For expats, relocators, medical tourists, professionals, and anyone navigating life or work in another language
Your streak hit day 500.
So why do locals still switch to English?
StreetTongue teaches the real phrases, slang, and pronunciation of one specific city, then scores every word you say against how locals there actually sound. Not generic Spanish. Mexico City Spanish.
Free to start. Plans from $6.67/month, or $229.99 once for Lifetime.
The Problem
Why didn't years of language apps make you fluent?
Textbook Spanish
"¿Dónde está la biblioteca?" When did you last need to find a library?
Same App, Every City
Mexico City Spanish, Madrid Spanish, Buenos Aires Spanish, all taught from the exact same generic content.
Generic Pronunciation
They teach "standard" accents. But Mexico City doesn't sound like Madrid.
After two years of Duolingo, I moved to Mexico City and couldn't understand a single conversation in a taquería. The Spanish I learned had nothing to do with how people actually talked.
Dax, founder of StreetTongue
Sound Familiar?
That moment you realize you're still the permanent tourist.
Ordering food
You rehearse "una orden de tacos, por favor" three times in your head. You say it. The whole taquería hears the textbook accent, and the vendor smiles politely and answers in English. Again.
Group conversations
Your local friends drop into full speed, slang and all. You nod along, laugh half a beat late, and catch maybe 40%. Nobody slows down the second time.
Getting overcharged
Sound like a tourist, pay like a tourist. At the market, in cabs, at the repair shop. Your accent has a price tag, and you're the one paying it.
The deeper loneliness
Language is connection. When you can't joke, argue, or just chat, you're always slightly outside. Somewhere around month six the adventure quietly turns into isolation.
This isn't about grammar. It's about belonging.
And it doesn't have to be this way.
The Vision
Imagine six months from now.
You walk into your neighborhood taquería, greet the guy who works there by name, and order in the exact way locals do. He laughs at your joke. You're a regular.
At a party, you keep up with rapid-fire banter, land the right slang at the right moment, and people stop treating you like a guest and start treating you like one of them.
You chat with the moto-taxi driver at his pace, get the fair price without asking twice, and he wants to know what part of the country you're from. Not because you "spoke Spanish." You spoke his Spanish.
The city stops feeling foreign. You have a neighborhood, a coffee spot, a butcher who knows your name. You didn't just move here. You live here.
This is what StreetTongue is built for. Not test scores. Not textbook drills. Real life in a real city.
Why Other Apps Won't Get You There
Why won't Duolingo get you speaking like a local?
Streaks measure attendance, not fluency. Generic apps drill vocabulary in isolation, teach one "standard" accent, and never tell you how you actually sound. StreetTongue optimizes for one thing: sounding like you live there.
| Approach | Others | StreetTongue |
|---|---|---|
| Real street phrases with cultural context | No | Yes |
| City specific accent scoring | No | Yes |
| City by city dialect focus | No | Yes |
| Word by word pronunciation feedback | No | Yes |
| AI conversations in your city's dialect | No | Yes |
One important note: StreetTongue is not for people who want to pass an exam or earn a certificate. It's for people who want to live and work comfortably in a city where their language of choice is spoken every day. If that's you, keep reading.
The Solution
Introducing StreetTongue
A language app built around the methodology used by the CIA, diplomatic language schools, and missionaries: the people who have to speak fluently, not just pass tests.
StreetTongue is a pronunciation-focused language app that teaches city specific, street level dialects. Learn the dialect of any of 18 cities across 9 languages. It covers the real phrases, pronunciation patterns, and cultural norms that locals actually use. Plans from $6.67/month, or pay once with Lifetime.
City First
Not just "Spanish." Mexico City Spanish. CDMX slang, CDMX pronunciation, CDMX cultural context. Because that's where you're going.
Pronunciation Led
Real-time scoring on every word. You hear how locals say it, you try it, you see exactly where your accent drifts. Repeat until it sticks.
Street Level Content
Every phrase was collected from real conversations on real streets. Not curated by linguists. Verified by locals who live there.
The DLI Method
The Defense Language Institute produces the world's fastest language learners by focusing on real world functional communication from day one, not grammar rules. StreetTongue adapts this for the everyday expat: total comprehension of your specific city's dialect in the shortest possible time.
Built By Someone Who Needed It
I built this for myself.
Then decided to share it.
I moved to Mexico City in 2021 with Spanish that was, generously, rough. So I did what everyone does. I downloaded Duolingo. 1,200 days later I could tell you the bear laughed at the telenovela while eating popcorn. Less useful when the guy at the taquería is rattling off options and I'm just nodding and hoping for the best.
The real problem was that every app, every course, every YouTube channel was teaching me Spain Spanish. I was in Mexico City. Nobody here says "camiseta." I was learning a version of Spanish that made locals look at me funny.
So I built my own app. Not for anyone else. Just for me. Focused entirely on Mexican Spanish and Chilango dialect. The phrases I actually heard, the pronunciation I actually needed. It worked. A friend saw what I was using and said "you should make this for everyone." That app became StreetTongue.
Dax
Founder, StreetTongue
Real People, Real Results
What happens when you sound like a local.
I'd been living in Barcelona for six months and still struggling. After three weeks with StreetTongue I had my first full conversation in a bar without switching to English. That had never happened before.
The Mexico City module is incredible. It taught me words and phrases my Spanish teacher in college never mentioned. My Colombian neighbors actually asked where I'm from because they couldn't place my accent anymore.
I was skeptical because I'd tried everything. But the pronunciation scoring is genuinely different. It shows you exactly which word is off. My taxi driver in Medellín told me I sounded local. I almost cried.
What You Get
Every feature answers one question: will locals understand you?
No gems, no leagues, no mascots. Just what gets you understood on the street.
Pronunciation Scoring
Speak a phrase and get scored word by word. Not just pass/fail: you see exactly where your accent drifts. The same technology used in professional language training.
Street Phrase Library
Thousands of real phrases organized by city, situation, and formality. Every phrase includes pronunciation guide, cultural context, and when (not) to use it.
Scripted Conversations
Practice full conversations: at the market, in a bar, catching a cab, meeting neighbors. You hear how the conversation flows before you're in it for real.
AI Conversation Practice
Talk with an AI that responds in your city's dialect. It corrects you gently, teaches you alternatives, and never gets tired of practicing. Available 24/7.
All 18 cities included on every plan.
Pro and Max are subscriptions. Lifetime is a one-time purchase. Start free anytime.
More from the StreetTongue community
I've tried Duolingo, Babbel, Pimsleur, and private tutors. Nothing came close to what StreetTongue did in four weeks. The city specific phrases are exactly what was missing from every other app.
My Japanese was textbook perfect and completely useless in Osaka. StreetTongue taught me the actual Osaka-ben dialect. People kept asking which part of Japan I'd lived in.
Worth every dollar. I negotiated my apartment lease in Portuguese after six weeks. Without StreetTongue I would have needed a translator and probably gotten a worse deal.
I recommend it to every expat I know. My French finally sounds like I live in Paris, not like I took two semesters in college.
The Feature No Other Language App Offers
Practice any conversation.
Not just the ones we wrote.
Every other language app gives you a fixed library of scenarios. StreetTongue lets you describe any situation you'll actually face and generates a practice conversation in real Chilango Spanish (or your city's dialect). Get ready for your dentist appointment, your landlord negotiation, your first date, before it happens.
What you type
Describe your situation...
I have a dentist appointment tomorrow in Roma Norte and need to describe that my upper left molar has been sensitive to cold for two weeks.
What you get
Dentist Appointment in Roma Norte
You're at Dr. Hernandez's office explaining your tooth sensitivity to the receptionist, then the dentist.
Goals
Describe the location of the pain
Explain when it started
Mention sensitivity to cold specifically
Receptionist
"Buenos días, ¿en qué le puedo ayudar?"
You
"Hola, tengo cita con el doctor. Me ha estado doliendo una muela de arriba del lado izquierdo."
Receptionist
"¿Desde cuándo le molesta?"
You
"Desde hace dos semanas. Me duele sobre todo cuando tomo algo frío."
Conversation continues in the app...
Playable in the app with pronunciation scoring
Example: Housing
"My landlord wants to raise my rent from 18,000 to 22,000 pesos. I want to negotiate, stay respectful, and mention that I've been a good tenant for 18 months."
Generated scenario includes:
"Oiga, disculpe, quería platicar con usted sobre la renta..."
Negotiation phrases, cultural tips on assertiveness in CDMX
Example: Social
"I matched with someone on Bumble who wants to meet at a café in Condesa tomorrow. I want to sound friendly but not too eager."
Generated scenario includes:
"Qué bueno que pudiste, este lugar está muy padre, ¿a poco no?"
Casual CDMX register, filler phrases, how to keep it light
Not Duolingo. Not Babbel. Not Rosetta Stone. None of them let you practice your situation.
Pro includes 5 custom scenarios a month. Max gives you unlimited.
Simple Pricing
Learn the dialect people actually speak in your city.
All 18 cities included on every plan. Start free, no credit card required.
Private tutoring: $2,000 to $4,000. Immersion programs: $3,000 to $10,000. StreetTongue Lifetime: $229.99, once.
Free
Try any city before you commit
- Every city included, switch anytime
- 500+ street phrases (all categories)
- 3 pronunciation checks per day
- Flashcard review
- Cultural tips and grammar breakdowns
Pro
Everything you need to sound local in your city.
(~$6.67/month)
- Every city included
- Full phrase practice, conversations, translator, listening
- Pronunciation feedback, 30 sessions a day
- 10 AI conversations a month
- 5 custom AI scenarios a month
Max
Unlimited speaking practice with a local who never gets tired.
(~$13.33/month)
That's $0.44 a day on the yearly plan.
- Everything in Pro
- Unlimited pronunciation feedback
- Unlimited AI conversations in your city's dialect
- Unlimited custom practice scenarios
Lifetime
Buy it once. Use it forever. No subscription.
About the same as 1.5 years of Max.
- Everything in Max, unlimited, forever
- Every city included, same as every other plan
- One payment, no subscription, ever
How StreetTongue compares over time.
Max costs less than Duolingo Max every single year. Lifetime beats every subscription on this table by year two, then never charges you again.
| Plan | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo Max | $168 | $504 | $840 |
| Rosetta Stone | $144 | $432 | $720 |
| Babbel | $96 | $288 | $480 |
| StreetTongue Max | $159.99 | $479.97 | $799.95 |
| StreetTongue Lifetime Flat | $229.99 | $229.99 | $229.99 |
Lifetime pays for itself against Duolingo Max in about 17 months. Spread over your first two years it works out to $0.32 a day. After that, every day is free.
Available on iOS and Android. Also on Google Play . Prices in USD.
18 Cities Available, 0 Coming Soon
Find your city.
Each city has its own phrase library, pronunciation guide, and cultural context. Not generic language. The language of your city.
Spanish
Portuguese
French
Japanese
Italian
German
Thai
Turkish
Korean
From the Blog
City language guides.
Real language advice for the cities where you live and work.
Apr 2, 2026
The Best Ways to Use StreetTongue to Actually Learn a Language
Five study systems for five types of learners. Whether you have 15 minutes a day or you are already living in the city, here is how to build real fluency with the app.
Read more →
Jul 17, 2026
Rome Italian Dialect Guide: The Romanesco Words and Phrases Travelers Actually Hear
Romanesco is not textbook Italian. This guide covers the real phrases, sounds, and slang you will hear on the streets of Rome.
Read more →
Jul 15, 2026
Milan Italian: The Milanese Dialect Guide for Travelers and Expats
Milan does not sound like Rome or Florence. This guide covers the dialect words, clipped rhythms, and unwritten rules you need before you arrive.
Read more →
Questions & Answers
How is StreetTongue different from Duolingo?
Which cities are available?
What's the difference between Pro and Max?
Do I need to be a complete beginner?
Do I have to subscribe, or can I pay once?
Can I use StreetTongue offline?
I already speak some Spanish/French/Japanese. Will this help me?
Will I sound like a local?
Do you have free content?
Ready to Sound Local?
Generic apps had their chance.
Learn the language your city actually speaks.
StreetTongue exists because 1,200 days of app streaks left our founder speechless in a Mexico City taquería. Max gives you unlimited pronunciation feedback and AI conversations in your city's dialect for about $13.33 a month. Settling in for good? Lifetime is $229.99 once, every city, forever.
Not ready to buy? Free dialect content on YouTube and TikTok.