speak, and ask for a translation whenever you need one.
- Real conversation practice about everyday scenarios.
- Drills built from your mistakes, not a generic script.
- Voice or text, whichever feels comfortable today.
The Ladoo way
Small lessons, deep roots
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01
Made for the diaspora. Transliteration under every word, explanations in English, and no assumptions about what you already know.
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02
Culture woven in. You learn through village mornings, kite festivals, and ordering chaa at a dhaba, not sterile textbook lines.
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03
Five minutes that stick. Short lessons, streaks, and gems make showing up easy, and showing up is the whole game.
Built for everyone who grew up hearing Punjabi and never got the chance to learn it. ਆਪਣੀ ਬੋਲੀ, ਆਪਣੇ ਲੋਕ
From the App Store
Rated 4.9 out of 5
Ladoo holds a 4.9 rating on the Apple App Store. Here is what learners say.
Easy to navigate and helpful, even without paying. The free tier is amazing, I haven't felt like it's limited at all.App Store review
It teaches you the letters, the pronunciations, and words. I genuinely recommend this app if you want to learn or improve your Punjabi.App Store review
Straight answers
Questions about learning Punjabi
Is Punjabi hard to learn?
Punjabi is easier than its reputation. Gurmukhi is a phonetic script where each letter maps to one sound, so most learners can read simple words after two to three weeks of short daily practice. The genuinely hard parts are the tones, since Punjabi is one of the few tonal Indo-Aryan languages, and the retroflex consonants, and both need audio and speaking practice rather than memorization. If you grew up hearing Punjabi at home, you are closer than you think: your ear already knows the sounds, and the work is getting the words out of your mouth.
How long does it take to learn Punjabi?
With 10 to 15 minutes a day, most beginners can read basic Gurmukhi in two to three weeks, Shahmukhi in a few more, and hold simple conversations after two to three months. Heritage speakers who already understand Punjabi tend to speak much sooner, because they are converting vocabulary they already know by ear. Comfortable conversation across everyday topics takes most learners six months to a year of steady practice.
What is the best app to learn Punjabi?
It depends on what you need. Ladoo is the first app to teach Punjabi in both Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi: every lesson is free, the script track goes from zero to reading in either one, and Bhaji, the AI tutor, holds real spoken conversations with you. Ling covers Punjabi as one of 60+ languages, Pimsleur is audio only, and Mango is built around phrase drills. Duolingo does not offer Punjabi at all. We compare all of them honestly in our guide to the best apps to learn Punjabi.
What is the difference between Punjabi and Hindi?
They are separate languages with different scripts. Punjabi is written in two scripts, Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi, while Hindi uses Devanagari, and the scripts are not mutually readable. Spoken Punjabi and Hindi share a lot of everyday vocabulary, so speakers of one often follow parts of the other, but Punjabi has its own grammar and tones that Hindi does not. Learning one does not give you the other.
Is Ladoo free?
Ladoo is free to download, and all 170+ lessons are free, in Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi. Ladoo Pro adds the full script hub with writing practice, unlimited word cards, unlimited chat with Bhaji, and every story. It starts with a free trial.
Which scripts does Ladoo teach?
Both. A dedicated track teaches Gurmukhi from zero: all 35 letters plus the nukta letters, vowel signs, and numerals. Switch the app to Shahmukhi and the same track teaches every letter and vowel mark in Nastaliq. Both have audio for every letter, finger tracing, and flashcards. You can preview Gurmukhi on our Gurmukhi alphabet chart.
Is Ladoo good for heritage speakers who understand Punjabi but can't speak it?
That is exactly who Ladoo is built for. Lessons assume you may know words by ear but have never read or spoken them: transliteration sits under every word, explanations are in English, and every lesson has you speak out loud with word-by-word feedback.
How is Ladoo different from Ling or Duolingo?
Duolingo does not offer Punjabi at all. Ling stretches one shared template across 60+ languages, so Punjabi gets whatever the template allows. Ladoo teaches nothing but Punjabi: script tracks for Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi, built for each script rather than adapted to it, stories written and narrated in Punjabi, native-quality audio on every word, and an AI tutor you actually speak with. If Punjabi is the language you want, and especially if you grew up hearing it at home, Ladoo is the one built for you.
Can I really learn to speak, or just tap the right answer?
Speaking is the point. Lessons ask you to say the line out loud and give you word-by-word feedback on what landed and what did not, and Bhaji, the AI tutor, holds real back-and-forth conversations at your level, remembers what trips you up, and drills it. Most apps stop at recognition. Ladoo is built to get the words out of your mouth.
Who is Ladoo for?
Teens and adults learning Punjabi for the people in their life: heritage and diaspora learners reconnecting with family, partners marrying into a Punjabi family, and complete beginners who have never seen either script. Lessons are short and gentle with no fail states or streak-shaming, so families often work through them together and the letter tracing lands well with younger learners too.
Start with one sweet lesson a day
Ladoo is free to start on iPhone and Android. Your first lessons, stories, and speaking practice are waiting.