Speekeo vs Ravela for learning Thai
Speekeo is a free app for building spoken Thai vocabulary. Ravela is built around seeing and fixing your tones. Here is how they compare, using only what each says about itself.
The short answer: Pick Speekeo if you want a completely free way to build everyday spoken vocabulary with short daily flashcard sessions. Pick Ravela if you want to see how your tones compare with a native reference, follow structured lessons, and have a Thai teacher check you.
We make Ravela, so we're not neutral. Everything we say about Speekeo here comes from Speekeo's own website or app store listings, checked in September 2026 (sources at the bottom). Where we couldn't confirm something, we left it out.
Speekeo and Ravela side by side
| Speekeo | Ravela Thai | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Building spoken Thai vocabulary for free, a few minutes a day | Learning to speak Thai and getting your tones right |
| How it teaches | Audio flashcards from real Thai dialogues, reviewed with spaced repetition. Speekeo says its words come from real Thai TV, films and street conversation | App lessons with Thai audio on every word, spaced review and real-life missions, plus an AI tutor for roleplay (members). iPhone, Android and web |
| Speaking & tone feedback | Speekeo lists tone practice with feedback and a Tone Recognition challenge. We couldn't find anything saying it records your voice and checks your pitch | The Pronunciation Lab draws your pitch over a native reference line and scores how closely it matches, with notes on direction, distance and height. You can send any recording to Kru Pook, a Thai teacher, to check |
| Thai script | Romanised by default. Thai script can be shown if you already read it, but Speekeo says it is never taught | Optional. Speaking-only mode in romanised Thai with the tone marked on every syllable, or a reading & writing track |
| Platforms | iPhone and Android | iPhone, Android and web |
| Price | Free: no subscription, no ads, no paywalled content | First lesson of every course and daily Pronunciation Lab recordings free, no card. Membership £6.99/month or £59/year |
Speekeo details are as Speekeo describes them. Apps change often, so treat this as a snapshot from September 2026.
Where Speekeo is strong
It's free. Speekeo says there's no subscription, no ads and nothing behind a paywall. That's hard to beat.
Real spoken vocabulary. Its words come from real Thai conversation, and spaced repetition brings each one back just before you'd forget it.
Short sessions. It's designed around about ten minutes a day, which makes it easy to keep up.
Where Ravela is different
You see your tone. Hearing and repeating a word doesn't show you where your pitch drifts. Ravela draws your pitch line over a native reference and tells you whether it moved the right way, far enough and at the right height.
A full course, not only flashcards. Ravela has lessons from survival phrases to real conversation, with reviews, games and missions set in everyday Thailand, plus an optional reading & writing track.
Practise any word. Search any Thai word or phrase and practise it on the spot, or drill the tones you keep missing.
A Thai teacher behind it. Kru Pook reviews the lessons in Ravela, and you can send her any recording to check.
Which should you pick?
Speekeo suits you if…
- you want to build vocabulary without paying anything
- flashcards and short daily reviews are how you like to learn
Ravela suits you if…
- your tones are what's stopping people understanding you
- you want structured lessons as well as review
- you'd like a Thai teacher to check your recordings
Not sure? Try Ravela's free tone test first. It takes a minute, needs no signup, and shows you straight away whether tones are what's holding you back. Take the free tone test.
Questions people ask
Is Speekeo free?
Yes. Speekeo says it is free, with no subscription, no ads and no paywalled content. Ravela is free for the first lesson of every course and daily Pronunciation Lab recordings, and membership opens the rest.
Does Speekeo check your Thai tones?
Speekeo lists tone practice with feedback and a Tone Recognition challenge. We could not find anything saying it records your voice and compares your pitch. Ravela's Pronunciation Lab does that: it draws your pitch over a native reference line and scores how closely it matches.
Can I use Speekeo and Ravela together?
Yes. Speekeo's spaced-repetition flashcards for vocabulary, and Ravela for tones, pronunciation and speaking practice, is a good pairing.
More comparisons
Ling vs Ravela · Pimsleur vs Ravela · ThaiPod101 vs Ravela · All Thai apps compared · Why isn't Thai on Duolingo?
Sources, checked September 2026
- Speekeo website: speekeo.com
- Speekeo on the App Store: apps.apple.com
- Speekeo on Google Play: play.google.com
Spotted something out of date? Email support@ravelathai.com and we'll correct it.
Hear it, say it, see how close you are
Free to start. The Pronunciation Lab and the first lesson of every course, no card needed.
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