HyperpolyglotHyperpolyglotPick up to 3 languages, set your weekly hours and target level. The calculator gives realistic timelines, including the head start you get from languages you already speak.
1 · Which language(s) do you want to learn?1/3 · in learning order
2 · Languages you already speak
3 · Time per week
4 · Target level
Consistency beats intensity: the estimate assumes you actually show up every week.
⏱️ Estimates in the spirit of the FSI scale, adjusted for language similarityThe hours only count if you show up. Hyperpolyglot makes them count: your own sentences, native audio, spaced repetition, in 55+ languages.
Start learning free →The baseline follows the U.S. Foreign Service Institute difficulty categories, built from decades of training data: roughly 650 hours for languages close to English (Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian), up to 2,200+ for the most distant ones (Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Arabic). On top of that baseline, this calculator:
Estimates assume focused study: real sentences, audio, active recall. Passive scrolling counts for much less. If you are choosing your next language, our 2-minute quiz weighs similarity, difficulty and your goals for you, and our guides on the easiest languages and learning several languages go deeper.
How long does it take to learn a language?
For an English speaker, a close language like Spanish or Dutch takes roughly 600-750 hours of study to reach solid working proficiency, while distant languages like Mandarin, Japanese or Arabic take 2,200 hours or more. At 4 hours a week, that ranges from about 3 years to over 10, which is why weekly time matters more than talent.
Where do these hour estimates come from?
They follow the spirit of the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI) scale, which classifies languages by difficulty for English speakers based on decades of diplomat training data. Our calculator adjusts those hours for your target level and for the similarity between languages you speak and languages you want.
Does speaking a similar language really speed things up?
Massively. A Spanish speaker learning Portuguese skips thousands of vocabulary items (the two share about 89% of their lexicon) and most grammar concepts. The calculator applies up to a 45% hour discount when a language you speak, or one earlier in your plan, is a close relative.
Is it faster to learn two languages one after another or at the same time?
Sequentially is usually more efficient: you avoid context-switching costs and the first language becomes a springboard for the second. Parallel learning works for motivated learners with 7+ hours a week, ideally with languages that are distant from each other so they never blur.
How many hours a week should I study?
Consistency beats volume: 30-40 minutes daily (about 4 hours a week) sustained over a year outperforms weekend cramming. Below 2 hours a week, progress becomes hard to feel, which kills motivation before the language gets a chance.
What does "conversational" mean in this calculator?
Holding real conversations on everyday topics with patient native speakers: roughly B1 on the CEFR scale. "Survival" covers travel basics (A1-A2), and "comfortable fluency" means working, arguing and joking in the language (B2-C1).
Can I really learn a language with 2 hours a week?
Yes, but choose wisely: pick a language close to one you speak, aim for conversational rather than fluent, and make the 2 hours count with active methods (real sentences, audio, spaced repetition) rather than passive app-tapping.
Why do my estimates change when I add languages I speak?
Because similarity is the biggest discount in language learning. Tell the calculator you speak French, and Spanish or Italian estimates drop sharply. The engine uses the same similarity matrix as our Language Similarity Checker.