What Is the Best AI English Tutor for Speaking?
Jun 06, 2025
Which AI tool is the best English teacher? I tested six of the most popular apps with live voice mode: ChatGPT Advanced Voice, Grok 3, Gemini Live, Sesame, Microsoft Copilot, and Pi. Each one goes through the same kind of lesson: helping me express opinions confidently in English.
Some feel natural and offer helpful corrections. Others are stiff, confusing, or glitchy. If you're looking for an AI English tutor that actually improves your English speaking practice, this breakdown will show you what works and what doesn’t, and which one ranks highest by the end.
Why Use AI Voice Mode for English Speaking Practice?
Speaking is one of the hardest skills to improve without regular interaction. You can read and write all day, but if you never speak, your fluency won’t grow. How can you expect to improve your speaking skills if you don't actually speak?
That’s why live voice interaction is so important. You get to practice speaking and listening in real time, just like in a real conversation. You can make mistakes, get corrections, and try again until it feels more natural.
AI tools with voice mode let you do this anytime. You don’t need to wait for a teacher or partner. Just open the app, start talking, and get instant feedback. It feels more like a real conversation than typing or sending voice messages.
For more on how AI can support your learning, check out my full guide on how to learn English with AI.
The Six AI Tools That Offer Live Voice Conversation
These six AIs are among the most well-known and widely used right now, and they all include a live voice feature. The idea is simple: you speak, the AI responds instantly, and the conversation continues without lag or awkward delays.
- ChatGPT Advanced Voice (OpenAI)
- Grok 3 (xAI)
- Gemini Live (Google)
- Sesame (Character.ai)
- Microsoft Copilot
- Pi (Inflection AI)
Each one is tested using the same instructions: act as my English tutor, give me a lesson on expressing opinions, and offer feedback along the way.
👇 Watch the full video below to see how each one performs in real time:
How I Evaluate Each AI English Tutor
Every tool is judged using the same criteria:
| Category | What I Look For |
|---|---|
| Conversation Vibes | Does the AI feel natural, relaxed, and human? Or robotic and awkward? |
| Quality of Feedback | Does it offer useful corrections and explain better ways to say things? |
| Context Awareness | Can it stay focused on the lesson and follow the conversation without getting lost? |
The Results: Which AI Voice Mode Is Best for English Learners?
Conversation Vibes
Best: Sesame
Sesame sounds the most human. The voice is casual and expressive, and it keeps the conversation flowing naturally. You don’t feel like you're talking to a robot.
Runner-up: Grok
Grok feels intelligent and mostly natural. It sometimes comes across as stiff, but overall does a good job keeping things smooth and conversational.
Weakest: Pi
Pi feels too slow and formal. Long pauses and overly cautious phrasing make it hard to stay engaged.
Quality of Feedback
Best: ChatGPT
ChatGPT gives clear, detailed corrections and often improves your phrasing without being asked. The feedback is useful, natural, and easy to apply.
Runner-up: Grok
Grok also gives decent feedback and usually notices mistakes. It might need more prompting in some cases but still helps you improve.
Weakest: Pi and Gemini Live
Neither offers much help unless you ask directly, and even then the answers can be vague or overly general.
Context Awareness
Best: Grok
Grok understands the structure of a lesson and sticks to it. It adjusts when needed and rarely gets confused or distracted.
Close Second: ChatGPT
ChatGPT stays focused, reacts to changes in topic, and handles your instructions well. It’s predictable in a good way.
Weakest: Copilot
Copilot gets stuck in a loop and repeats the same question again and again. It eventually recovers, but it’s hard to trust it after that.
Final Rankings
| Rank | AI Voice Tool | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT | Excellent feedback, consistent focus | Slightly more formal tone |
| 1 | Grok | Strong structure, natural pacing, live transcript | Minor awkward phrasing |
| 2 | Sesame | Most human voice, smooth interaction | Weak correction unless requested |
| 3 | Copilot | Structured and clear | Glitches and distant tone |
| 4 | Gemini Live | Basic flow | Easily confused, weak feedback |
| 5 | Pi | Simple interface | Slow, vague, and often unhelpful |
How to Get the Most from Any AI English Tutor
- Be specific with your prompt. Tell the AI what kind of lesson you want. For example: “Help me practice giving opinions. Correct my grammar, and ask follow-up questions.”
- Speak as much as possible. The more you talk, the more you improve. Do not worry about making mistakes. Each one is a learning opportunity.
- Ask for corrections. Some AIs give feedback automatically. Others wait for you to ask.
- Repeat corrected sentences out loud. When the AI gives you a better version, say it again. This helps you remember and use it correctly next time.
- Use the transcript. If the app shows a live transcript, review it afterward. Look for common mistakes and save useful expressions.
With these habits, any AI tutor becomes more useful. The AI can guide the conversation, but you are the one in control of your progress.
Ready to Practice More?
If you're serious about improving your fluency, I offer a 90-day program that gives you structured English conversation practice every day using custom AI tutors. These lessons are powered by the top-ranked voice mode in this article—ChatGPT—and help you speak more naturally, get feedback, and stay consistent.
It’s a complete system built around one simple goal: helping you use ChatGPT to learn English more effectively.
