The Estonian course the big apps skipped
Finally, a real way to learn Estonian.
- Free to start
- No account needed
- Built for the state exam
40
stages, A1 → A2
1,480
verified words
4
exam skills covered
100%
fact-checked content
Why Selgeks exists
“Why isn’t Estonian on Duolingo?”
It’s the most-searched question for new Estonian learners — and the answer is simply that it never was. With ~1.1 million speakers, Estonian got skipped by the big apps. We built the course they didn’t.
- Duolingo & Babbel: no Estonian course — and none announced.
- Generic flashcard apps: words without the grammar or story to make them stick.
- Selgeks: a gamified, exam-aligned course built only for Estonian, fact-checked end to end.
What you get
Everything you need to actually get fluent
Not a toy. A complete A1→A2 course with the depth the exam demands and the charm to keep you showing up.
A journey across Estonia
Cross the real map from the coast to the southern highlands over 40 stages. Every stop teaches a themed word pack and one new grammar “power” — so you always know where you are and what’s next.
Every word fact-checked
Each word, ending and sentence is verified against Estonia’s official dictionary (Sõnaveeb / EKI) and Wiktionary. You learn real Estonian — not AI guesses that fall apart in a real conversation.
Native-quality audio
Hear every word and sentence in clear, natural Estonian on demand, powered by Estonia’s own TartuNLP speech engine. Train your ear from word one — the part most apps skip.
Built for the state exam
Content is mapped to the A2 tasemeeksam across all four tested skills — reading, listening, writing and speaking — so your daily practice doubles as exam prep.
A story you’ll come back for
A grandmother’s unfinished song, a villain who erases forgotten words, and Pääsu the swallow at your side. Gamified XP, streaks, hearts and badges turn a hard language into a habit.
Smart spaced repetition
Words you’ve learned quietly “fade” over time and resurface exactly when you’re about to forget them — so vocabulary actually sticks for the exam and for life.
How it works
Three steps at every stop on the map
A rhythm simple enough to do daily, rich enough to take you to the exam.
Pick up your first words
Each stage opens a themed word pack with native audio — greetings, family, food, the city. Hear it, see it, learn it.
Unlock one grammar power
Every stop teaches a single new “rune” — a case, a tense, a mood — explained plainly, with the exceptions stated honestly.
Open the treasure
Crack the chest to read a full Estonian sentence built only from what you now know. 100% comprehension — that’s the reward.
Exam-ready
Practise all four skills the state exam tests
The Estonian tasemeeksam grades reading, listening, writing and speaking. Most apps cover one or two. Selgeks trains all four — so your daily practice is exam practice.
Reading
Graded texts that grow from single words to real Estonian prose.
Listening
Native-quality audio on every word and sentence, from day one.
Writing
Typed declension and conjugation drills build the right endings.
Speaking
Pronunciation prompts and speak-aloud milestones get you talking.
A song worth saving
A grandmother’s final verse, lost. The Hall Mees — the Grey Man — who feeds on forgotten words and has been erasing Estonian since 1219. And Pääsu, a barn swallow, who can only fight him with the words you learn. Every word you master is a weapon he can’t reach.
It sounds like a fairy tale. It’s really a memory system: a reason to return tomorrow, and the day after.
Read the full storyVerified, not vibe-coded
Every word, ending and example sentence is checked against Sõnaveeb / EKI (Estonia’s official dictionary) and Wiktionary before it reaches you. Where a rule has exceptions, we say so. You learn real Estonian — the kind that holds up in a real conversation and on the exam.
From the blog
Learn before you even sign up
How to Learn Estonian for Free in 2026 (Every Genuinely Free Resource, Ranked)
A budget learner's guide to every genuinely free way to learn Estonian in 2026 — what's free forever, what's a free-trial trap, and the best free path to A2.
Estonian B2 Exam for Teachers: 2026 Deadlines, What It Covers & How to Prepare for Free
Estonia's school-reform deadlines push teachers and kindergarten assistants toward B2 Estonian. Here's what the B2 exam covers, the hardest part, and how to prepare free.
Keeleklikk Review (2026): Is Estonia's Free Government Course Enough for the Exam?
An honest Keeleklikk review: it's genuinely free and well-made, but is it enough to pass the A2/B1 exam? What it does well, where it falls short, and how to fill the gaps.
Questions
Everything you might be wondering
The Estonian course is free to start — no account, no payment — and the core lessons stay free. Later we plan to add optional Pro tools for exam prep (things like extra mock exams and AI writing feedback); those will be paid, but learning the language with Selgeks won’t be.
Start your Estonian quest today
Selgeks is free to start — no account needed. Learn your first ten Estonian words in the next five minutes.
No credit card. No pressure. Your progress saves on this device instantly.