A free German course from A1 to B2 — for people moving to a German-speaking country, for anyone aiming at a Goethe-Zertifikat, and for anyone who wants to get the cases right at last.
You build everyday sentences and type them yourself, learn the words of each topic level by level, and take the grammar — der, die, das, the four cases, the adjective endings, the word order — as tables first and drills second. Explanations and translations are in English or Russian, and every answer you type is checked letter by letter.
the drills, flashcards and grammar charts need no account
a free account keeps your path, your streak and your mistakes
explanations in English or Russian
at a glance
Levels
A1–B2 on the CEFR scale — A1 is where a complete beginner starts
Words
2,537 words in 88 topic decks
Sentences
2,202 sentences from everyday life (18 topics), each with its meaning in English and Russian
Grammar
Tables and a cheat sheet: cases, articles, adjective endings, pronouns, tenses, modal verbs, prepositions, plurals and word order — most with a drill
Answers
Typed and checked letter by letter
Audio
Words and sentences in a synthesised voice (text-to-speech), not recordings of native speakers
Exams
Goethe-Zertifikat A2, B1 and B2: practice sets and timed mocks
Price
Free; a free account keeps your progress
What you learn
Each level is a set of everyday topics — people and family, food and drink, the city and directions, work, health, shopping, travel, the weather — each with its own words and its own sentences. The grammar comes with them, one table at a time: the articles and the four cases, the adjective endings that depend on both, the verb in second place and at the end, the perfect, the modal verbs and the prepositions that take each case.
At A1 alone that is 682 words and 551 sentences.
level by level
A1 — 682 words · 25 topic decks · 551 sentences
A2 — 402 words · 16 topic decks · 731 sentences
B1 — 891 words · 23 topic decks · 550 sentences
B2 — 455 words · 16 topic decks · 370 sentences
C1 · above the course — 107 words · 8 topic decks
counted from the set library itself, today
The course covers levels A1–B2; the set library holds decks above it too (C1), marked as above the course.
the topics the word decks cover
animals · art & culture · body & health · city & places · clothing · colours & shapes · emotions & feelings · food & drink · function words · house & furniture · law & government · money & shopping · motion verbs · numbers & quantity · people & family · perception verbs · plants & nature · religion & belief · school & education · sports & leisure · technology & internet · thinking & communication · time & calendar · travel & transport · weather & seasons · work & professions
How the course works
Your course is a path built from its own content, topic by topic and level by level. Four short lessons build a topic; each lesson asks twenty items, eight of them new — the new words first on cards, then typed straight away — and it counts once four in five are right.
Practice is a map with your course as an island: every topic you build stands on it, every level ends in a checkpoint, and once more than forty items are due, the next session reviews what you are about to forget. A daily goal and a streak keep the habit, and streak freezes earned along the way cover a missed day.
The exercises:
flashcards with spaced repetition, typing the word you hear and the meaning of the word you see — no account needed
grammar drills on the rules the charts teach — the cases, the articles, the adjective endings, the word order — no account needed
Goethe practice sets for A2, B1 and B2 — no account needed
sentences: put the words in order from tiles, write the sentence from its meaning, put one word in its right form — with a free account
timed mock exams for each level — with a free account; their structure is still being matched to the real papers, and writing and speaking are not assessed yet
Your goal: a Goethe-Zertifikat — or none
The Goethe-Institut's certificates are the best-known German exams, one for each level of the CEFR. This course prepares for A2, B1 and B2: pick yours and practise for it. The facts below come from our Goethe guide, checked against the Goethe-Institut's own pages.
Four parts at every level — reading, listening, writing and speaking. A2 is sat as one exam; B1 and B2 are modules you can book, sit and pass one at a time.
The Goethe-Institut lists B1 as recognised proof of German for a settlement permit and for naturalisation in Germany. The German authorities set those requirements, so confirm yours with the office that decides your case.
Goethe-Zertifikat A2–B2: format, scoring & practice
Duration
A2: 90 min written (reading 30, listening about 30, writing 30) plus about 15 min speaking. B1: about 165 min written (65 / about 40 / 60) plus about 15 min speaking with 15 min preparation. B2: about 180 min written (65 / about 40 / 75) plus about 15 min speaking with 15 min preparation.
Pass rule
A2: at least 60 of 100 points in total, of which at least 45 of 75 in the written parts and 15 of 25 in speaking. B1 and B2: each module is scored out of 100 and passed at 60 points (60%); a weak module cannot be offset by a strong one.
Where to register
At a Goethe-Institut or a licensed exam centre. Dates, registration deadlines and the fee are set by each centre and published on its current exam page.
practise now, free: 2,011 questions, no account needed
A German noun carries a gender you cannot guess from its meaning, and its article changes again with every case. So learn each noun with its article, as one word, and let the tables do the rest: the articles chart sets der, die, das and die across the four cases, and the adjective-endings chart the patterns that follow them.
Word order: the verb's two places
In a German main clause the verb stands second; in a clause after weil, dass or wenn it moves to the end, and with a modal verb or the perfect the second verb waits at the end too. The word-order chart lays the patterns side by side, and the tile exercises make you build them, word by word.
What is free
The course is free. Without an account you can open the flashcards, the word and grammar drills, the Goethe practice sets, the grammar charts and the practice map; what you do stays in this browser.
A free account opens the lessons of your path, the sentence exercises and the timed mock exams, and keeps your progress, your streak and your mistakes on every device. During the public beta the mock exams are unlimited; afterwards, how many you get each month depends on your plan.
frequently asked questions
Can I start German from zero here?
Yes. The course starts at A1 — 682 words and 551 sentences at that level alone — with the articles and the cases in the very first tables. Explanations and translations are in English or Russian.
Which Goethe-Zertifikat do I need for a settlement permit or citizenship?
The Goethe-Institut lists the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 as recognised proof of German for a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) and for naturalisation (Einbürgerung). The German authorities set the requirements and can change them, so confirm the level with your foreigners' office or naturalisation office before you book.
Do I need a Goethe course or the A2 certificate before B1?
No. The Goethe-Institut's exam regulations ask for no course attendance and no lower-level certificate: you can register for any level directly.
Does wspell mark my writing and speaking?
Not yet. In the real exam examiners mark them; the mock exams here leave them out for now, so practise writing with someone who corrects you and speaking with a partner.
Is the audio recorded by native speakers?
No. Words and sentences are spoken in a synthesised voice (text-to-speech), not recorded by native speakers. Use it to tie a word to its sound, and listen to real German as well.
Is wspell connected to the Goethe-Institut?
No. The Goethe-Zertifikat and its name belong to the Goethe-Institut; wspell is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by it.
Exam names and trade marks on this page belong to the organisations that own and run those exams. wspell is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.