There is more free Finnish learning material online than you can use in a year. This is the short list: what each thing is good for, and when to move on from it.
Dictionaries
- Kielitoimiston sanakirja (kielitoimistonsanakirja.fi): the official dictionary of standard Finnish, free. Definitions in Finnish, so it becomes useful from A2.
- Wiktionary (en.wiktionary.org): the best free source for every inflected form of a word. Search the word, open the "Declension" or "Conjugation" box.
- sanakirja.org and RedFox: Finnish–English dictionaries with examples. Good enough for daily use.
- This site's word, verb and noun pages: the common words, with forms, spoken Finnish and examples from life here.
Apps
- Duolingo: the Finnish course exists and is fine for the first month of habit-building. It teaches sentences about Vikings and wizards; do not expect Kela vocabulary.
- WordDive: a Finnish company, Finnish courses with sound, more relevant vocabulary, paid.
- Anki: free flashcards with spaced repetition. Shared decks for Finnish exist; or make your own from the lists here.
- Yle Kielikoulu: watch Yle programmes with tappable subtitles. Free, and the best listening app there is.
Textbooks
- Suomen Mestari 1 to 4: the book almost every course in Finland uses. Clear grammar, workplace and everyday themes, and a workbook. If your course uses it, our grammar pages follow the same order.
- Oma suomi 1 and 2: similar level, slightly more communicative.
- Hyvin menee 1 and 2: an older classic, still good.
- Harjoitus tekee mestarin: grammar exercise books by level. The answer key is the point.
- Selkokirjat: easy-to-read books, free at the library. See reading.
Websites
- uusikielemme.fi: the most complete Finnish grammar reference on the internet, free. When you want the full picture of a grammar point, go there.
- Kotisuomessa.fi: free online course from the national education agency.
- Kielibuusti.fi: workplace Finnish by sector, a pronunciation course, and a course finder.
- Yle Selkouutiset: the daily easy news. See listening.
YouTube
- DailyFinnish: our channel; every video has a page here.
- Finnished: natural-method videos, good for listening from day one.
- Gimara: hundreds of short lessons by Finnish teachers.
- KatChats Finnish: real Finnish spoken slowly.
- Easy Finnish: street interviews with subtitles.
Tutors
For the YKI speaking test or a stubborn plateau, a tutor for thirty minutes a week changes everything. The large platforms have Finnish tutors from about fifteen euros a lesson; look for reviews that mention pronunciation.
Skip
Phrasebook apps that teach hyvää päivää and nothing else; anything promising fluency in three months; grammar tables without audio. Finnish is learned by ear as much as by eye.