How Long Does It Take to Learn Spanish?

Key takeaways:

• The U.S. Department of State estimates it takes English speakers about 30 weeks (1,200 total study hours) to reach professional proficiency in Spanish.
• Learning speed depends on factors like study time, consistency, native language, and learning goals.
• Conversational Spanish requires far fewer hours than full fluency — around 150–400 hours for basic to intermediate skills.
• Setting realistic goals and maintaining daily practice are key to faster progress.
• Immersion through media, motivation tracking, and AI-powered practice with Promova can significantly speed up learning.

Spanish is the second-most commonly spoken language in the world, with a cool 500 million people able to communicate in this language. Whether you’re on a deadline due to an impending vacation or simply want to learn a language before the end of the year, you’re probably wondering, “How long would it take to learn Spanish?”

The time it takes to learn Spanish will depend on various factors, including the time you spend studying, your commitment to learning the language, and the languages you already speak. For example, a native Portuguese speaker may pick up Spanish faster due to the similarities between Portuguese and Spanish. 

How Long to Learn Spanish

According to the U.S. Department of State, it takes English speakers approximately 30 weeks of learning to achieve an integrated score of 3 (speaking + listening), which indicates professional proficiency in the language.

A typical one-week learning period should include approximately 23 hours of class time and 17 hours of self-directed study. Therefore, it’s expected that it will take approximately 690 hours of class time and 510 hours of practice at home, totaling 1,200 hours, to achieve a professional level of fluency in Spanish. 

It’s worth noting, however, that most second language learners don’t require a professional level of fluency, and conversational Spanish will be enough to help most travelers explore the country. 

Spanish Learning Timelines

There is no set answer to how many hours does it take to learn Spanish. Learning is an individual process affected by a whole host of factors. Different people learn at different speeds, and it’s vital to keep this in mind when learning a new skill. 

Worrying about how long it’s taking can easily zap your enjoyment and damage your motivation. Focus on your achievements, celebrate your progress, and set realistic goals. 

Don’t compare yourself to others; instead, compare yourself to you from three months ago. How much progress have you made in your studies? Have you mastered anything you previously found tricky? Have you managed to prioritize your learning and pick up a new language? 

Hours Needed for Each Spanish Level

How long it takes you to master Spanish will depend entirely on how well you want to be able to speak the language. How long would it take to learn Spanish to converse fluently on any subject? How long will it take to simply be able to navigate the country at ease during your vacation? 

To find out how many hours to learn Spanish at various levels, take a look at the following chart:

Can I Learn Spanish in 3 Months / 6 Months / 1 Year?

If you’ve set yourself a goal to learn Spanish by a particular deadline, you’re likely desperate to know, "How fast can you learn Spanish?" You may even have a definite date in mind for when you’d like to learn Spanish by. There are a few things to consider here:

• Your definition of learning Spanish

Make sure you set realistic and specific goals. Are you aiming for complete fluency or enough Spanish phrases to get by on vacation? Of course, if you are asking, "How long does it take to be fluent in Spanish?" The answer is that it will take longer to become fluent than to grasp the basics.

• Your time 

If you want to learn Spanish in three months, you’ll have to study twice as often as someone aiming to learn the language in six months. If you’re aiming to interact reasonably fluently, you should be aiming for 600 study hours.

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To achieve this in three months, you’d need to be working for almost seven hours a day. To meet your goal in six months, you would need to commit to over three hours each day; within a year, 90 minutes per day would be sufficient. Ensure you set realistic goals for yourself.

• Your consistency 

To learn a language quickly, you must be consistent. You can’t dip in and out of language learning and hope to make good progress. Instead, you need to commit every single day to meeting your goals. 

How to Learn Spanish Faster: 5 Tips

Here are some handy hints to help you learn Spanish faster:

1. Study more

To participate in everyday exchanges and comprehend simple written information, you should aim for approximately 200 hours of learning. If you study for an hour a day, it will take you approximately 200 days, or over six months. You can halve this time by doubling the amount of time you commit to learning Spanish.

2. Make it a daily habit

The most challenging aspect of doing something new is maintaining consistency. You might start learning with gusto only to peter off a few weeks later. To increase your chances of success, you should practice every day, no excuses.

Try to practice Spanish at a set time each day; this will help it become second nature rather than an ad hoc event.

3. Immerse yourself in the Spanish language

A great way to speed up learning is to increase the amount of Spanish you hear and see. A simple way to do this is to watch Spanish movies and TV shows, and listen to Spanish podcasts. This will help you become familiar with common phrases, pronunciation, and sentence structure.

4. Stay motivated 

Motivation is crucial when it comes to mastering a second language. One way to boost motivation is to track your learning and reward yourself along the way. Setting yourself goals can help you to stay on track. Celebrate your successes as you learn. 

5. Utilize AI

AI can be beneficial for language learning. Chatting with Promova’s language AI chatbot can help you improve your pronunciation, boost your conversational skills, and increase your learning hours. 

Real-time feedback ensures you stay motivated while practicing your pronunciation. 

Promova: Your One-Stop Solution for Spanish Learning

No matter how quickly you’re hoping to learn Spanish, Promova is the perfect learning tool to support you on your language journey. Our app includes:

• Bite-sized Spanish lessons that fit into your busy life
• Interactive Spanish grammar exercises to boost motivation and accelerate learning
• Engaging video lessons to practice pronunciation 
• An AI chatbot to role-play real-life scenarios and provide immediate feedback to help you improve your pronunciation and prepare for speaking Spanish in the wild. 

Conclusion

How long it takes to learn Spanish depends on many variables, including your native tongue and its similarities with the Spanish language, how much time you can dedicate to learning, your learning style, and how good you are at learning languages. 

Learning languages is generally not something one can do quickly; however, don’t let that put you off. The benefits of learning a new language include cognitive improvement, reigniting your love of learning, and the simple joy of being able to communicate with new people. Rather than asking yourself how long it will take, ask yourself how much you will enjoy your newfound skill.