No. As of September 2026, Duolingo does not teach Punjabi to English speakers. Its new Punjabi course, launched in September 2026, goes the other way: it teaches English to people who already speak Punjabi. If you want to learn Punjabi from English, you need a different app, an audio course, a tutor or a class.
Last checked: 30 September 2026.
What is Duolingo's new Punjabi course, then?
In early September 2026 Duolingo launched Learn English from Punjabi, backed by an advertising campaign aimed at Punjabi speakers. The instructions are in Punjabi and the language you learn is English. For a lot of people in Punjab and across the diaspora that is useful, and I'm glad to see an app that size pay Punjabi any attention at all.
It is also the exact mirror image of what most people typing "Punjabi Duolingo" into a search bar want. From English, Punjabi is still not on the course list. So if a cousin forwards you a headline saying "Duolingo has Punjabi now", check which direction the course runs before you clear space on your phone for it.
What happened when I went looking?
I grew up speaking Punjabi, then English became my default at school and with friends. That is a very common diaspora story, and the uncomfortable part is what comes next: if you stop using a language, it fades. Every year I spoke it with a little less confidence.
When I finally decided to do something about it, I did what everyone does and opened Duolingo. No Punjabi. I tried the other routes. A good tutor was more than I could keep paying for week after week, and the classes near me ran at times that never fitted around work. That empty search result on Duolingo is a big part of why Panjabi Go exists. I wanted something I could open for a few minutes every day, and I wanted my kids to have it, so they don't end up where I was.
Why doesn't Duolingo teach Punjabi to English speakers?
Duolingo hasn't said, so treat this as my view from building a Punjabi course myself. Punjabi is harder to do properly than it looks from the outside:
- It has its own script. Gurmukhi has 35 core letters, known as the paintī (ਪੈਂਤੀ, literally "thirty-five"). A real course has to teach the 35 akhar rather than lean on the Latin alphabet the way Spanish or French courses can.
- It is tonal. Most learners don't expect that. In standard Eastern Punjabi, ਘੋੜਾ (horse) is not said with a breathy "gh". It starts closer to a plain "k" with a low tone on the vowel, and romanised spelling hides that completely.
- There are choices to make. Eastern or Western Punjabi, Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi. I've written about the dialect split and the two scripts separately.
None of that is a criticism of Duolingo. It just explains why Punjabi tends to need a tool built for Punjabi, rather than a general course engine with Punjabi poured in.
What are the best Duolingo alternatives for Punjabi?
These are the options people actually use, including the one I built:
- Panjabi Go. My app. It teaches Gurmukhi from scratch, every word has native-quality audio, and it gives you feedback on your own pronunciation, including tones. Lessons are short and daily, with spaced repetition and streaks. It is launching on iOS and Android soon, with a 7-day free trial.
- Ling. An app with a Punjabi course. Ling's own blog keeps a round-up of Punjabi apps, which is worth a look even if it naturally puts Ling first.
- Pimsleur. An audio course with a Punjabi option, built around listening and speaking. Good for commutes.
- Mango Languages. Another name that comes up. Check its current course list and what it covers before you pay.
- A tutor on italki. A real person who can hear you and correct you. Quality and price vary a lot from tutor to tutor.
- A Gurdwara or community class. Many Gurdwaras run Punjabi classes, often focused on reading Gurmukhi. Ask locally; some are aimed at children and some welcome adults.
I compare Panjabi Go side by side with Ling, uTalk and Pimsleur, including when each one is the better choice.
Which one should you pick?
It depends on what you're missing. If you can already read Gurmukhi and just need someone to talk to, a tutor is hard to beat. If you mostly want to understand spoken Punjabi on the drive to work, an audio course fits that gap. If you have a Gurdwara nearby with an adult class at a time you can make, go; the community is half the value.
If you're where I was, with no script, shaky pronunciation and not much spare time, that is the case Panjabi Go was designed for. You can see the plans and what the 7-day free trial includes.
Whatever you choose, learn the script early. The first row of the paintī is ੳ ਅ ੲ ਸ ਹ, and once those five sit comfortably, the rest follows faster than you'd expect. My step-by-step guide to reading Gurmukhi starts exactly there.
