Duolingo is an excellent tool for learning a new language, but if you find yourself breezing through lessons without much effort, you might wonder how to make it more challenging. While Duolingo is designed to be accessible for learners of all levels, there are plenty of ways to push yourself beyond the basics and turn your daily lessons into a rigorous language-learning experience. Here are ten ways to make Duolingo harder and maximize your learning potential.

What is Duolingo?

Duolingo is a popular language-learning platform that offers free courses in multiple languages through an interactive, gamified experience. It provides bite-sized lessons focusing on reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. The app uses AI-driven personalization, streaks, leaderboards, and rewards to engage learners.

Beginners and casual learners widely use it, but it can also be customized to be more challenging. If you want to push yourself beyond the basics, I can share some ways to make Duolingo harder!

What Makes Duolingo Fun?

1. Gamification – Turning Language Learning Into a Game

Duolingo is designed to feel like a game rather than a traditional learning experience. Instead of memorizing vocabulary lists or struggling through long grammar exercises, users earn XP (experience points) for completing lessons, similar to leveling up in a video game. There are leaderboards, where you compete with other learners, and badges you can unlock by achieving different milestones. These game-like features make learning a new language feel rewarding and enjoyable rather than tedious.

2. Streaks & Rewards – Encouraging Daily Practice

One of Duolingo’s biggest motivators is the streak system, which tracks how many consecutive days you’ve practiced. Missing a day can break your streak, so users feel encouraged to return daily—even just for a quick lesson. Duolingo also offers rewards like Lingots and Gems, which can be used to purchase streak freezes, outfits for the owl mascot (Duo), and fun challenge modes. These incentives help make language learning a consistent habit.

3. Interactive Exercises – Keeping Learning Engaging

Duolingo offers a variety of exercises to prevent repetition and boredom. Users complete tasks like:

• Multiple-choice questions – Choosing the correct translation from a list.
• Fill-in-the-blank exercises – Typing the missing word in a sentence.
• Speaking practice – Saying phrases aloud to improve pronunciation.
• Listening exercises – Identifying words or sentences from audio clips.
• Matching activities – Pairing words with their correct translations.

By mixing up these activities, Duolingo keeps users engaged and ensures they develop multiple language skills simultaneously.

4. Adaptive Learning – Personalized to Your Skill Level

Duolingo doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. If you struggle with certain words or grammar rules, the app will reinforce those concepts by showing them more often. If you perform well, you move ahead to more advanced material. This personalized approach ensures you’re constantly being challenged—but never so much that it feels impossible.

5. Funny & Quirky Sentences – Adding Humor to Learning

Duolingo is famous for its unexpected and humorous sentences. Phrases like “My horse is reading a book” or “The turtle drinks milk” may seem random, but they serve a purpose. These weird sentences:

• Help words stick in your memory by making them more noticeable.
• Keep lessons fun and surprising.
• Make you laugh, which can make studying more enjoyable.

This playful approach differentiates Duolingo from more traditional (often dull) language courses.

6. Short, Bite-Sized Lessons – Easy to Fit Into Any Schedule

Duolingo lessons are designed to be quick, typically taking only 5 to 10 minutes. Unlike traditional language classes, which require long study sessions, Duolingo makes progress manageable by breaking lessons into digestible chunks.

7. Competition & Social Features – Learning with Friends

Duolingo taps into the power of social motivation by allowing users to:

• Follow friends and see their progress.
• Compete in leaderboards to earn higher ranks.
• Join leagues (such as the Bronze, Silver, or Diamond League) where you advance by earning XP.

This competitive element adds excitement as learners push themselves to stay ahead. Plus, seeing friends stay consistent can inspire you to keep going.

Why Duolingo Works

Duolingo removes the intimidation factor from language learning by combining gamification, humor, competition, and short lessons. It’s designed to be fun, engaging, and easy to follow, which is why so many users log in daily—even if just to maintain their streak!

Do you enjoy using Duolingo, or do you prefer other language-learning methods?

What Is Duolingo’s Purpose?

Duolingo’s primary goal is to make language learning accessible, fun, and effective for everyone. It aims to:

• Help users learn new languages through structured courses.
• Provide a free alternative to expensive language classes.
• Encourage consistent practice through daily engagement.
• Use AI to personalize lessons based on each learner’s progress.

Duolingo makes learning a new language feel less like a chore and more like an adventure! Do you use it regularly?

10 Ways to Make Duolingo Harder

1. Disable the Word Bank

One of the easiest ways to make Duolingo more challenging is by turning off the word bank in translation exercises. Typically, Duolingo provides a set of words to tap to build a sentence, making it easier to recognize the correct answer. However, when you switch to typing sentences from scratch, you are forced to recall vocabulary and grammar rules from memory—without any hints.

This shift increases cognitive effort, as you no longer rely on recognition but instead practice active recall, which is one of the best ways to strengthen language retention. Without the word bank, you’ll need to:

• Remember exact word spellings and sentence structures.
• Apply proper verb conjugations, gender agreements, and word order without assistance.
• Think more deeply about sentence construction instead of just matching words.

How to Disable the Word Bank:

You can turn off the word bank in your Duolingo settings:

1. On the Web Version (duolingo.com)
   • Click on your profile icon (top-right corner).
   • Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
   • Scroll down to Keyboard Settings and toggle off the word bank.
2. On Mobile (iOS & Android)
   • Open the Duolingo app and tap on your profile.
   • Go to Settings (gear icon).
   • Scroll to Keyboard Settings and turn off the word bank.

This adjustment transforms Duolingo from a casual, multiple-choice-style learning experience into something closely resembling traditional immersion-based language learning. This feature is handy for intermediate and advanced learners looking to strengthen their writing skills and improve fluency faster.

2. Set an Aggressive Daily XP Goal

One of Duolingo’s key features is the ability to set a daily XP goal, which helps track progress and encourages consistency. If your current goal is set to a low or moderate amount, consider significantly increasing it to push yourself further. Raising your XP target means you’ll need to complete more lessons daily, forcing you to engage with more challenging content instead of relying on easy lessons to maintain your streak.

Why Raising Your XP Goal Makes Duolingo Harder

1. Encourages More Practice – A higher XP goal forces you to spend more time learning each day. You’ll need to complete several instead of just doing one or two lessons, increasing your exposure to new vocabulary and grammar.
2. Prevents Repetitive, Easy Wins – If you keep replaying beginner lessons to rack up XP quickly, you’re not genuinely improving. A higher XP goal pushes you to move forward and tackle more complex material.
3. Boosts Long-Term Retention – The more you practice in a single session, the more you reinforce what you’ve learned. Instead of spreading out minimal practice over weeks, you’ll see faster improvement.

How to Adjust Your XP Goal

To change your XP goal in Duolingo:

1. Open the Duolingo app.
2. Go to your Profile (tap on your avatar).
3. Select Settings.
4. Scroll to “Your Daily Goal” and select a new XP target.

XP Goal Recommendations

• Casual (10 XP per day) – A light, low-pressure goal.
• Regular (20 XP daily) – A standard level for consistent learners.
• Serious (30 XP per day) – A good challenge without being overwhelming.
• Intense (50 XP per day or more) – Ideal for serious learners who want to progress rapidly.

Tip: Set a goal of 50 XP or more daily to ensure you’re getting plenty of practice. This may require multiple daily lessons, making coasting through your learning experience harder.

If you want to test yourself, try reaching 100 XP or more daily by completing multiple skill levels, reviewing past mistakes, and engaging in listening or speaking exercises. You’ll find that the more you push yourself, the faster you improve!

3. Focus on Writing and Speaking Exercises

Many Duolingo users focus primarily on multiple-choice and matching exercises, which are great for recognition but ineffective for producing language. To make Duolingo harder, emphasize writing and speaking exercises. Use the “Practice Speaking” feature to work on pronunciation and try to complete exercises by typing entire sentences instead of selecting words from a list.

4. Use Duolingo Stories and Podcasts

Duolingo Stories and Podcasts provide an excellent way to immerse yourself in real-world language use. Instead of simply completing standard lessons, challenge yourself by listening to entire conversations and responding to comprehension questions. The natural speech speed and storytelling format make these features a great way to improve listening comprehension.

Pro Tip: Listen to an episode of the Duolingo Podcast in your target language and try summarizing it in writing afterward.

5. Stop Using Hints

Hints can be helpful when learning new words, but relying on them too much can prevent you from genuinely absorbing vocabulary and grammar. Try completing lessons without hovering over words for hints. This forces your brain to work harder and strengthens your memory.

Challenge: Go through an entire lesson without checking hints and see how much you genuinely remember!

6. Switch Your Duolingo Interface to Your Target Language

One way to increase immersion is by changing the Duolingo interface to your learning language. For example, switch the app’s language settings to Spanish if you’re studying Spanish. This forces you to navigate the app using your target language, reinforcing your skills in a real-world context.

7. Learn Multiple Languages Simultaneously

If one language isn’t challenging enough, try adding another to your Duolingo routine. Learning two (or more) languages at once can keep your brain engaged and force you to be more disciplined about studying. However, be mindful that this method requires strong time management and focus.

Best Pairings: If you’re learning French, adding Spanish can be easier due to similarities. If you’re learning German, adding Dutch can be an interesting challenge.

8. Repeat Lessons Without Peeking at Translations

Instead of moving on to new material immediately, repeat previous lessons and complete them without looking at the English translations. This method mimics real-life language use, where you don’t always have a translation available.

How to do it: When you finish a lesson, go back and redo it immediately, but challenge yourself to rely on memory alone.

9. Try Reverse Trees

A reverse tree is when you learn your native language from the perspective of your target language. This method forces you to think and translate in a more immersive way. For example, if you are learning French as an English speaker, you can switch to the English for French speakers course.

Benefits of Reverse Trees

Benefit	How It Helps
Forces Active Thinking	You must produce answers in the target language instead of just recognizing words.
Expands Vocabulary	The course may introduce new words and phrases not covered in your regular tree.
Strengthens Grammar	You see sentence structures differently, reinforcing grammar patterns.
Improves Comprehension	Reading instructions and questions in the target language builds fluency.
Breaks Comfort Zones	You no longer rely on direct translations from your native language.

How to Start a Reverse Tree

1. Go to Duolingo settings and switch your app language to your target language.
2. Search for the course that teaches your native language (e.g., “English for French speakers”).
3. Start the lessons and engage fully in the new perspective.

This method is a game-changer that makes Duolingo more challenging. It forces you to think in the language rather than just translating, making the learning process more immersive!

10. Use Duolingo as a Supplement, Not a Primary Tool

To make Duolingo harder and more effective, use it alongside other language-learning resources. Read books, watch movies, and converse with native speakers. Duolingo is a fantastic tool, but real-life practice will challenge you even more.

Bonus Tip: Use apps like Anki for spaced repetition flashcards or language exchange platforms like Tandem and HelloTalk to practice speaking with native speakers.

Final Thoughts

Duolingo can be as straightforward or as hard as you make it. If you find it too simple, implementing these strategies will add extra layers of difficulty and help you learn your target language more effectively. You’ll develop stronger language skills and get closer to fluency by pushing yourself beyond Duolingo’s built-in structure.

Are you ready to take your Duolingo game to the next level? Challenge yourself with these tips and watch your language skills soar!