You might already know that Greek can be intimidating to learn. Whether you’re a native English or Latin-based language speaker, it can be confusing at first. The level of difficulty means you need reliable language resources—so you can make sure you’re learning correctly.
The good news is, we’ve tried tons of language courses and have recommendations for what’s worth your time—and what’s not.
In this post, I’ll cover the top four courses that we love for learning Greek. Next, are the tier two options, the language tools that still offer decent instruction with some caveats. Toward the third tier, you’ll start to notice a decrease in what’s offered.
And finally, I’ll highlight which courses you should avoid, whether it’s because they’re steep in price or just poor quality.
Let’s dive in with our top choices for learning Greek.
Price: Basic subscription begins at $14.95 per month
Instead of confusing yourself with written Greek, get started learning with Pimsleur. The lessons are audio-based, making the platform easy to manage even as an absolute beginner. I can practically guarantee you’ll pick up the oral language faster with Pimsleur because that’s where they excel.
Lessons include real-life conversational speech, with both male and female voices, and it’s natural and high-quality. A slightly more expensive subscription option does include more reading material, so if you want that as part of your language learning, it is available.
Pros:
You’ll learn quickly with a focus on listening and verbal practice.
The lessons prompt you to respond—so you start practicing quickly.
Cultural insight is a key component across each language—which is great if you’re trying to become fluent for travel, especially.
Cons:
You might want another course/book for reading and writing—even with the pricier subscription option.
Not every lesson is vibrant and totally amazing—some are relatively unengaging.
What’s so great about Language Transfer is the methodology. Well, that, and the price. Mihalis, the creator, consulted with native speakers to ensure his audio is top-quality. It’s a fairly basic interface, but that means it’s easy to remember where you left off in your studies.
On the Language Transfer methodology: Mihalis uses a similar format to Michel Thomas and affiliated courses in that you listen to an instructor teaching a student. Over the course of 120 lessons, you’ll learn how the Greek language actually works and be able to use it.
Pros:
A huge range of lessons is available for Greek.
It’s totally free, and you can access eight other languages, too.
The format requires engagement and true learning
Cons:
The lessons sometimes feel a bit out of order, as you don’t necessarily start with the “basics” of the language.
Native speakers don’t record the courses—they only audit the material for correctness.
Price: Starts at $4/hour and can range as high as $50/hour, but the average is less than $10/hour..
If you want a one-on-one instructor for learning Greek, italki is the place to be. It’s not a course, but a platform where you can connect with a range of instructors. There are two categories—professional teacher and community tutor—and each offers a unique background in the language.
Teachers have either a degree, certificate, or past teaching experience. Tutors are often native speakers, but they can also be advanced Greek speakers. You can search for a teacher or tutor who matches your learning style, so if you want a casual interaction, a tutor is preferable. If you want a more classroom-style session, choosing a professional teacher is probably smart.
Pros:
Plenty of instructors to select from (and you schedule appointments at your convenience).
You can get free language help—usually via trade—on the Language Partners board.
There’s a cheaper trial lesson option you can use to see if an instructor is a good fit.
Cons:
You must pay for instruction in “credits,” so the payment structure can be confusing—and possibly more expensive than what the up-front cost states.
Scheduling can be complicated, and you usually need advance notice for lessons.
Price: Subscriptions range from $8/month to $47/month
GreekPod101 is a podcast-style learning system that relies heavily on audio. But along with the 990 audio/video lessons, there are also tools like flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and online discussion boards. There’s more material for entry-level speakers, so advanced Greek learners might need additional resources for a challenge.
You can choose a monthly subscription that fits your budget—and then cancel it when you’re done or want to take a break. You might find that you want more written material, but for audio, GreekPod101 is where the real meat is at.
Pros:
The podcast format is excellent for jump-starting your verbal and listening skills.
Starts out accessible for absolute beginners on up.
The instructors (“hosts”) are entertaining, and you get cultural background, too.
Cons:
A bit limited in terms of advanced Greek offerings—more material for beginners.
There’s significant English usage, which could hamper your ability to retain the Greek you’re learning.
Although these courses aren’t necessarily our favorites, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be yours. They still have a lot to offer and are definitely worth considering.
Memrise is a great free tool. It’s engaging, introduces you to new Greek vocabulary, and offers a range of topics to study. If you’re a beginner, you’ll learn plenty of conversational words and phrases spanning different categories.
Lessons on history, food, and other specific areas can help you hone skills for a variety of situations. Honestly, the variety is the highlight, because things are always changing and improving.
Pros:
User-created flashcard-type courses span a variety of subjects.
You can hone your vocabulary in specific categories.
You may not be able to use Duolingo as a standalone course That said, it delivers excellent quality and is free to use. A working knowledge of the Greek alphabet—and basic pronunciation—is helpful, but beyond that, Duolingo mostly caters to beginners.
There’s not a lot of in-depth learning, but if you want to get started with Greek, this option is a safe bet. Game-like lessons are engaging and earning the “rewards” is a fun part of learning any language on Duolingo.
Pros:
Simple instruction with exercise-based learning.
Ideal for practicing/brushing up skills.
Free and accessible on a variety of platforms.
Cons:
Not much instruction in the alphabet/pronunciation.
FSI offers three volumes of Greek instruction—all “Basic”—and you can either read online or download the entire file package. Each volume contains an e-book of 200 pages or more and around 30 audio files. In total, you’ll have about 23 hours of material to work through.
You’ll start with introductory dialogue and useful words in the first volume, but there is limited range as far as offerings for intermediate/advanced Greek speakers. It is nice to have a PDF book paired with the audio, and you’ll notice the two line up nicely.
Pros:
Free and easy to access/download/use.
The format is friendly to beginners—beginning with common phrases/the basics.
You can print the e-book and study anywhere (IE without Wi-Fi).
Cons:
The material is pretty old.
You’re on your own working through the material—no tutor support or automatic correction/feedback.
A learning platform where you can receive instruction in just about anything, Udemy is popular for all types of language learners. Courses range between 30 minutes and six hours, and you can choose from tons of different instructors and even categories. If you need specific Greek skills for, say, business, you can find that on Udemy.
You pay for each course separately, so you should choose wisely. That said, Udemy has a money-back guarantee, so you have that to fall back on. Nearly every course comes with written material, too, but the highlight is the video-based instruction.
Pros:
You get lifetime access once you buy a course.
Courses for all ability levels.
Lots of topics to choose from to increase your vocabulary.
Speaking Greek with Glossika starts out with repetitive audio drills, which aren’t the most engaging. Audio is good for your listening skills, speaking skills, and comprehension, however, and every course follows the same format. If you’re learning multiple languages, it might be worth the high price.
Cultural instruction is basically nonexistent, which is disappointing for the price. Still, if you want to learn Greek plus other languages, it’s a decent option thanks to the consistent instructional format.
Pros:
One subscription gets you all the languages on the platform.
The repetitive lesson style helps if you’re learning more than one language.
Audio instruction is balanced with written material, which is kind of rare.
Cons:
You might find some errors in the Greek course.
The interface isn’t very engaging, especially at this price point.
Price: Starts at around $67USD (prices are in euros) per month for General Greek
We haven’t tried Greek-LOL, and unfortunately, there’s not much info online about it. Classes come in group, private, and semi-private formats, and you must submit homework. Basically, it’s formal instruction online, right down to the PDF book you need to study with.
What’s nice about Greek-LOL, from what we’ve read, is that it offers courses from A1 to C2 levels. It’s also for kids, which might be useful for families. Still, you could use a textbook and just hire a tutor on italki for less money.
Pros:
There’s a trial lesson available so you can check it out risk-free.
Lessons are live in a virtual classroom, so it’s very formal—which some learners like.
Different formats are available, like Greek for tourists and business Greek creative writing.
Cons:
Pricing is confusing and based on how many hours of instruction you receive and at what level
Scheduling can be complicated given the live, interactive nature of the lessons.
The focus on textbooks and formal classroom instruction won’t appeal to everyone.
Mango is often compared to Duolingo, but it’s a paid (and somewhat pricey) alternative. Of course, some libraries offer it for free—in which case it’s worth taking a look at. All languages are available with a single subscription, too.
Grammar and culture are elementary at best (there are “notes”), but for beginners, the Greek instruction is passable. The stat tracker function is fun—a bit like Duolingo—and it’s similarly engaging.
Pros:
You might be able to use it for free at your area library.
Three courses are available in Greek with Michel Thomas Method: Start Greek, Foundation Greek, and Intermediate Greek. The introductory course starts with basic phrases and words, but by the Intermediate level, it only advances to topics like grammar rules.
Note that Greek isn’t taught by Michel Thomas—instead, instructor (and native Greek speaker) Hara Garoufalia-Middle is the teacher. This is good news for those of us who didn’t appreciate Michel Thomas’ teaching style. But you can try out the taster course to see if it’s a good fit for you—especially before purchasing a higher-level course.
I’d recommend going with the free Language Transfer course instead of paying for The Michel Thomas Method.
Pros:
The instructor is a native speaker.
Pause-and-play format you can repeat and use at your own pace.
A taster course—$11.99—is a low-risk way to try out the method.
Cons:
Expensive for what you get (price per course).
Mostly audio, as that’s the style of Michel Thomas.
Nothing for advanced speakers and intermediate doesn’t seem to cover much.
Honestly, these four options aren’t worth your time. They’re included here for reference, but they don’t offer enough value to use them over other options.
Price: $36 for 3 months, $179 for 12 months or $199 one time for a lifetime subscription
Pricing is almost the biggest drawback with Rosetta Stone. Honestly, it’s the infantile way they insist on teaching adults—picture sorting is the primary instructional method. While you’ll get exposure to basic Greek with Rosetta Stone, it’s not worth the price.
The picture teaching method might work well for kids, but even then, there are better options available at lower price points.
Pros:
Simple and straightforward lessons start out at a beginner level.
Voice recognition tool is neat for practicing pronunciation but not necessarily accurate.
The lessons do increase in difficulty beyond the beginner level.
Cons:
The repetitive format gets old, fast.
Your subscription only covers one language.
Picture-sorting seems to be the only instruction mode.
The lack of English explanations makes otherwise simple grammar points hard to understand.
We wanted to love Living Language, but we just can’t. There are some fun and interactive games, but it’s clear that you don’t have to actually learn Greek to pass the levels. Living Language does offer CDs and books for their courses, but we don’t have any experience with them yet.
If this resource was free, I might recommend it for the games, at least for practice. But at the peak price point, I wouldn’t bother—you can invest in multiple other courses for the same price and become more fluent, faster.
Pros:
The gaming style of teaching can be fun.
There’s a forum, which can be helpful both for navigating the platform and connecting with other Greek learners.
A free week-long trial lets you test the beginner level of content.
Cons:
You might find errors in the materials, a serious pitfall.
It’s pricey—there are way better options for much cheaper.
There’s no way to track progress/correct mistakes.
You can “game” the games without even learning the language—and unintentionally at that.
Price: $9.99/month to $47.99/year for one language
Sure, you can learn basic Greek with Mondly. But for $10/month, there are way better resources. There’s little cultural information in the course, and engagement is low. Organization isn’t Mondly’s strong suit, and neither is design, apparently.
Honestly, there’s nothing special here, making this a must-avoid on our list. You might get some conversational practice out of it, but only at the beginner level.
Pros:
Quizzes and challenges are fun and engaging, because they require practice.
Vocabulary is decent.
Cons:
Lack of explanations of the activities/content makes it hard to navigate.
All the levels have the same format/exercises, making it repetitive and dull.
The order of instruction doesn’t exactly make sense.
Price: $24.95/month or $149.95/year for one language. $49.95/month or $249.95/year for all languages
Transparent Language offers a large range of languages to study—even ones that few other courses cover. The problem is, the material isn’t very thorough. Vocab is taught out of context, making it hard to really develop conversational skills.
There is a neat recording tool where you can insert yourself into conversations, really the only highlight of our experience with Transparent Language. The bottom line, though, is that the teaching methodology is ineffective for actually learning to communicate in Greek.
Pros:
A wide range of languages are available
The recording tool is useful for hearing your pronunciation.
Cons:
Pricing is steep for how little you get.
You don’t get the vocabulary and grammar basics—just phrases to memorize.
For learning Greek, there are a handful of courses you can’t go wrong with. Whether you’re learning from scratch or trying to reinforce basic skills and vocab, our top eight picks are excellent choices. Now that you know what to avoid, what resources do you plan to use to learn Greek? Feel free to share your feedback below!
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I'm Nick Dahlhoff, the creator of All Language Resources. I'm not a super polyglot who speaks 20 languages. I'm not here to teach you how to learn a language - countless people are more qualified to do that than me. But, I have tried out an insane number of language learning resources. This site aims to be the most comprehensive and least biased place to figure out which language learning resources are worth using. To learn more about myself, the site, or our reviewing process, check out our about page.
