Learn Finnish online for free: the best free and low-cost ways

Free resources are great for listening and reading. Where most learners get stuck is speaking, so at the end of this guide we also cover how to practise speaking for free. Availability changes over time, so check each service's own site for current details.

1. Yle Uutiset selkosuomeksi (news in easy Finnish)

Yle, Finland's public broadcaster, publishes daily news in selkosuomi, or easy Finnish. The sentences are short, the words are common, and the news is read slowly. There are written articles, audio and short TV broadcasts.

• Best from: about A2 level, or late A1 with patience.
• How to use it: read one short article a day. Listen first, then read, then listen again. Write down three new words.
• Bonus: you learn what is happening in Finland, which gives you things to talk about.

2. Yle Areena (Finnish TV and radio)

Yle Areena is Yle's streaming service. Many programmes have Finnish subtitles, which is one of the best free tools there is: you hear and read the same words at once. Some programmes can only be watched in Finland because of rights.

• Children's programmes, for example Yle's Pikku Kakkonen, use simple, clear language.
• Turn on Finnish subtitles, not English ones, once you are past the beginner stage.
• Watch one short episode several times rather than many episodes once.

3. Public libraries

Finnish public libraries are free to use and very well stocked. If you live in Finland, a library card is free.

• Selkokirjat: books written in easy Finnish for adults, including novels and non-fiction.
• Children's picture books, read aloud, are perfect at A1–A2.
• Audiobooks and e-books through the library's apps.
• Finnish course books, so you can try a textbook before buying one.
• Language cafés (kielikahvila): many libraries host free, informal meet-ups where you can practise Finnish with volunteers.

4. Podcasts and radio

Search your podcast app for Finnish learner podcasts and for Yle's easy-Finnish news audio. Podcasts are ideal for commutes and walks. Start with episodes made for learners, then move on to ordinary Finnish radio when you can follow the main idea.

• Listen to the same episode two or three times in one week.
• Pause and repeat a sentence out loud. This is called shadowing, and it builds speaking too.
• Don't worry about understanding everything. Aim for the general idea.

5. Free and low-cost courses in Finland

If you live in Finland, there are several routes into organised Finnish lessons. Rules and availability change, so ask your municipality or local employment services what applies to you.

• Integration training (kotoutumiskoulutus): for eligible immigrants, usually arranged after an assessment by your municipality or employment services. It includes Finnish lessons and is generally free for participants.
• Adult education centres (kansalaisopisto or työväenopisto): evening courses in Finnish at many levels, usually at a low fee.
• Universities: many offer Finnish courses for international students and staff.

Read more in Finnish courses in Finland.

6. Make your daily life Finnish

• Switch your phone or one app to Finnish.
• Read product labels in the shop. Finnish packaging is usually in Finnish and Swedish.
• Follow Finnish accounts about a hobby you enjoy.
• Label things at home with sticky notes: ovi (door), ikkuna (window), jääkaappi (fridge).

7. Practise speaking for free

This is the part free resources usually miss. Some ideas that cost nothing:

• Language cafés in libraries and community centres.
• Language exchange: help someone with your language in return for Finnish practice.
• Talking to yourself out loud as you go about your day.
• Using Finnish in shops and cafés, even if it is just kiitos and hei hei.

Our guide to practising speaking Finnish has more ideas, including what to say when people switch to English.

How to combine free resources into a plan

For grammar, start with Finnish cases and verb types, and follow the order in how to learn Finnish.

Practise with Maija

Free resources are excellent for input. If you also want a tutor who speaks with you, Maija is an AI Finnish tutor for iPhone and Android with spoken classes, real-life scenarios such as the shop, work and the doctor, and a Finnish Masterclass whose first unit is free. To see your starting level, take the free level check.