View source for Company:Duolingo

{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Short description|American educational technology company}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Duolingo, Inc.
| logo = Duolingo_logo (2019).svg
| caption = 
| company_type = [[Finance:Public company|Public]]
| location = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| area_served = Worldwide
| founder = {{unbulleted list|[[Biography:Luis von Ahn|Luis von Ahn]]| Severin Hacker}}
| CEO = [[Biography:Luis von Ahn|Luis von Ahn]]
| industry = Online education
| products = Duolingo, Duolingo ABC, Duolingo English Test
| services = Language, music and mathematics courses and tests.
| traded_as = {{NASDAQ|DUOL}}
| revenue = {{increase}} {{US$|369 million|link=yes}} (2022)<ref name="Q4 2022 Duolingo Quarterly Results">{{cite web | title=Q4FY22 Press Release: Duolingo Reports 62% DAU Growth; Record Bookings and Revenue in Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 | url=https://investors.duolingo.com/static-files/9e2150ed-fe78-405f-96a9-0fc932eb961a | publisher=Duolingo | date=28 February 2023 }}</ref>
| operating_income = {{decrease}} {{US$|−65 million}} (2022)<ref name="Q4 2022 Duolingo Quarterly Results" />
| net_income = {{increase}} {{US$|−60 million}} (2022)<ref name="Q4 2022 Duolingo Quarterly Results" />
| assets = {{increase}} {{US$|747 million}} (2022)<ref name="Q4 2022 Duolingo Quarterly Results" />
| equity = {{increase}} {{US$|542 million}} (2022)<ref name="Q4 2022 Duolingo Quarterly Results" />
| employees = 600+ (December 2022)
| international = yes
| url = {{URL|duolingo.com}}
| advertising = Yes
| registration = Yes{{efn|name=Registration|One can use Duolingo for a few lessons before requiring an account to progress.}}
| users = 60.7 million [[Software:Monthly active users|MAU]] (2022)
| launched = {{start date and age|2011|11|27|df=no}} (private beta)<br />{{start date and age|2012|06|19|df=no}} (public release)
| current_status = Online
| native_clients = [[Software:Android (operating system)|Android]], [[Software:IOS|iOS]]
| footnotes = <ref name=10K>{{cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1562088/000156208823000052/duol-20221231.htm |title=Duolingo, Inc. 2022 Annual Report (Form 10-K) |date=2023-03-01 |publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission}}</ref><ref name=kotlin>{{cite web |url=https://blog.duolingo.com/migrating-duolingos-android-app-to-100-kotlin |title=Migrating Duolingo's Android app to 100% Kotlin |website=blog.duolingo.com |date=2020-04-06}}</ref><ref name="real world swift">{{cite web |url=http://making.duolingo.com/real-world-swift |title=Real World Swift – Making Duolingo Blog |website=making.duolingo.com |date=2015-01-07}}</ref><ref name="making.duolingo.com">{{cite web |url=http://making.duolingo.com/rewriting-duolingos-engine-in-scala |title=Rewriting Duolingo's engine in Scala – Making Duolingo Blog |website=making.duolingo.com |date=2017-01-31}}</ref>
}}

'''Duolingo''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|dj|uː|oʊ|ˈ|l|ɪ|ŋ|ɡ|oʊ}} {{respell|DEW|oh|LING|goh}}) is an American [[Engineering:Educational technology|educational technology]] company that produces learning [[Mobile app|apps]] and provides [[Social:Language assessment|language certification]]. 

Duolingo offers courses on music,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Duolingo opens waitlist for its new, free music course. Here's how to sign up |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/duolingo-opens-waitlist-for-its-new-free-music-course-heres-how-to-sign-up/ |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=ZDNET |language=en}}</ref> math<ref name="math">{{Cite web |author=Duolingo Team |date=2022-10-26 |title=Duolingo Math makes learning easy as pi(e) |url=https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-launches-math-app/ |website=Duolingo |language=en}}</ref> and over 40 languages,<ref name=":3" /> ranging from [[Social:English language|English]], [[Social:French language|French]], and [[Social:Spanish language|Spanish]] to less commonly studied languages such as [[Social:Welsh language|Welsh]], [[Social:Irish language|Irish]], and [[Social:Swahili language|Swahili]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Higgins-Dunn |first=Noah |date=2019-04-14 |title=If you are a 'Game of Thrones' fan, this app will teach you how to speak in High Valyrian |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/14/game-of-thrones-fans-this-app-teaches-you-to-speak-in-high-valyrian.html |access-date=2022-05-23 |website={{wipe|CNBC}} |language=en}}</ref> Other services include the Duolingo English Test, an online certification program, and Duolingo ABC, a literacy app for children. The company uses a [[Finance:Freemium|freemium]] model, with its optional premium service, Super Duolingo, being ad-free and offering more features.

As of February 2023, Duolingo was the most popular language learning app in the world based on monthly downloads, with almost 13.4 million users downloading the app that month.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top language learning apps by downloads 2023 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1239522/top-language-learning-apps-downloads/ |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> A [[Systematic review|systematic review]] of [[Scientific literature|research]] on Duolingo from 2012 to 2020 found comparatively few studies on the platform's efficacy for language learning, but identified several studies that had reported relatively high user satisfaction and enjoyment and positive perceptions of the app's effectiveness.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shortt |first1=Mitchell |last2=Tilak |first2=Shantanu |last3=Kuznetcova |first3=Irina |last4=Martens |first4=Bethany |last5=Akinkuolie |first5=Babatunde |date=2023-03-04 |title=Gamification in mobile-assisted language learning: a systematic review of Duolingo literature from public release of 2012 to early 2020 |journal=Computer Assisted Language Learning |language=en |volume=36 |issue=3 |pages=517–554 |doi=10.1080/09588221.2021.1933540 |issn=0958-8221|doi-access=free }}</ref> Subsequent studies have concluded that Duolingo is effective for language learning and the acquisition of vocabulary.{{Cn|date=January 2024}}

== History ==
The idea for Duolingo originated in 2009 by [[Organization:Carnegie Mellon University|Carnegie Mellon University]] professor [[Biography:Luis von Ahn|Luis von Ahn]] and his Swiss-born post-graduate student Severin Hacker.<ref name="TechCrunch Article">{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/04/12/duolingo/ |work=TechCrunch |title=Meet Duolingo, Google's Next Acquisition Target; Learn A Language, Help The Web |first=M.G. |last=Siegler |date=2011-04-12 |access-date=2014-11-21}}</ref><ref name="vator.tv">{{cite web |url=https://vator.tv/news/2018-06-22-when-duolingo-was-young-the-early-years |title=When Duolingo was young: the early years |date=2018-06-22 |website=VatorNews |access-date=2019-12-21}}</ref> Von Ahn had sold his second company, [[Software:ReCAPTCHA|reCAPTCHA]], to Google and, with Hacker, wanted to work on a project related to education.<ref>{{cite web |title=Luis Von Ahn's answer to What made Luis Von Ahn start Duolingo? - Quora |url=https://www.quora.com/What-made-Luis-Von-Ahn-start-Duolingo/answer/Luis-Von-Ahn |access-date=2021-05-14 |website=www.quora.com}}</ref> A driving motivation was Von Ahn's upbringing in Guatemala, where he saw how expensive it was for people in his community to learn English.<ref name="Businessweek 2022"/><ref name="lifestyle.livemint.com"/> Hacker (co-founder and current [[Engineering:Chief technology officer|CTO]] of Duolingo) believed that "free education will really change the world"<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/01/22/crowdsourcing-capitalists-how-duolingos-founders-offered-free-education-to-millions/ |title=Crowdsourcing Capitalists: How Duolingo's Founders Offered Free Education To Millions |first=Parmy |last=Olson |work={{wipe|Forbes}}}}</ref> and wanted to provide an accessible means for doing so. In recognition of his contributions to learning language and technological development, Von Ahn is being recognized into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Duolingo creator to be inducted into Inventors Hall of Fame |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/duolingo-creator-to-be-inducted-into-inventors-hall-of-fame-196504645525 |access-date=2023-11-02 |website=NBC News}}</ref>

The project was originally sponsored by Von Ahn's MacArthur fellowship and a [[Organization:National Science Foundation|National Science Foundation]] grant.<ref name="NSFGrant">{{cite web |title=Online Education as a Vehicle for Human Computation |url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=1054630 |publisher=[[Organization:National Science Foundation|National Science Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Masson-Forsythe |first1=Heather |title=NSF gave Duolingo its wings! |url=https://beta.nsf.gov/science-matters/nsf-gave-duolingo-its-wings |access-date=25 March 2023 |work=[[Organization:National Science Foundation|National Science Foundation]] |date=December 22, 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="NewScientist">{{cite magazine |title=Learn a language, translate the web |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328476.200-learn-a-language-translate-the-web.html |magazine=New Scientist}}</ref> The founders considered creating Duolingo as a [[Engineering:Nonprofit organization|nonprofit organization]], but Von Ahn judged this model unsustainable.<ref name=":0" /> An early revenue stream, a crowdsourced translation service, was replaced by a Duolingo English Test certification program, advertising, and subscription.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Duolingo Raises $45 Million Series D Round Led By Google Capital, Now Valued At $470M |url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2015/06/10/duolingo-raises-45-million-series-d-round-led-by-google-ventures-now-valued-at-470m/ |access-date=2019-12-14 |website=TechCrunch |date=2015-06-10 |language=en-US |archive-date=4 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150804225710/http://social.techcrunch.com/2015/06/10/duolingo-raises-45-million-series-d-round-led-by-google-ventures-now-valued-at-470m/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Duol shareholder letter 2022 |url=https://investors.duolingo.com/static-files/d667f9d1-8f7f-418c-b116-e699a30a9826}}</ref>

In October 2011, Duolingo announced that it had raised $3.3&nbsp;million from a [[Finance:Series A round|Series A round]] of funding, led by Union Square Ventures, with participation from author Tim Ferriss and actor Ashton Kutcher's investing firm A-Grade Investments.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news |title=The Daily Start-Up: Kutcher-Backed Language Site Duolingo Finds Its Voice |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2012/06/19/the-daily-start-up-kutcher-backed-language-site-duolingo-finds-its-voice/ |access-date=2012-07-13 |newspaper={{wipe|The Wall Street Journal}} |date=2012-06-19}}</ref> Duolingo launched a private beta on November 27, 2011, and accumulated a waiting list of more than 300,000 people.<ref name="vator.tv" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2011/12/16/2639262/duolingo-translate-internet-teach-languages |title=Duolingo will translate the internet while teaching languages |first=Adi |last=Robertson |date=2011-12-16 |website=[[The Verge]] |access-date=2016-02-03}}</ref> It launched to the general public on June 19, 2012, at which point the waiting list had grown to around 500,000.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://vator.tv/news/2018-06-22-when-duolingo-was-young-the-early-years |title=When Duolingo was young: the early years |date=2018-06-22 |website=VatorNews |access-date=2019-12-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=[[Organization:Carnegie Mellon University|Carnegie Mellon University]] |date= |title=Press Release: Duolingo.com Users Will Translate Web As They Learn a New Language |url=http://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2012/june/june19_duolingo.html |access-date=2021-05-14 |website=www.cmu.edu |language=en}}</ref>

In September 2012, Duolingo announced that it had raised a further $15&nbsp;million from a Series B funding round led by New Enterprise Associates, with participation from Union Square Ventures.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2012/09/17/duolingo-raises-15m-series-b-round-lead-by-nea-will-expand-to-more-languages-and-to-mobile-soon/ |title=Duolingo Raises $15M Series B Round Led By NEA, Will Expand To More Languages And To Mobile Soon |website=TechCrunch |date=2012-09-17 |language=en-US |access-date=2019-12-13 |archive-date=14 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214003206/http://social.techcrunch.com/2012/09/17/duolingo-raises-15m-series-b-round-lead-by-nea-will-expand-to-more-languages-and-to-mobile-soon/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In November 2012, Duolingo released an [[Engineering:IPhone|iPhone]] app,<ref name="TCiOS">{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/13/language-learning-service-duolingo-launches-its-first-iphone-app/ |title=Language Learning Service Duolingo Launches Its First iPhone App |first=Frederic |last=Lardinois |date=2012-11-13 |work=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |access-date=2016-04-18}}</ref> followed by an [[Software:Android (operating system)|Android]] app in May 2013, at which time Duolingo had around 3 million users.<ref>{{cite web |title=Free Language Learning Service Duolingo Comes To Android |url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2013/05/29/free-language-learning-service-duolingo-comes-to-android-expects-this-will-double-its-user-base-to-over-6m/ |access-date=2021-05-14 |website=TechCrunch |date=2013-05-29 |language=en-US |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514230149/https://social.techcrunch.com/2013/05/29/free-language-learning-service-duolingo-comes-to-android-expects-this-will-double-its-user-base-to-over-6m/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> By July 2013, it had grown to 5&nbsp;million users and was rated the No. 1 free education app in the Google Play Store.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57593078-93/duolingo-brings-free-language-courses-to-the-ipad/ |title=Duolingo brings free language courses to the iPad |last=Farber |first=Dan |date=2013-07-11 |publisher=C net |access-date=2014-02-21}}</ref>

In February 2014, Duolingo announced that it had raised $20&nbsp;million from a Series&nbsp;C funding round led by Kleiner Caufield & Byers, with prior investors also participating.<ref name="TechCrunch1">{{cite web |title=Duolingo Raises $20M Series C Led By Kleiner Perkins To Dominate Online Language Learning |url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2014/02/18/duolingo-raises-20m-series-c-round-led-by-kleiner-perkins-wants-to-dominate-online-language-learning/ |access-date=2021-05-14 |website=TechCrunch |date=2014-02-14 |language=en-US |archive-date=10 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310011231/https://social.techcrunch.com/2014/02/18/duolingo-raises-20m-series-c-round-led-by-kleiner-perkins-wants-to-dominate-online-language-learning/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> At this time, it had 34 employees, and reported about 25&nbsp;million registered users and 12.5&nbsp;million active users;<ref name="TechCrunch1"/> it later reported a figure closer to 60&nbsp;million users.<ref name=":2" />

In June 2015, it announced that it had raised $45&nbsp;million from a Series&nbsp;D funding round led by Google Capital, bringing its total funding to $83.3&nbsp;million. The round valued the company at around $470&nbsp;million, with 100&nbsp;million registered users globally.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/06/10/100m-users-strong-duolingo-raises-45m-led-by-google-at-a-470m-valuation-to-grow-language-learning-platform/ |title=100M users strong, Duolingo raises $45M led by Google at a $470M valuation to grow language-learning platform |date=2015-06-10 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |access-date=2019-12-14}}</ref> In April 2016, it was reported that Duolingo had more than 18&nbsp;million monthly users.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/duolingo-case-study-dynamodb/ |title=Duolingo Case Study – DynamoDB |website=[[Company:Amazon Web Services|Amazon Web Services]], Inc. |language=en-US |access-date=2019-12-23}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Duolingo Stores 31 Billion Items on Amazon DynamoDB and Uses AWS to Deliver Language Lessons |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhnAvn2YxZA |language=en |access-date=2019-12-23 |via=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]}}</ref>

In July 2017, Duolingo announced that it had raised $25&nbsp;million in a Series E funding round led by Drive Capital, bringing its total funding to $108.3&nbsp;million. The round valued Duolingo at $700&nbsp;million, and the company reported passing 200&nbsp;million registered users, with 25&nbsp;million active users.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2017/07/25/duolingo-raises-25m-at-a-700m-valuation/ |title=Duolingo raises $25M at a $700M valuation |website=TechCrunch |date=2017-07-25 |language=en-US |access-date=2019-12-14 |archive-date=21 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421184428/http://social.techcrunch.com/2017/07/25/duolingo-raises-25m-at-a-700m-valuation/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was reported that Duolingo had 95 employees.<ref name="Duolingo">{{cite press release |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duolingo-now-valued-at-1-5-billion-300968516.html |title=Duolingo Now Valued at $1.5 Billion |last=Duolingo |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en |access-date=2019-12-14}}</ref> Funds from the Series&nbsp;E round would be directed toward creating initiatives such as a related educational flashcard app, TinyCards, and testbeds for initiatives related to reading and listening comprehension.<ref name="forbes.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/elaineramirez/2017/09/07/duolingo-korean-language-course-launch/4/#2ecaa1d8739f |title=Duolingo Is Launching A Korean Course To Cash In On Asia's Booming Language Market |last1=Elaine |first1=Ramirez |website={{wipe|Forbes}} |access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref> On August 1, 2018, Duolingo surpassed 300&nbsp;million registered users.<ref name="social.techcrunch.com">{{cite web |url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2018/08/01/duolingo-hires-its-first-chief-marketing-officer-as-active-user-numbers-stagnate/ |title=Duolingo hires its first chief marketing officer as active user numbers stagnate but revenue grows |website=TechCrunch |date=August 2018 |language=en-US |access-date=2019-12-14 |archive-date=4 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504102838/http://social.techcrunch.com/2018/08/01/duolingo-hires-its-first-chief-marketing-officer-as-active-user-numbers-stagnate/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In December 2019, it was announced that Duolingo raised $30&nbsp;million in a Series F funding round from Alphabet's investment company CapitalG.<ref name="lifestyle.livemint.com">{{cite web |date=2022-05-27 |title=Duolingo's Luis von Ahn believes in the power of language |url=https://lifestyle.livemint.com//news/big-story/duolingos-luis-von-ahn-believes-in-the-power-of-language-111653590512842.html |access-date=2022-05-28 |website=Mintlounge |language=en}}</ref> The round valued Duolingo at $1.5&nbsp;billion. Duolingo reported 30&nbsp;million active users at this time. The headcount at the company had increased to 200, and new offices had been opened in Seattle, {{wipe|New York City}} and [[Place:Beijing|Beijing]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/12/04/duolingo-raises-30-million-from-alphabets-capitalg-at-1-5-billion-valuation/ |title=Duolingo raises $30 million from Alphabet's CapitalG at $1.5 billion valuation |date=2019-12-04 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref>

Duolingo planned to use the funds to develop new products and further expand its team in sectors like engineering, business development, design, curriculum and content creators, community outreach, and marketing.<ref name="triblive.com">{{cite web|url=https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/duolingo-touts-1-5b-valuation-language-company-to-hire-100-more-people-mostly-in-pittsburgh/ |title=Duolingo touts $1.5B valuation; language company to hire 100 more people, mostly in Pittsburgh |website=triblive.com |date=2019-12-04 |access-date=2019-12-15}}</ref>

In October 2013, Duolingo launched a [[Social:Crowdsourcing|crowdsourced]] language incubator.<ref>{{cite news |last=Munoz |first=Juan Andres |date=2013-10-15 |title=Duolingo 'incubator' aims to crowdsource language teaching |url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/tech/mobile/duolingo-incubator-language-teaching/index.html |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=CNN}}</ref> In March 2021, it announced that it would be ending its volunteer contributor program and donating money to its volunteer contributors who helped develop it. The company said that from now on, language courses would be maintained and developed by professional linguists aligning with CEFR standards.<ref>{{cite web |date=2021-03-10 |title=Ending & honoring our volunteer Contributor program |url=https://blog.duolingo.com/ending-honoring-our-volunteer-contributor-program-2/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=Duolingo Blog |language=en}}</ref> On June 28, 2021, Duolingo filed for an [[Finance:Initial public offering|initial public offering]] on [[Finance:Nasdaq|NASDAQ]] under the ticker DUOL.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sumagaysay |first=Levi |title=Duolingo, the fast-growing language-learning app, files for IPO |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/duolingo-the-fast-growing-language-learning-app-files-for-ipo-11624921568 |access-date=2021-07-05 |website=MarketWatch |language=EN-US}}</ref> From August 2021 to June 2022, the Duolingo language learning app was removed from some app stores in China.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Duolingo back in China app stores after 1 year |url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2022/06/09/duolingo-back-in-china/ |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=TechCrunch |date=2022-06-10 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the early-2020s, Duolingo was noted for its viral videos on the social media platform [[Software:TikTok|TikTok]].<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Dan |last1=Whateley |first2=J.P. |last2=Mangalindan |title=Meet the TikTok whisperers helping 10 top brands stand out on the app — from Netflix to Duolingo |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/29-tiktok-marketers-helping-brands-like-netflix-duolingo-and-ryanair-2022-3 |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Haasch |first=Palmer |title=Duolingo's mascot went viral on TikTok by twerking on tables and thirsting after Dua Lipa |url=https://www.insider.com/duolingo-tiktok-language-learning-memes-duo-owl-2021-11 |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

In August 2022, Duolingo overhauled its [[Interface (computing)|interface]], changing its course structure from a tree-like design, where users could choose from a range of lessons after completing previous ones, to a linear progression. This was widely criticized by users across a variety of social media outlets, including Reddit and Twitter.<ref name="Businessweek 2022">{{cite news |last1=Gifford |first1=Bill |title=Can Duolingo Actually Teach You Spanish? |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-12-02/duolingo-plus-gave-fans-of-free-app-a-cost-worth-paying |access-date=2022-12-02 |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |date=2022-12-02 |language=en}}</ref> CEO Luis von Ahn stated there were no plans to reverse the changes, which were intended to simplify Duolingo for new users, and that maintaining both the old and new versions would be difficult.<ref name="2022 redesign">{{cite news |last=Goggin |first=Ben |date=2022-08-25 |work=NBC News |title=Duolingo's redesign has some fans up in arms. Its CEO says it's not turning back. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/duolingos-update-redesign-luis-von-ahn-interview-rcna44655 |access-date=2022-08-26}}</ref>

In October 2022, Duolingo acquired Detroit-based animation studio Gunner. In October 2023 Duolingo released math and music courses in English and Spanish for iOS users.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lang |first1=Jamie |title=Duolingo Acquires Detroit-Based Design And Animation Studio Gunner |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/studios/duolingo-acquires-gunner-animation-studio-221889.html |website=Cartoon Brew |access-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323013228/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/studios/duolingo-acquires-gunner-animation-studio-221889.html |archive-date=23 March 2023 |date=5 October 2022}}</ref><ref name=":4" />

In January 2024, after having laid off ten percent of its contractors, Duolingo began using artificial intelligence to replace tasks normally done by its contractors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Korn |first=Jennifer |date=January 9, 2024 |editor-last=Thorbecke |editor-first=Catherine |title=Duolingo lays off staff as language learning app shifts toward AI |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/09/tech/duolingo-layoffs-due-to-ai/index.html |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nolan |first=Beatrice |date=January 10, 2024 |title=Duolingo lays off workers as it leans on AI tools to carry out more tasks |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/duolingo-lays-off-workers-ai-tools-2024-1 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=Business Insider}}</ref>

== Services ==

=== Duolingo ===
Duolingo uses a [[Gamification|gamified approach]] to language learning, with lessons that incorporate translating, interactive exercises, quizzes and stories to make learning more engaging and fun. It also uses a unique algorithm that adapts to each learner's level and learning style, providing personalized feedback and recommendations.<ref>{{cite web |date=2019-12-11 |title=How we've improved the Duolingo learning experience this year (and a sneak peek toward 2020!) |url=https://blog.duolingo.com/how-weve-improved-the-duolingo-learning-experience-this-year-and-a-sneak-peek-toward-2020/ |access-date=2021-08-26 |website=Duolingo Blog |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2020-10-05 |title=Everything You Need to Know About Duolingo Stories • Happily Ever Travels |url=https://happilyevertravels.com/duolingo-stories/ |access-date=2021-08-26 |website=Happily Ever Travels |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tesl-ej.org/pdf/ej73/m1.pdf |title=Duolingo |website=TESL-EJ}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Agomuoh |first=Fionna |title=I've been learning French on the Duolingo app for over a year now – here's what it's like to use the app |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/duolingo-review-guide-learning-language-2018-1 |access-date=2020-01-21 |website=Business Insider}}</ref> 

For some languages, Duolingo offers [[Podcast|podcast]]s for people at intermediate levels, consisting of stories usually told by native speakers from different parts of the world where the target language is spoken. They use simplified grammar and vocabulary and slower intonation and include occasional assistance with context and explanations of unusual words.<ref>{{cite web |date=2021-11-19 |title=Duolingo Podcasts: Here's What You Need To Know |url=https://duoplanet.com/duolingo-podcasts-guide/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date= |title=Podcast - Duolingo |url=https://podcast.duolingo.com/ |publisher=Podcast.duolingo.com |access-date=2022-06-30}}</ref>

Duolingo has been through many design phases. It originally provided users with different "skills" placed along a "tree", where they could progress by completing every skill above them. At any time, the user could upgrade the skill, with the final goal of turning it "golden" or "legendary". In November 2022, Duolingo switched to an AI-assisted path, where each user's learning is streamlined without requiring as many decisions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-06 |title=Introducing the new Duolingo learning path |url=https://blog.duolingo.com/new-duolingo-home-screen-design/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=Duolingo Blog |language=en}}</ref> After its switch to this new format, it removed the audio-only lessons it had offered for certain languages.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 Oct 2023 |title=Duolingo on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/duolingo/status/1583193832010940416# |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426192636/https://twitter.com/duolingo/status/1583193832010940416 |archive-date=26 April 2023 |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=Twitter}}</ref>

Duolingo also provides a competitive space.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fians |first=Guilherme |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-84230-7 |title=Esperanto Revolutionaries and Geeks: Language Politics, Digital Media and the Making of an International Community |publisher=[[Company:Palgrave Macmillan|Palgrave Macmillan]] |year=2021 |isbn=978-3-030-84229-1 |location=London and New York |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-84230-7 |s2cid=245721938}}</ref> In Leagues, people can compete against their friends or see how they stack up against the rest of the world in randomly selected groupings of up to 30 users. Rankings in leagues are determined by the amount of "XP" (eXperience Points) earned in a week. Badges in Duolingo represent achievements earned from completing specific objectives or challenges.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Huynh |first1=Duy |last2=Zuo |first2=Long |last3=Iida |first3=Hiroyuki |title=Games and Learning Alliance |chapter=Analyzing Gamification of "Duolingo" with Focus on its Course Structure |year=2016 |publisher=Springer, Cham |isbn=978-3319501819 |series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science |volume=10056 |pages=268–277 |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-50182-6_24}}</ref> Players have reported that gamification has led to cheating, hacking, and incentivized game strategies that conflict with actual learning.<ref name="kotaku-cheaters">{{cite web |last1=Guthrie |first1=Robert |title=Duolingo Is An App For Language-Learning, So Why Is It Plagued With Cheaters? |url=https://kotaku.com/duolingo-app-cheats-hacks-leagues-xp-why-duohacker-1850506482 |website=Kotaku |access-date=6 June 2023 |language=en |date=5 June 2023}}</ref>

Duolingo provides features that allow teachers to track their students' progress.

Most of its language-learning features are free, but it has periodic advertising in both its mobile and web browser applications, which users can remove by paying a subscription fee or promoting referral links.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crowdsourcing Capitalists: How Duolingo's Founders Offered Free Education To Millions |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/01/22/crowdsourcing-capitalists-how-duolingos-founders-offered-free-education-to-millions/ |access-date=2015-12-22 |website={{wipe|Forbes}}}}</ref> This program, known as "Super Duolingo",<ref>{{cite web |title=What is Super Duolingo? |url=https://support.duolingo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004068043-What-is-Super-Duolingo- |website=Duolingo Help Center |access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref> includes benefits such as unlimited hearts (retries), level skipping, no ads, and progress quizzes.

Duolingo currently offers the following language courses:<ref name=":3">{{cite web |title=The Complete List Of EVERY Duolingo Language |url=https://duoplanet.com/duolingo-languages-list/ |website=Duoplanet |date=2021-06-17 |access-date=2022-09-21}}</ref>
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* [[Social:Arabic|Arabic]]
* [[Social:Catalan language|Catalan]]{{efn|name=Spanish|For speakers of Spanish}}
* [[Social:Cantonese|Chinese (Cantonese)]]{{efn|name=Mandarin|For speakers of Mandarin Chinese}}
* [[Social:Mandarin Chinese|Chinese (Mandarin)]]
* [[Social:Czech language|Czech]] 
* [[Social:Danish language|Danish]]
* [[Social:Dutch language|Dutch]]
* [[Social:English language|English]]
* [[Social:Esperanto|Esperanto]]
* [[Social:Finnish language|Finnish]] 
* [[Social:French language|French]] 
* [[Social:German language|German]] 
* [[Social:Greek language|Greek]] 
* [[Social:Guarani language|Guaraní]]{{efn|name=Spanish|For speakers of Spanish}}
* [[Social:Haitian Creole|Haitian Creole]]
* [[Social:Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] 
* [[Social:Hebrew language|Hebrew]] 
* [[Valyrian languages|High Valyrian]] 
* [[Social:Hindi|Hindi]] 
* [[Social:Hungarian language|Hungarian]] 
* [[Social:Indonesian language|Indonesian]] 
* [[Social:Irish language|Irish]] 
* [[Social:Italian language|Italian]] 
* [[Social:Japanese language|Japanese]]
* [[Social:Klingon language|Klingon]]
* [[Social:Korean language|Korean]] 
* [[Social:Latin|Latin]] 
* [[Social:Navajo language|Navajo]]
* [[Social:Norwegian language|Norwegian]] 
* [[Social:Polish language|Polish]] 
* [[Social:Portuguese language|Portuguese]] 
* [[Social:Romanian language|Romanian]] 
* [[Social:Russian language|Russian]] 
* [[Social:Scottish Gaelic|Scottish Gaelic]] 
* [[Social:Spanish language|Spanish]] 
* [[Social:Swahili language|Swahili]]
* [[Social:Swedish language|Swedish]] 
* [[Social:Turkish language|Turkish]] 
* [[Social:Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] 
* [[Social:Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] 
* [[Social:Welsh language|Welsh]]
<!--* [[Social:Xhosa language|Xhosa]]
This language is not available yet. Please remove this line and uncomment when it is. -->
* [[Social:Yiddish|Yiddish]]
* [[Biography:Zulu language|Zulu]]

<!--Please enter names in alphabetical order-->{{Div col end}}
=== Duolingo ABC ===
Duolingo ABC is a mobile app for young children to learn letters, their sounds, phonics, and other foundational early reading concepts. The app was released in 2020 and is free to use. It does not contain any ads or in-app purchases. The app is available on iOS and Android and is currently in English.<ref name="math" /><ref>{{cite web |date=2020-09-15 |title=Make screentime COUNT for your kids! |url=https://teachmama.com/learn-to-read-app/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=teach mama |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2020-08-26 |title=Duolingo ABC: Unlocking the magic of reading |url=https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-abc-unlocking-the-magic-of-reading/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Duolingo Blog |language=en}}</ref>

=== Duolingo Math ===
Duolingo Math is a mobile app for learning [[Elementary mathematics|elementary mathematics]] in a form similar to the original app, released in October 2022. It is currently only available on [[Software:IOS|iOS]] devices. 

=== Duolingo Music ===
In March 2023, Duolingo was reportedly developing a new music course that would allow users to learn how to read and play music through its signature gamified learning experience.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Cesar Cadenas |date=2023-03-21 |title=Is Duolingo building a new music-learning app? We interpret the signs |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/is-duolingo-building-a-new-music-learning-app-we-interpret-the-signs |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title=Duolingo will soon offer gamified music lessons |url=https://www.engadget.com/duolingo-will-soon-offer-gamified-music-lessons-120010824.html |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}</ref> On October 11, 2023, Duolingo formally unveiled Duolingo Music in a YouTube Short,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2023-10-11 |title=One app to school them all: the expanded Duolingo 🎶 ➗ 🇲🇽 |url=https://blog.duolingo.com/new-subjects/ |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=Duolingo Blog |language=en}}</ref> a new platform within the existing app that provides basic music learning through [[Engineering:Piano|piano]], [[Engineering:Drum|drums]], and [[Software:Sheet music|sheet music]] lessons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=2023-09-06 |title=Duolingo confirms its app will soon include both math and music lessons |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/06/duolingo-confirms-its-app-will-soon-include-both-math-and-music-lessons/ |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Cesar Cadenas |date=2023-10-11 |title=Duolingo's new Music platform will teach you the basics of playing tunes |url=https://www.techradar.com/computing/software/duolingos-new-music-platform-will-teach-you-the-basics-of-playing-tunes |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref>

=== Duolingo English Test ===
Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online English proficiency test that measures a person's ability to communicate in English. The test is designed to assess a person's proficiency in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

The Duolingo English Test is entirely computer-based and can be taken from any location with an internet connection. The test is scored on a scale of 10-160, with scores above 120 considered to be proficient in English. The test is adaptive, which means that the difficulty level of the questions adjusts to the test-takers ability level.

== Business model ==
Duolingo had revenue of $1&nbsp;million in 2016, $13&nbsp;million in 2017,<ref name="social.techcrunch.com" /> $36&nbsp;million in 2018,<ref name="Adams">{{cite web|last=Adams |first=Susan |title=Game of Tongues: How Duolingo Built A $700 Million Business With Its Addictive Language-Learning App |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2019/07/16/game-of-tongues-how-duolingo-built-a-700-million-business-with-its-addictive-language-learning-app/ |access-date=2019-12-14 |website={{wipe|Forbes}} |language=en}}</ref> and $250.77&nbsp;million in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|last=张洁 |title=Language-learning app Duolingo bullish on Chinese market |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201912/13/WS5df2ebe7a310cf3e3557de46.html |access-date=2019-12-14 |website=China Daily}}</ref> In May 2022, it was reported that 6.8% of its monthly active users paid for the ad-free version of the app. Duolingo has derived most of its revenue from subscriptions, advertising, and its Duolingo English Test.<ref>{{cite web |title=Duolingo shareholder letter 2022 |url=https://investors.duolingo.com/static-files/d667f9d1-8f7f-418c-b116-e699a30a9826}}</ref> In April 2020, it passed one million paid subscribers;<ref>{{cite web|last=Doughty |first=Nate |date=2020-04-08 |title=Duolingo passes one million paid users, expands with new hires |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2020/04/08/duolingo-passes-one-million-paid-users-expands.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122184639/https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2020/04/08/duolingo-passes-one-million-paid-users-expands.html |archive-date=2021-01-22 |access-date=2020-12-12 |website=Pittsburgh Business Times}}</ref> it reached 2.9&nbsp;million in March 2022,<ref>{{cite web |title=Duolingo Announces Record Bookings in First Quarter 2022 and Raises Full Year Guidance |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/duolingo-announces-record-bookings-in-first-quarter-2022-and-raises-full-year}}</ref> and 4.8 million at the end of March 2023.<ref>[https://investors.duolingo.com/static-files/3c5dd359-4936-452a-9d9f-9a8c853c06c0 Duolingo Reports 62% DAU Growth, 42% Revenue Growth, and Increased Profitability in First Quarter 2023; Raises Full Year Guidance]</ref>

== Reception ==
=== Effectiveness ===
A 2017 study found no significant difference between elementary students learning Spanish through the "gamification" of Duolingo and those learning in classroom environments, with both groups demonstrating a similar increase in achievements and [[Philosophy:Self-efficacy|self-efficacy]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rachels |first1=Jason R. |last2=Rockinson-Szapkiw |first2=Amanda J. |year=2018 |journal=Computer Assisted Language Learning |volume=31 |issue=1–2 |pages=72–89 |doi=10.1080/09588221.2017.1382536 |title=The effects of a mobile gamification app on elementary students' Spanish achievement and self-efficacy |publisher=[[Company:Routledge|Routledge]] |s2cid=67064098}}</ref>

A 2022 study on adults using Duolingo as their only language learning tool, published in the journal Foreign Language Annals, found that the participants that completed a course had similar reading and listening proficiency to university students after four semesters of study, concluding that Duolingo could be an effective tool for language learning.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jiang |first1=Xiangying |last2=Rollinson |first2=Joseph |last3=Plonsky |first3=Luke |last4=Gustafson |first4=Erin |last5=Pajak |first5=Bozena |date=2022-01-11 |title=Evaluating the reading and listening outcomes of beginning‐level Duolingo courses |journal=Foreign Language Annals |language=en |volume=54 |issue=4 |pages=974–1002 |doi=10.1111/flan.12600 |s2cid=245892888 |issn=0015-718X|doi-access=free }}</ref> Another 2022 study of Malaysian students learning French, published by the National University of Malaysia Press, found that it facilitated the acquisition of vocabulary, and concluded it was well suited for beginners in this regard.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Saad |first1=Suziana Mat |last2=Rahim |first2=Nur Ameera Abd |year=2022 |journal=E-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=256–281 |eissn=1823-884X |title=Vocabulary Acquisition Using Duolingo in French Language Learning: A Malaysian Context |url=https://ejournal.ukm.my/ebangi/article/view/54226/12880}}</ref>

Some language professionals have criticized the app for its limitations and its gamified design.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Heaney |first1=Katie |title=Is It Just Me, or Does Duolingo Not Work? |url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/01/does-duolingo-even-work.html |website=The Cut |access-date=24 November 2023}}</ref> Elizabeth Bernhardt-Kamil, director of the Language Center at Stanford University said: “Everybody is focused on the shortcut to everything, and real language learning can’t be done in a shortcut.”<ref>{{cite web |last1=Moseman |first1=Andrew |title=What Do We Even Want From Duolingo? |url=https://slate.com/technology/2023/07/duolingo-popularity-addictiveness-language-criticism.html |website=Slate |access-date=24 November 2023}}</ref> Others have pointed out that Duolingo and similar apps can be a starting point but lack the human interaction required to be fluent in a language.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ravenscraft |first1=Eric |title=500 Days of Duolingo: What You Can (and Can't) Learn From a Language App |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/04/smarter-living/500-days-of-duolingo-what-you-can-and-cant-learn-from-a-language-app.html |website=The New York TImes |access-date=24 November 2023}}</ref>

=== Awards ===
In 2013, [[Company:Apple Inc.|Apple]] chose Duolingo as its iPhone App of the Year, a first for an educational application.<ref name="gigaom">{{cite web |date=2013-12-17 |title=Duolingo snags iPhone App of the Year |url=http://gigaom.com/2013/12/17/duolingo-snags-iphone-app-of-the-year/ |access-date=2014-02-21 |publisher=Gigaom |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020859/https://gigaom.com/2013/12/17/duolingo-snags-iphone-app-of-the-year/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> That year, Duolingo ranked at No. 7 on ''Fast Company''<nowiki/>'s "The World's Most Innovative Companies: Education Honorees" list "for crowdsourcing web translation by turning it into a free language-learning program".<ref>{{cite web |title=The World's Most Innovative Companies 2013: Education Honorees |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2013/sectors/education |access-date=2019-12-14 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The World's Most Innovative Companies 2017: Education Honorees |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2017/sectors/education |access-date=2019-12-14 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The World's Most Innovative Companies 2017: Social Media Honorees |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2017/sectors/social-media |access-date=2019-12-14 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US}}</ref> Duolingo won Best Education Startup at the 2014 Crunchies,<ref name="duolingo.com">{{cite web |author=Luis |title=Duolingo turns two today! |url=https://www.duolingo.com/comment/3412629 |access-date=2014-11-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Empson |first=Rip |date=2014-02-12 |title=Fast-Growing Duolingo Caps Off A Big Year With The Crunchie For "Best Education Startup" |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/11/fast-growing-duolingo-caps-off-a-big-year-with-the-crunchie-for-best-education-startup/ |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref> and was the most downloaded education app in [[Software:Google Play|Google Play]] in 2013 and 2014.<ref name="TNW">{{cite web |date=2014-12-11 |title=Google Play reveals the most downloaded apps, games and entertainment content from 2014 |url=https://thenextweb.com/apps/2014/12/11/google-play-remembers-year-entertainment/ |access-date=2014-12-29 |publisher=The Next Web}}</ref> In July 2020, ''PCMag'' named it "The Best Free Language Learning App".<ref>{{cite web |title=Duolingo Review |url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/duolingo |access-date=2021-08-26 |website=PCMAG |language=en}}</ref>

As a company, Duolingo has likewise won several awards and recognitions. In 2015, it was announced as that year's Index Award winner in the Play & Learning category by The Index Project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Duolingo |url=https://theindexproject.org/award/winnersandfinalists/duolingo-index-award-2015-winner-play-learning-category |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=theindexproject.org |language=en}}</ref> It won ''Inc.'' magazine's Best Workplaces 2018,<ref>{{cite web |title=Duolingo |url=https://www.inc.com/profile/duolingo |access-date=2019-08-01 |website=Inc.com}}</ref> made ''Entrepreneur'' magazine's Top Company Culture List 2018,<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Company Cultures of 2018 |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/top-company-culture |access-date=2019-08-01 |website=Entrepreneur |language=en}}</ref> was among {{wipe|CNBC}}'s "Disruptor 50" lists for 2018 and 2019,<ref>{{Cite news |last=staff |first=CNBC.com |date=2018-05-22 |title=2018 Disruptor 50: No. 35 Duolingo |work=CNBC |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/22/duolingo-2018-disruptor-50.html |access-date=2018-11-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2019-05-15 |title=Duolingo: 2019 Disruptor 50 List |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/14/duolingo-2019-disruptor-50.html |access-date=2019-09-04 |website={{wipe|CNBC}} |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |last=Duolingo |title=Duolingo Names Gillian Munson to Board of Directors |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duolingo-names-gillian-munson-to-board-of-directors-300931393.html |access-date=2019-12-14 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}</ref> and was ranked as one of {{wipe|Time (magazine)}}'s 50 Genius Companies.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Duolingo: The 50 Most Genius Companies of 2018 |url=http://time.com/collection/genius-companies-2018/5412500/duolingo/ |magazine={{wipe|Time (magazine)}} |language=en-us |access-date=5 November 2018}}</ref> Duolingo was named one of ''{{wipe|Forbes}}''<nowiki/>' "Next Billion-Dollar Startups 2019".<ref>{{cite web |last=Feldman |first=Amy |title=Next Billion-Dollar Startups 2019 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyfeldman/2019/07/16/next-billion-dollar-startups-2019/ |access-date=2019-07-20 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
[[File:Duo from Duolingo.svg|thumb|Duo, the mascot of Duolingo.]]
Due to the app's frequent reminder notifications, Duolingo's mascot, a green cartoon [[Biology:Owl|owl]] named Duo, has been a subject of [[Social:Internet meme|Internet memes]] where the mascot is "evil" and stalks and threatens users if they do not keep using the app.<ref>{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=Sage |title=The Duolingo owl is out for vengeance in these threatening memes. |url=https://mashable.com/article/duolingo-owl-memes/ |access-date=2019-06-07 |website=Mashable |date=2019-03-27 |language=en}}</ref>{{better source|date=November 2023}} Acknowledging the meme, Duolingo released a video on April Fool's Day 2019, depicting a facetious new feature called "Duolingo Push". In the video, users of "Duolingo Push" are reminded to use the app by Duo himself (depicted by a person in a large mascot costume) who stares at and follows them until they comply.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wc83qX6oNM |title=Introducing Duolingo Push |date=2019-03-31 |publisher=Duolingo |access-date=2019-06-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How Duolingo Took over the Meme World and What Marketers Can Learn from It |url=https://www.rypl.io/post/what-is-the-duolingo-meme-craze-and-what-marketers-can-learn-from-it |access-date=2019-06-07 |website=rypl.io}}</ref>

In November 2019, ''Saturday Night Live'' parodied Duolingo in a sketch where adults learned to communicate with children by using a fictitious course called "Duolingo for Talking to Children".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lee |first=Madasyn |date=2019-11-05 |title=Pittsburgh-based Duolingo a fan of talk-to-kids 'SNL' sketch |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |url=https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/pittsburgh-based-duolingo-a-fan-of-snls-talk-to-kids-skit/}}</ref>

The 2023 film ''Barbie'' contains a running gag where the husband of disgruntled [[Company:Mattel|Mattel]] employee Gloria uses Duolingo to learn Spanish, Gloria's native language.

== See also ==
* [[Software:Computer-assisted language learning|Computer-assisted language learning]]
* [[Social:Language education|Language education]]
* [[Social:Distance education|Distance education]]
* Language pedagogy

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Finance links
|name = Duolingo Inc.
|symbol = DUOL
|reuters = DUOL.N
|bloomberg = DUOL:US
|sec_cik = 1562088
|google = DUOL
|yahoo = DUOL
}}

{{Spaced repetition}}

[[Category:Social networking language-learning websites]]
[[Category:IOS software]]
[[Category:Android (operating system) software]]
[[Category:IOS games]]
[[Category:Android (operating system) games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Duolingo}}