New: the Western Armenian course
Learn Western Armenian
The Armenian of the diaspora — of Beirut, Istanbul, Aleppo, Los Angeles, Paris and Buenos Aires — taught the way it is written and spoken: in its traditional spelling, with Western pronunciation, from A1 to B2.
“hello”
Who it's for
Heritage learners
You grew up hearing your grandparents speak Western Armenian, and now you want to read it, write it and answer them in it.
Diaspora families
You want your children to speak the Armenian of your family, not a different one.
Anyone who loves the language
Western Armenian has a rich literature and is spoken across the Middle East, Europe and the Americas — and every new speaker helps keep it alive.
What's in the course
A1 to B2
From your first words to confident conversation, in short daily lessons.
Traditional spelling
Words are written the way Western Armenian writes them — Բարեւ, Շնորհակալութիւն — not in the reformed Soviet-era spelling.
Western pronunciation
Բ is p, Պ is b, Դ is t and Տ is d — exactly as your family says them.
Armen and the adventures
Talk to Armen, the AI tutor, on a video call, and play the story adventures — in Western Armenian.
How Western Armenian differs from Eastern
Same alphabet, same roots — and four differences you notice straight away.
Pronunciation
Several consonants swap their sounds: the letter Բ is b in Yerevan and p in Beirut.
Spelling
Western Armenian keeps the classical orthography that the Soviet spelling reform changed in Armenia.
Verbs
The present tense is built with կը in front of the verb, and the negative works differently.
“I speak”
“I don't understand”
“What are you doing?”
Everyday words
Some of the most common words are simply different.
“here”
“to go”
“where from?”
Levels and price
The course runs from A1 to B2. Your first lessons are free, with no card needed; to keep learning after them, you need Premium.
- A1
- A2
- B1
- B2
Questions
Is Western Armenian very different from Eastern?
They are two standards of one language. The alphabet and most of the vocabulary are shared; pronunciation, spelling and some grammar differ. A speaker of one understands the other with a little practice.
Should I learn Western or Eastern Armenian?
Western if your family speaks it, or if you'll use it with the diaspora in Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, France or the Americas. Eastern if your connection is to Armenia or Iran. Haylingua teaches both, so you can start with one and add the other later.
Does the course use the traditional spelling?
Yes. Western Armenian has always used the classical orthography, and so does the course: Շնորհակալութիւն, not Շնորհակալություն.
Is it free?
You can start free, with no card needed: your first lessons are free. To keep learning after them, you need Premium.
Is Western Armenian endangered?
Yes. UNESCO lists it as definitely endangered: it has no state of its own and is passed on mostly through families and community schools. Every new speaker matters.
Can I practise speaking it?
Yes. Armen, the AI tutor, and the story adventures work in Western Armenian too.
Speak the Armenian of your family
Create a free account and start Western Armenian at A1.