Preply Review: Can a Real Tutor Finally Get Me Speaking Spanish?

This post is sponsored by Preply. We were given access to the platform to try it for ourselves, but all opinions and experiences here are our own.

I’ve been trying to learn Spanish, on and off, for years. And when I say trying, I mean I’ve done a little bit of everything.

I’ve used language apps, taken formal classes, memorized vocabulary, and picked up bits and pieces simply from spending a lot of time traveling in Mexico, Spain and numerous Spanish speaking countries over the years. A surprising amount of it has stuck, too. Give me a menu, a sign, or something simple to read in Spanish and I can often figure out what’s going on.

Then an actual person talks to me.

That’s usually where things start to fall apart.

There’s a surprisingly large gap between recognizing Spanish words on a screen and having another person look at you and expect an answer. I might know some of the words I want, but putting them together quickly enough to have an actual conversation is another thing entirely.

It had also been about three years since I’d spoken much Spanish out loud, so when I signed up to try Preply, I was rusty. Very rusty.

My goal wasn’t to become fluent overnight or start discussing complicated grammar. I wanted something much more useful for the way we travel. I want to be able to sit down with someone in Mexico or Spain and have a conversation.

Even a simple one.

I’d love to explain where I’m from without mentally scrambling for every word, order at a restaurant comfortably, ask someone a question and understand at least some of the answer. Most of all, I want to keep going when a conversation wanders somewhere I wasn’t expecting.

That’s what I was hoping one-on-one tutoring could help me with.

If this sounds familiar and you’ve reached the point where learning more vocabulary isn’t the same thing as actually speaking the language, you can browse Spanish tutors on Preply here. You can filter by things like price, availability and background before deciding who you’d actually feel comfortable talking to.

What is Preply?

Preply is an online language-learning platform built around one-on-one lessons with real tutors. You choose your tutor, book lessons around your schedule, and work directly with that person online.

You can use Preply on your computer or mobile device, and there’s also a Preply app for iOS and Android, so you can manage lessons and keep up with your learning wherever you are.

That one-on-one part was what interested me most.

I’ve used plenty of language-learning apps where you work through vocabulary, translations, listening exercises, and quizzes on your own. They’ve absolutely been useful, and I’ve learned a lot of Spanish that way.

Where I’ve always struggled is making the jump from practicing Spanish by myself to actually speaking it with another person.

It’s one thing to recognize a word, choose the right translation, or repeat a phrase when you know what’s coming. It’s very different when a real person asks you a question and you have to understand it, figure out what you want to say, and answer in real time.

That’s the gap I was hoping Preply could help me close.

Why I chose Spanish

Spanish was an easy choice for me because Mexico is one of the places we return to most often.

We’ve spent a lot of time there over the years, and I’ve always wanted to get past that awkward stage where I know just enough Spanish to realize how much Spanish I don’t know.

I also wanted to focus specifically on Mexican Spanish. When I started searching for tutors, I looked for people who were born in Mexico because that’s the accent and everyday language I’m most likely to encounter when we travel.

That turned out to be one of the things I really liked about Preply. You can narrow your tutor search quite a bit, including by price, availability, native-speaker status, other languages they speak, and teaching style.

Having a Spanish tutor who also speaks English (or your default language) can be especially helpful as a beginner. I definitely had moments where I needed someone to explain something in English before my brain could catch up and we could carry on in Spanish.

Finding the right Spanish tutor

Before taking these lessons, I thought choosing a tutor would mostly come down to qualifications, price, and scheduling.

Those things matter, but I discovered pretty quickly that personality and tutoring style matter too.

Some people want to be thrown straight into the language. Others want more explanation and reassurance while they build confidence. Apparently, I fall pretty firmly into the second camp.

That’s one advantage of having so many tutors to choose from. You can look for someone whose background fits what you’re trying to learn, while also paying attention to how they describe their approach.

If you already know the kind of Spanish you want to learn, it’s worth using the filters rather than choosing someone at random. I specifically wanted Mexican Spanish and a tutor who could switch to English when I got lost.

You can search Preply’s Spanish tutors here and narrow the results around what matters to you.

Starting with the placement assessment

Before getting into lessons, Preply gives you the option of doing a placement assessment to help identify your current Spanish level.

I started going through it and eventually decided that I wanted to begin as an absolute beginner.

Was I technically an absolute beginner? Probably not. I knew quite a bit of vocabulary already, had studied Spanish before, and had spent plenty of time in Spanish-speaking places.

I was just so rusty that starting from scratch felt much more comfortable than putting myself into a level where I’d spend the whole lesson trying to catch up.

That worked surprisingly well because the tutors could adjust once they realized what I already knew. I’d much rather have someone speed things up than sit there feeling like I accidentally wandered into the wrong Spanish class.

What happens before your first lesson?

Once I’d booked, Preply sent reminders and information about how to prepare. I could message my tutors beforehand and tell them about my goals, what I wanted to focus on, and where I thought my Spanish level was.

My tutors also messaged me before the lessons to say hello and confirm that we’d be meeting.

That sounds like a small thing, but when you’re already nervous about speaking another language, having a friendly message from the person you’re about to meet helps.

And I was nervous. More nervous than I expected.

My first Preply lesson

I went into my first lesson feeling like I hadn’t spoken Spanish in forever.

I was worried I’d freeze or find myself back in some long-forgotten classroom experience where someone immediately started talking about verb tenses and I sat there feeling like I should know things I’d completely forgotten.

Instead, my first tutor was incredibly patient, calm, and warm. She put me at ease almost immediately.

We started with basic phrases, introductions, pronunciation, and simple conversation. She had me type things on screen, listened to how I pronounced words, and gently corrected me when I needed help. She adapted to my level instead of expecting me to perform at some predefined standard.

That first lesson didn’t magically turn me into a Spanish speaker. What it did was make speaking Spanish feel much less scary.

For me, that was a surprisingly big win.

Trying different tutoring styles

I ended up doing three trial lessons in total, and one of the most useful parts of the experience was seeing how different tutors could be.

Every tutor I worked with was prepared, punctual, kind, and clearly wanted me to succeed. Their tutoring styles were quite different, though, and I think finding a style that works for you is a huge part of choosing someone you’ll actually want to keep learning with.

My lesson with Emily

Emily’s style worked really well for me because she eased me into the lesson. She started by understanding my goals, finding out what I already knew, and getting a sense of which parts of Spanish I found most difficult.

We talked about why I wanted to learn Spanish and whether I needed it for travel, work, family, or simply for fun. She also asked whether I struggled most with speaking, listening, grammar, or vocabulary.

Because I was starting at a beginner level, she showed much of what we were talking about on screen in both English and Spanish. That was extremely helpful.

We practiced simple introductions, where I was from, ages, pets, greetings, and other everyday basics. Nothing complicated, which was exactly what I needed.

One thing Emily taught me that I found especially useful was how to ask for help while staying in Spanish. We practiced things like saying I don’t understand, asking someone to repeat themselves, and asking them to write something down.

That solves a problem I’ve had before. In previous Spanish classes, when I got confused, I’d immediately switch to English. Learning how to stay inside the Spanish conversation even when I didn’t understand something felt much more useful.

Emily also gave me a simple worksheet I could print afterward. We practiced greetings, goodbyes, pronunciation, days of the week, and a few small quizzes. It felt structured without feeling intimidating, which suited me well.

My lesson with Laura

Laura had a completely different approach. She went into Spanish almost immediately, with introductions and much of the material on screen appearing in Spanish from the beginning.

That took me a moment.

At one point, I saw the word pasatiempos on the screen with more Spanish underneath it and had absolutely no idea what was happening. Pasatiempos means hobbies or pastimes, and it wasn’t a word I’d encountered before.

For a few seconds, my brain was basically wondering where we were and what exactly I was supposed to be doing.

Once I asked for clarification, Laura explained it and kept moving. Her lesson was much more immersive and faster paced than what naturally makes me comfortable, but she packed a lot into a short amount of time.

We worked on vocabulary, likes and dislikes, hobbies, pronunciation, and even some differences between how certain names and places are pronounced in Mexican Spanish versus Spanish from Spain. She corrected me gently when I needed it and gave me material afterward that reviewed what we’d covered.

Her style was more intensive. Someone who loves jumping straight into another language might absolutely prefer that.

For me, especially while rebuilding confidence after several rusty years, I tend to do better with a slightly slower and more reassuring start. Neither approach felt wrong. They were simply different, and seeing those differences made me much more aware of how important tutor fit can be.

How long are Preply trial lessons?

When I booked, Preply gave me the option of choosing a 25-minute or 55-minute trial lesson.

For Emily and Laura, I chose 25 minutes. Personally, I found that was enough time to get a real sense of how someone teaches, whether I felt comfortable with them, and whether their pace worked for me.

If you already know you want more time with a particular tutor, the longer trial may make more sense. For me, the shorter lesson was enough to decide whether I wanted to continue.

What happens inside a Preply lesson?

The lessons themselves were more interactive than I expected.

Depending on the tutor, we used written material on screen, pronunciation exercises, vocabulary practice, quizzes, conversation, and tutor-created worksheets. Sometimes we’d simply talk. Other times the tutor would show me something and ask me to read it aloud or answer a question.

That real-time correction was probably the biggest difference between this and learning through an app. If I mispronounced something, the tutor could hear it immediately. If I didn’t understand, I could ask. If I already knew something, we could keep moving.

The lesson could adjust around what was actually happening instead of making me follow a fixed sequence.

That’s probably the biggest reason I’d suggest giving one-on-one tutoring a try if you’ve stalled with self-paced learning. You don’t need to know whether it’ll work for you months from now.

You can look through Preply and see who actually feels like someone you’d want to learn with.

Preply Lesson Insights surprised me

This was one of the parts of Preply I didn’t expect to find particularly interesting.

After my lessons, I had access to AI Lesson Insights based on the lesson transcription. You can control lesson transcription through your permissions, and with it enabled I received a recap of what we’d covered along with information about my progress.

For example, after my lesson with Laura, the recap included the topics we’d worked on, pronunciation practice, and vocabulary connected to hobbies. There was also a progress section showing how much of the lesson I had spent speaking compared with my tutor.

When your main goal is to get better at actually talking, seeing your own speaking time is pretty useful.

Speaking Feedback

Preply also gave me Speaking Feedback after the lesson. This took things I’d actually said and let me hear my pronunciation alongside an example of how the word or phrase should sound.

I really liked this because there’s something very different about hearing your own pronunciation afterward compared with simply seeing a word written down.

Grammar Feedback

There was also Grammar Feedback based on things I’d said during the lesson.

This was generated by the Preply system rather than something the tutor had to manually prepare afterward, and I could rate whether the feedback was useful.

Vocabulary and flashcards

The vocabulary section pulled out words from the lesson so I could review them afterward. I could save vocabulary and use flashcards and exercises in the Preply app.

That made the lesson feel less temporary. I wasn’t simply talking for 25 minutes and then forgetting half of what we’d covered. There was something concrete to return to later.

Revisiting the lesson audio

With lesson transcription enabled, I could also download the lesson audio from the Lesson Insights area.

I’m not sure how often I’ll replay an entire lesson, but I like having the option. If there’s a pronunciation or phrase I want to revisit, I can go back and listen to what actually happened.

How much does Preply cost?

Preply tutor pricing varies quite a bit.

When I searched for Spanish tutors, I saw rates starting around $3 USD per lesson and going into the $50+ range, with some tutors charging considerably more.

At the very low end, I noticed quite a few newer tutors who didn’t yet have many reviews. At the higher end were tutors with extensive professional experience, degrees, language qualifications, or many years of teaching experience.

The tutors I tried were all $14 USD per lesson.

I liked having that range. You can decide whether you want to try someone newer at a lower rate, work with a highly experienced professional, or land somewhere in the middle.

Price alone doesn’t tell you who will be the best match, though. After trying three tutors, I’d probably put teaching style and personality fairly high on my own list.

If budget is one of the things holding you back from private language lessons, it’s worth seeing what’s actually available before assuming one-on-one tutoring is out of reach.

You can compare current Spanish tutor rates on Preply here and filter the list to fit your budget.

How Preply subscriptions work

Once you find a tutor you want to continue with, Preply uses a subscription model.

In my account, I could choose plans ranging from one lesson per week up to five lessons per week. The subscription renews every four weeks, so a plan with two lessons per week would give you eight lessons every four weeks.

One thing you need to pay attention to is your unused balance. Unscheduled lessons don’t carry over into the next subscription cycle, although you can schedule lessons for a future date as long as you book them before your plan renews.

Preply also gives you quite a bit of flexibility if your plans change. You can change tutors, transfer individual lessons or your whole subscription to another tutor, change your plan, and postpone your renewal date by up to 20 days.

If you transfer to a tutor with a different hourly rate, Preply recalculates the balance accordingly.

You can cancel before your next payment to stop automatic charges. Preply also says that if you haven’t used your latest subscription payment for any lessons and it’s been fewer than 28 days since you paid, you can contact support to request a refund.

I’m starting with one Spanish lesson per week.

That feels realistic for me. I want enough consistency that I keep speaking Spanish regularly without turning it into something I start avoiding because I’ve overcommitted.

What happens if you need to cancel a lesson?

I had to reschedule one of my lessons and found the process easy. The tutor was helpful about it, and I didn’t have any trouble changing the time.

Preply currently uses a 12-hour cancellation window. If you cancel at least 12 hours before the lesson starts, the lesson returns to your balance.

If you cancel less than 12 hours before the start time, it doesn’t return to your balance and the tutor is paid because that time was reserved. Trial lessons follow the same rule.

I actually think 12 hours is fairly reasonable.

A quick note about trial lessons

One thing I learned while researching this review is that trial lessons work differently from regular lessons when it comes to tutor compensation.

Preply takes a 100% commission on a student’s first trial lesson with a tutor, while regular lessons use a lower commission structure.

That’s useful to know when you’re deciding how you want to use the platform.

What I liked about Preply

The biggest thing for me is simple: it got me speaking.

I’ve learned plenty of Spanish vocabulary before. I’ve worked through lessons in apps and understood what I was seeing. That wasn’t the part I was missing. I was missing the experience of someone asking me a question in Spanish and having to come up with an answer while an actual human waited on the other side of the screen.

That real-time pressure is a little uncomfortable, especially when you’re rusty, but it’s also exactly what I need.

I also liked how much the tutors could adjust to me. If I knew something already, we could move on. If I was completely lost, they could slow down or explain it another way. And because the tutors had such different approaches, I could start figuring out what kind of learning environment actually helps me speak more confidently.

The Lesson Insights were another surprise. I expected the live tutoring to be the main value and everything afterward to feel like a bonus, but the Speaking Feedback, Grammar Feedback, vocabulary review, and speaking-time information gave me useful ways to continue working after the lesson ended.

What could be better?

The biggest thing I’d keep in mind is that tutor fit matters. A lot.

Someone who loves a fast, immersive lesson might prefer being spoken to almost entirely in Spanish from the beginning. Someone like me, who was returning after several rusty years and already felt nervous, might prefer a tutor who eases into things more gradually.

That isn’t necessarily a weakness of Preply, but it does mean I wouldn’t choose a tutor based entirely on price, qualifications, or reviews. Think about how you like to learn too.

The subscription system is another thing to understand before signing up. If you only want a lesson every now and then, a recurring subscription may feel like more commitment than you want.

There’s flexibility built into the system, but I’d make sure you understand how renewals and unused lessons work before subscribing.

Did lessons actually improve my Spanish?

Yes, within reason.

I didn’t suddenly become conversational after starting lessons, and I wouldn’t expect to. What changed quite noticeably was my comfort level.

Before that first lesson, I was genuinely nervous about speaking Spanish out loud. I hadn’t done it properly in years, and I was worried about sounding ridiculous or simply not being able to come up with the words I needed.

By the end of three trial lessons, I felt much more relaxed. I could imagine myself walking into a restaurant and ordering in Spanish without immediately panicking. I felt more comfortable introducing myself and much less worried about making mistakes when I didn’t know exactly what to say.

Perhaps most importantly, I wanted to keep going.

For me, that’s meaningful progress. The biggest barrier wasn’t learning one more vocabulary word. It was getting comfortable enough to actually use the Spanish I already knew and keep talking when I wasn’t sure I was getting everything right.

Who is Preply best for?

Based on my experience so far, I think Preply makes the most sense for people who already know that passive language learning isn’t enough for them.

Maybe you’ve learned vocabulary through an app but still freeze when someone talks to you. Maybe you’re traveling somewhere and want enough confidence to have actual conversations. Or perhaps you’ve taken group classes before and want considerably more time actually speaking.

I also think it can be especially useful if you know what kind of Spanish you want to learn. Being able to specifically choose tutors from Mexico was important to me because that’s where I’m most likely to use the language.

If your goal isn’t simply to know more Spanish but to actually use it with another person, take a look at the Spanish tutors available on Preply. Find someone whose accent, schedule, price, and teaching approach fit what you’re trying to do.

If you’re looking into another language, the same advice applies. Find someone who you can connect with. It makes learning another language so much easier.

My Preply verdict so far

After three trial lessons, I’m genuinely impressed with how much more comfortable I already feel speaking Spanish out loud.

I started extremely rusty and surprisingly nervous. Every tutor I worked with adjusted to my level, corrected me kindly, and gave me opportunities to actually speak rather than simply listen to explanations about Spanish.

For me, that’s where Preply has been most useful.

I’ve learned Spanish vocabulary through apps and classes before, but there’s a big difference between recognizing a word on a screen and having another person ask you a question and needing to answer in real time. Even after a handful of short lessons, that part already feels less intimidating.

I also liked discovering how different tutoring styles can be. Some tutors ease you into the language gradually, while others use a more immersive approach from the beginning. Figuring out which style makes you comfortable enough to keep talking seems to be a big part of finding the right person.

I’m planning to continue with Emily and start with one Spanish lesson per week. My goal is still pretty simple: I want to travel in Mexico and have real conversations without freezing the second someone says something I wasn’t expecting.

I’m obviously not conversational after three trial lessons, but I do feel more confident than I did when I started. And right now, I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what happens after a few months of actually speaking Spanish every week.

Preply FAQ

Is Preply good for beginners?

Based on my experience, yes. I chose to start as an absolute beginner even though I already knew some Spanish, and the tutors adjusted to where I actually was.

If you’re nervous about speaking, I’d pay close attention to teaching style when choosing your tutor.

How much does Preply cost?

Tutors set different rates. When I searched for Spanish tutors, I saw lessons starting around $3 USD and going well above $50 USD.

The tutors I tried were $14 USD per lesson. Rates vary, so check current tutor profiles for up-to-date pricing.

Does Preply require a subscription?

You can take a trial lesson first. If you decide to continue with a tutor, Preply uses a subscription model.

In my account, plans ranged from one to five lessons per week and renewed every four weeks.

How do Preply trial lessons work?

When I booked, trial lessons were available in 25-minute and 55-minute options.

The trial gives you a chance to meet the tutor, talk about your goals, and get a feel for their teaching style before deciding whether you want to continue learning with them.

Can you change tutors on Preply?

Yes. You can transfer individual lessons or your entire subscription to another tutor.

If your new tutor has a different hourly rate, Preply recalculates the balance.

Can you reschedule or cancel a Preply lesson?

Yes. Preply currently allows you to cancel at least 12 hours before a lesson and have it returned to your balance.

Inside the 12-hour window, the lesson doesn’t return to your balance.

What happens to unused Preply lessons?

Unscheduled lessons don’t carry over to the next subscription cycle.

You can schedule them for a future date, but they need to be scheduled before your subscription renews.

Does Preply give feedback after lessons?

With lesson transcription enabled, I received AI Lesson Insights that included a recap, Speaking Feedback, Grammar Feedback, vocabulary, and progress information such as how much time I spent speaking compared with my tutor.

I could also save vocabulary for exercises and flashcards.

Can Preply help with conversational Spanish?

That’s exactly what I’m using it for.

After three trial lessons, I’m still very much learning, but I already feel more comfortable speaking Spanish aloud and responding to another person in real time.

For me, that feels like a pretty good place to start.

If you’ve reached that frustrating stage where you know some of the language but still hesitate when someone actually talks to you, that’s exactly where I found one-on-one tutoring most useful.

Browse Preply’s Spanish tutors here, or explore Preply for other languages here, and look for someone whose style feels like a good fit for the way you learn.