The Language of 230 Million People.
Learn Bengali (Bangla) online with specialist tutors from Dhaka, Kolkata, and the Bengali diaspora. A1–C2, script to fluency.
Why Learn Bengali?
7th Most Spoken Language Globally
Bengali is spoken by over 230 million people, making it one of the world's most widely spoken languages — ahead of French, German, and Japanese by native speaker count.
Bangladesh's Growing Economy
Bangladesh is the world's second-largest garment exporter (RMG industry). Professionals in textile, manufacturing, logistics, and development sectors increasingly need Bengali proficiency.
West Bengal & Kolkata Culture
Kolkata is one of India's most vibrant cultural capitals — home to Rabindranath Tagore, the Bengali film industry (Tollywood), and a rich literary and artistic tradition.
Bengali Diaspora
Significant Bengali communities in the UK (Tower Hamlets, London), USA (New York, New Jersey), and the Middle East. Learning Bengali opens doors to these communities.
Nobel Prize Literature
Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote in Bengali, was Asia's first Nobel Prize laureate in Literature (1913). Reading Gitanjali and Ghare Baire in the original is a profound cultural experience.
Learn to Read Bangla Script in 4–6 Weeks
Bangla lipi (Bengali script) has 50 core letters — phonetically consistent and learnable in weeks. Reading unlocks the full depth of Bangladeshi and West Bengali culture.
Vowels & Basic Consonants
অ আ ই ঈ উ — 11 vowels and the 25 most common consonants. Practice identifying letters in real words.
Remaining Consonants & Vowel Diacritics
Complete the consonant inventory and learn how vowel signs (কা কি কু) attach to consonants.
Conjunct Consonants & Full Text
Learn the most common juktôkkhor (conjunct letters) and read simple sentences, signs, and menus.
4 Learning Paths
Conversational Bangla
Everyday spoken Bengali for travel, family connections, or life in Dhaka or Kolkata. Focus on pronunciation, greetings, market conversations, and cultural nuance.
A1–B2Bangladesh Business
Professional Bengali for the RMG sector, NGOs, development work, and Bangladesh's growing tech and startup scene. Formal register and business correspondence.
B1–C1Heritage & Diaspora
Reconnect with your roots. For second-generation Bangladeshis and West Bengalis who want to deepen their reading, writing, or formal speaking beyond home dialect.
A2–C1Bengali Literature & Culture
Read Tagore, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, and contemporary Bengali authors in the original. Understand the cultural and historical context of one of South Asia's richest literary traditions.
B2–C2Meet Our Bengali Teachers
Dhaka Bangla & Bangladesh Business
West Bengali Dialect & Bengali Literature
West Bengali (Standard Kolkata) dialect
Diaspora Bengali & Sylheti Awareness
CEFR Level Guide for Bengali
There is no single official Bengali proficiency exam, but the CEFR framework (Common European Framework of Reference) is widely used by teachers and institutions to describe Bengali proficiency. Hour estimates follow FSI methodology.
| Level | What you can do | Approx. hours |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Greetings, numbers, colours, basic family vocabulary | ~80 hrs |
| A2 | Simple present and past tense, market and travel conversations | ~160 hrs |
| B1 | Describe opinions, read simple news, write emails | ~350 hrs |
| B2 | Professional conversations, understand radio and TV | ~600 hrs |
| C1 | Complex formal writing, literature comprehension, negotiation | ~900 hrs |
| C2 | Near-native fluency, full literary and academic register | 1,200+ hrs |
4-Week Bengali Starter Plan
Sounds & Script Foundations
Learn the vowel letters, the 10 most common consonants, and Bengali's phonology — including the aspirated/unaspirated consonant pairs (ক/খ, গ/ঘ) that don't exist in English.
Greetings & Basic Grammar
আমি, তুমি, আপনি (I, you informal, you formal). Present tense verb conjugation. Essential greetings, numbers 1–100, and days of the week.
Everyday Vocabulary
Food, transport, family terms, and basic directions. Begin reading simple Bengali words and short sentences in script. Practise market and café conversations.
First Conversations
Introduce yourself, describe your family and work, ask for things in a shop or restaurant. Consolidate script reading. Set goals for the next 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Dhaka Bengali and Kolkata Bengali?
Standard Bengali (Shuddhô Bangla) is based on the Nadia dialect used in West Bengal and taught in schools. Dhaka (Bangladesh) Bengali has some phonological and vocabulary differences influenced by Islamic traditions and local dialects. The two are mutually intelligible, but a teacher who is aware of both variants will help you understand the variant you need. Our tutors specify their dialect background on their profiles.
How difficult is the Bengali script (Bangla lipi)?
The Bengali script (Bangla lipi) has approximately 50 letters, plus vowel diacritics and conjunct consonants. Most learners can read printed Bengali fluently within 4–6 weeks of focused study. The script is phonetic and consistent, which makes it significantly easier to learn than Chinese or Japanese writing systems.
What is Sylheti — is it the same as Bengali?
Sylheti is a closely related language or dialect spoken in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh and by much of the UK Bangladeshi diaspora. It is not mutually intelligible with standard Bangla in all respects. If your family speaks Sylheti and you want to learn it specifically, look for a teacher with Sylheti experience. Standard Bangla is the language of education, media, and formal settings in Bangladesh.
Is there an official Bengali proficiency certificate?
There is no single internationally standardised Bengali proficiency test equivalent to DELF (French) or HSK (Chinese). The FSI (US Foreign Service Institute) classifies Bengali as a Category III language, requiring approximately 1,100 class hours for professional working proficiency. Some universities and diaspora organisations offer informal assessments. Our tutors use CEFR descriptors to track your progress and can provide progress reports for employer or academic purposes.
How long does it take to learn Bengali?
Reaching conversational B1 in Bengali typically takes 300–500 hours of study for English speakers. The script adds some initial overhead but becomes an asset once learned. Regular 3-hour-per-week lessons will bring most learners to B1 in 12–18 months. Daily immersion or intensive schedules can shorten this significantly.
Start learning Bengali today
Expert tutors from Dhaka, Kolkata, and the diaspora. Script to fluency, $1 trial.