Frequently Asked Questions

First steps

Currently, you can learn the following languages:

Dutch, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Danish and Norwegian.

If you have a question, there are two ways to contact us:

Registration with Babbel is completely free of charge and the first lesson in every course, in every language, is free to try.
We only charge if you want full access to any of our courses but all other parts of Babbel are free to use.
Registration with Babbel is completely free of charge and the first lesson in every course, in every language, is free to try.

You will always have access to any stored vocabulary via the Review Manager and the networking features on Babbel – the Board, Messages, and Chat – are free to use.

We only charge if you want full access to any of our courses.

Payment information

Babbel offers you monthly, three-monthly or six-monthly payment plans. The longer the payment plan you choose, the better the value-for-money. Our current subscription fees can be found here:

http://www.babbel.com/prices

When you start a subscription with us, you will never pay more than the rate you have chosen for as long as that subscription remains active.

You can pay by credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express) and some debit cards are also accepted.

For users with a German bank account, payment by direct debit is also available.

If you subscribe, you will be charged, in advance, on a monthly, three-monthly or six-monthly basis according to the payment plan you have chosen. The recurring payments will be charged automatically until you decide to cancel.

Babbel will never charge you unless you voluntarily enter your payment details on our payment page.

You can cancel a subscription by sending a short message via "Feedback" when you are logged in to Babbel itself, or by email to our sales@en.babbel.com address. You should receive confirmation of the cancellation within 48 hours, but let us know if you don't.

Be aware that all Babbel subscriptions are automatically renewed until we receive notice of cancellation, so it's important to contact us before the date when the next payment is due. You will, of course, continue to have access to your courses until the period already paid for expires.

As Babbel subscriptions are automatically renewed, it's important to contact us BEFORE the date when a payment is due.

For details about how to cancel, see "How can I cancel a subscription?"

You will continue to have access to your courses until the period already paid for expires. The expiry date will be stated in the email you'll receive confirming your cancellation. It can also be found on the "Account information" page of your Babbel profile. See "How can I keep track of my payments?"
We offer a twenty-day money-back guarantee on all new subscriptions. If you're not happy with our courses, simply let us know within twenty days of the first payment and the full amount will be refunded. You can contact us by sending a short "Feedback" message, or by email at our sales@en.babbel.com address.

It's important to note that:

* The guarantee does not apply for any payment other than the first payment of a new subscription.

* The guarantee does not apply if you have already claimed it for any previous subscription to the same learning language.

Details of any active subscription can be found on the "Account information" page of your Babbel profile. Select "Profile" then "Account information".
Invoices for any active subscription can be downloaded from the "Account information" page of your Babbel profile. Note that the name shown on an invoice will correspond with what you have entered in the First Name and Last Name fields of your Babbel profile.
Our longer payment plans offer better value-for-money. If you would like to change payment plan, log in to Babbel then use the following link to access the "Prices" page. You can then sign up under a new plan: http://www.babbel.com/prices

If you already have a subscription with us, it will be automatically cancelled and any time remaining on it added on to the first payment period of the new subscription.

The new subscription details will show on the "Account information" page of your Babbel profile.

Occasionally we might have offers of annual subscriptions at an even cheaper rate. If you choose to upgrade to one of these and already have a subscription with us, it will work in the same way as changing payment plan: the original subscription will be automatically cancelled and the time already paid for added on to the first payment period of the new subscription. What's more, the time added on is rounded up to a complete month.

Here's an example:

You currently have a three-monthly subscription and the next payment is due in five weeks time.

You decide to upgrade to an annual subscription.

We will convert the five weeks already paid for into two months and add these on to the first payment period of the new subscription.

Please note that upgrades only work for subscriptions, not for vouchers or coupons.

Yes, this is always possible, send us a short "Feedback" message or email us at our sales@en.babbel.com address. We can normally make the change within 48 hours.
Payment transactions on Babbel adhere to the highest security standards. The server connection and the data-processing are protected with up-to-date encryption methods. Transactions are processed by Adyen BV who are officially recognized by both Visa and Mastercard.
Please see the information below under "iPad apps".

Coupons & vouchers

If you have not already registered with Babbel, you first need to do so.

If you are already regsitered with Babbel:

1. Go to the following page http://www.babbel.com/go/coupon-einloesen

2. If you are not already logged in to Babbel, you need to do so. You will then come to the voucher redemption page:

3.  Select the correct learning language, enter your code, then click on 'Redeem Voucher'.

4.  On the next page you may have the option to upgrade to an all-languages subscription:

IMPORTANT. Though you will be offered the first payment at a reduced price, please be aware that the upgrade is a regular Babbel subscription and, after the first payment period has expired, will be automatically renewed at our standard rate until we receive notice of cancellation. Full details will be sent to the email address you used to register with us, but let us know if you don't receive it. For information on how to cancel, see: "How can I cancel a subscription?"

If you don't want to upgrade, just click on 'Just French' (or whichever language you have chosen). You will then be taken to your Babbel homepage and can start to learn immediately.

Babbel voucher codes are case sensitive: if your code includes capital letters, you need to enter them as such.

If you are copying & pasting the code, make sure that you have not accidentally included a space at the beginning or end – this will mean that the code is not accepted.

If you still have problems, write to our support@en.babbel.com address and forward the voucher you received.

Many vouchers offer access for a limited period of time and no direct payment is made to Babbel. These vouchers will expire automatically and you do not need to cancel. There are, however, cases when you do need to cancel:

Upgrades to subscriptions

When you redeem most vouchers, you will be offered the chance to upgrade to an all-languages subscription. If you take advantage of this, payment is made directly to Babbel and the subscription WILL automatically renew until you decide to cancel. It's important to be aware of this as you may be offered the upgrade at a cheaper initial price. Full details will be sent to you by email after you have made the payment.

Discount vouchers

Some vouchers offer you a reduced price on standard Babbel subscriptions. With these vouchers, you will make a payment directly to Babbel after the voucher has been redeemed. Again, the subscription WILL automatically renew until you decide to cancel.

For how to cancel a subscription, see: "How can I cancel a subscription?"

The courses

Click on the language you want to learn to see what's available:
No, If you take out a subscription with us, you gain access to all courses in your chosen language and can change course whenever you like. The different courses can be accessed via the "Courses" menu at the top of your Babbel homepage.
To change course, click on "Courses" in the menu at the top of your Babbel homepage, choose a new one and then click on "Set as course". The new course will then be the one that shows on your Babbel homepage.
You are able to repeat any course or lesson as often as you like.

To repeat a lesson, use the progress bar in the active course window on your Babbel homepage: the green sections indicate lessons already accessed. Click on the relevant section and then click "Start".

To repeat an already completed course, select the course from "Courses" at the top of your Babbel homepage and work through the individual lessons there.

It is difficult to answer this question as so much depends upon the individual learner. You should study at a pace that feels right for you and ensure that you use the Review Manager regularly to consolidate what you are learning in the courses.
When you first access a lesson that features speech recognition, you will be asked whether you want to use the tool or not. If you choose to do so, you will be guided through the following procedure:

1/ You will first see a message stating "You have not configured your microphone".  Select "Enable", then "Set up microphone".

2/ You will then see a small message asking you to allow www.babbel.com to access your computer. You should select "Allow" and "Remember" then "Close".

3/ You will now see a screen asking you to adjust the sensitivity of the Babbel microphone. Simply follow the instructions here.

4/ Speech recognition is now ready to use and you need only select "Continue" on the next screen.

If an appropriate version of Adobe Flash Player is not installed on your computer (version 10.3 or above), you will see a message informing you of this and a link where it can be downloaded free of charge. Please note that after downloading Flash Player, you will need to log out of Babbel and close your browser before the new version is installed.

The speech recognition measures how well your pronunciation matches that of the audio track you are hearing. The tool will give you a rating of 1-100 but you will only see ratings of 50 and above.

If you don't see any rating, it may be that the microphone sensitivity needs adjusting. Try speaking either louder or quieter and, if that does the trick, adjust the sensitivity accordingly. It may also be the case that you are starting to speak too soon: only speak after the green dot appears in the microphone icon.

The vocabulary courses on Babbel an be found in the "Words and Sentences" category. There are more than 3000 words with example sentences for each of the following learning languages:

English, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.

The following learning languages have more than 2000 words with example sentences:

Dutch, Indonesian, Polish and Turkish.

English is the only language on Babbel that has monolingual courses. This means that you are able to learn English when English is also set as your interface language. However, you will have access to a far greater range of English courses if you choose one of our other languages as the interface language.

To reset your interface language, go to "Profile" and then to "Settings" where the changes can be made. The "Reference Language" you choose will be the interface language. Don't forget to click on "Save" before exiting the "Settings" page. Having followed this procedure, the complete range of English courses will become available to you.

Even if you don't speak one of our other languages, the benefits of choosing one as the interface language far outweigh the disadvantages simply because of the number of English courses that will then become available to you. You will find that the layout of Babbel remains the same and you shouldn't have any problems navigating within the site. Much of our material is image-based and the meaning will be clear to you despite not understanding the interface language. Though the titles of courses will be in the interface language, you will find that most courses also include a title or description in English.

If ever you have any difficulties, you can always write us a message using the "Feedback" option or by email to support@babbel.com.

You can change your learning language at any time but standard subscription fees give access to one language only. You can, of course, learn more than one language but this would mean paying an additional subscription fee for each additional language.

If you're interested in two or more languages, write to us via "Feedback" or at our support@en.babbel.com address to see if we have any offers available.

Certificates

Yes. Every completed language course is awarded with a Babbel certificate. In the course overview next to every completed course you will find an icon with a link to your certificate — which you can directly download and print out. You don’t need to pass any exam to be awarded a certificate; your knowledge is continually evaluated during our interactive exercises. The certificate includes information about the content and level of the course and proves what you’ve learned at Babbel.
The name that is shown on Babbel certificates is the one you have entered in your profile. To change this please go to profile > settings.

The Babbel Review Manager

Your stored vocabulary and your Review Manager

Most words and phrases that you’ve learned with Babbel will be stored in your personal Vocabulary list: just click on "Vocabulary" in the lower half of your Babbel homepage to access the list for any learning language. This links with your Review Manager that will remind you when words and phrases are due for review. We recommend using the Review manager regularly to consolidate what you are learning within the courses.

Learning that sticks

In order to really commit vocabulary to your long-term memory, you need to practise often and at appropriately spaced intervals. Based on the proven method of "spaced repetition", your Review Manager will remind you when a vocabulary item is due for review. The review intervals are determined individually for each word or phrase based on how often it has been reviewed and how often you get it right.

Vocabulary levels

Every word or phrase in your Vocabulary list is assigned to one of six knowledge levels. Every time one is reviewed correctly, it moves up a level. Likewise, if you get it wrong, it moves down a level.

This means words and phrases that come easily to you will end up at a higher level and, consequently, need to be reviewed less. Those you have more difficulty with, on the other hand, will have to be reviewed more often until they have been truly committed to memory.

Longer intervals after every review

For each level a word or phrase moves up, the longer the interval before it will need to be reviewed again. At the beginning – or when you’ve made a mistake – the interval is one day. On the second level up, it’s four days, then seven, then 14, and then 60 days. Once a word reaches the sixth level, it will be six months before it is due for review again.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need to worry about how it all works! The Review Manager reminds you automatically to review, and knows exactly what vocabulary to present to you for optimal learning.

Yes. To do this, just click on the X that appears next to each word or phrase at far right.

In the drop-down menu under "More", you will also see the option to "Delete all". Be aware that if you use this, your stored vocabulary will be permanently lost.

Yes. The filter option at the top left of your vocabulary list allows you to sort according to theme or knowledge level. You will then have the option to "Review these items" in the drop-down menu under "More".

You are also able to manage the frequency of review by moving words or phrases to different knowledge levels. To do this, simply click on the knowledge level you would like to assign to each vocabulary item.

Yes. To do so, you first need to create a personalized vocabulary list:

1/ Click on "Create personalized list" on your vocabulary page.

2/ Give your list a title then click on "Create".

After having done this you will see the option to "Add a word" when you access the list. Using this allows you to type in your own words and phrases. Incidentally, if what you type already exists on Babbel, any matches will appear and you need only click on them to add them to your list.

The "Spoken review" option can be found in the drop-down menu under "More" at the top of your vocabulary list. It allows you to review your vocabulary by speaking rather than typing and thus helps strengthen your pronunciation.

Note that you will need to have enabled your microphone to use this feature. See: "How do I set up my microphone to use the speech recognition tool?"

General questions

The reference language you choose will be the language of the Babbel interface. All menus, instructions, explanations and translations will appear in that language.

If your native language is English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or Swedish, just choose your native language. If your native language is not one of these, choose the language that you are most skilled in.

When you sign up for Babbel, you also receive information and special offers via email. Sometimes it makes sense to enter Babbel into your contacts to make sure all the information displays correctly and/or to prevent the newsletter emails from ending up in your spam folder. You can do this with a simple two or three mouseclicks. We’ve put together some quick instructions for how to do this with some of the more popular email servers. First open the Babbel newsletter.

With...

Hotmail/Windows Live
On the lower left hand side, click on “Contacts” and then on the top menu click on “New”.

Gmail/Googlemail 
To the right of the email, click on the arrow next to the options with icons for emailing or chatting, and then click “Add to Contacts”. Or, in the upper left hand corner, click “Contacts”. Then go under the arrow “Add to ‘My Contacts’ “.

Yahoo 
Click on “Show Details” and then click the “+” sign next to the “from” addresses. Or on the top near the left click on “Contacts” and then “Add new contact”.

AIM 
Click on “Contacts“ in the left hand side menu.

Mail.com 
Click on the “Addresses“ tab on the top left.

Fastmail 
On the top menu click on “Address Book” and then “Add New”. Or next to the “from” address, click “Add”.

... and with the email clients...

Thunderbird
Right-click on the highlighted “from” address: Babbel or members@service.babbel.com. Select Add to Address Book... from that menu. On the address card, select OK.

Outlook (Express)
On the top left hand side click on “Address Book” and then “New Contact”.

Apple Mail 
Right-click on the “From” address when you receive an email from Babbel.

You can change your reference language at any time on the "Settings" page of your Babbel Profile. Don't forget to click on "Save" after you've made the change.

Website

Babbel runs on all modern computers with a Flash-enabled browser and an internet connection. Minimum requirements are:

.  Computer and Processor: Display: 1024x768 or higher resolution monitor, 1GHz Processor, 1GB RAM

.  Operating System: Windows, Mac OS X or Linux

.  Internet browser with the current Adobe Flash-Player 

.  Javascript must be enabled

It is not necessary to install any special software to use Babbel: everything runs directly in your internet browser.

Babbel mobile apps

.  iOS minimum requirement: 4.0

.  Android minimum operating system: 2.3.5

iPad apps

Yes, since the release of version 3.0.0, we've made versions of most courses available via the iPad apps. The cost of iPad app subscriptions are the same as those for the website. If you would like access on both, however, there's no need to pay twice: for a small additional charge we offer the iPad+Web option that gives access on both iPad and computer. This can only be bought by logging in to www.babbel.com on your iPad.
These can only be bought from the iPad itself. Just open the browser on your iPad and log in to www.babbel.com. Make sure that the learning language is correct then tap "Get access". You'll then be directed to our secure payment page.
The best option is to upgrade to a Web+App subscription. As you already have a subscription with us, it would be automatically cancelled and the time remaining on it added on to the first payment period of the new Web+App subscription. You would gain access to the courses on iPad app immediately as the new subscription would supersede the old one. A Web+App subscription can be bought by logging in to www.babbel.com on your iPad.
No. iPad-only or iPad+Web subscriptions can only be bought from your iPad. Open the iPad's browser and log in to www.babbel.com to sign up.

  1. Your new menu bar!

    We've just launched our brand new menu bar. Please take 30 seconds to learn more about it.

  2. Your vocabulary

    You can now access your personal vocabulary list directly from the menu bar.

  3. The Babbel community

    We've now grouped all community features (People, Board, Chat, Messages) in one place.

  4. New notifications

    If you receive a new message or friend request, you'll now see a bright red notification in the menu.

  5. Changing languages

    Here you can quickly and easily change your learning language or add a new one.

  6. Try a new learning language

    You can try any new learning language for free. Don't worry, your progress in the current language will always be saved!

  7. Your Babbel profile

    Your user name now appears here. Use this button to view or edit your profile and settings.

  8. Restart the tutorial

    You can replay this tutorial from your Babbel homepage at any time. Have fun with your new menu bar!