Duolingo leagues and leaderboards - ALL you need to know - duoplanet (2023)

Duolingo leagues are definitely one of the biggest and most popular features of Duolingo.

These weekly leaderboards add a competitive and motivating edge to your language learning experience that can put even more pressure on you to complete your daily lessons.

But what exactly is a duolingo league? How many leagues are there? What is special about the Diamond League? Do people cheat? What is the best strategy to win? And your duolingo leagueReallyObject?

Everything will be revealed - let's go inside!

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A Duolingo league is basically a weekly leaderboard of 30 random users from all platforms including IOS, Android and Desktop.

To participate in a weekly leaderboard, all you have to do is complete one lesson. Then go to your league tab and you'll find yourself on a leaderboard with a bunch of other Duolingo users.

League leaderboards are included in leaderboardsEXP— The user with the most XP at the end of the week will end up at the top of the leaderboard and be promoted to the next league.

The promotion zone can hold up to 20 users and it totally depends on what league you are in. The current distribution is as follows:

• Bronze – Top 20
• Prata – Top 15
• Gold – Top 10
• Saphir – Top 7
• Rubi – Top 7
• Esmeralda – Top 7
• Amethyst – Top 7
• Perle – Top 7
• Obsidian – Top 5
• Diamond – No Promotions

Those who finish 24th or below - in the so-called relegation zone - are relegated to the previous league.

And if you leave both the promotion and relegation places, you will stay in the current league for one more week.

There are currently 10 leagues on Duolingo.

When the league system was released there were only 5, with another stack of 5 being added in a later update.

The leagues are the same in all language courses. So if you learnSpanishor Hawaiian, compete in the same 10 leagues as everyone else.

Bronze is the starting league. From there, the goal is to work your way up through the leagues, all the way to Diamond - Duolingo's highest league.

Once you've done that and completed all the leagues, you'll advance to the Diamond tournament (more on that below!).

The Diamond League is the highest league on Duolingo. It differs from other leagues in a few ways.

The first is that only 5 users can be demoted and there are (technically) no promotions.

Diamond is usually the most competitive of the 10 leagues. While only 5 users can be relegated, you'll have to do your best to stay in the league for another week.

XP totals are often very high - often in the thousands - so you may need to take more classes than usual to avoid being demoted to the Obsidian League.

Winning the Diamond League is even harder.I've been using Duolingo every day for over 6 yearsand I only won once!

And what do you get if you win the Diamond League? a fancy oneconquest,some jewelryand a pat on the owl's back.

After that, the league will restart and you'll have to do everything all over again (if you have energy!).

the diamond tournament

In November 2021, Duolingo added an additional incentive for Diamond League participants.

Those who finished in the top 10 of the Diamond League qualified for the Diamond Tournament.

The guys at Duolingo decided to remove it shortly after... but now it's BACK!

The Diamond Tournament is basically just another rung on the league ladder. It's a three-week competition where you have to finish in the top 10 each week.

For every week you finish in the top 10, you earn a Diamond share. And if you have all three pieces, you win!

When Duolingo first launched the Diamond tournament, it didn't take long. Probably a few months at most.

Some of the scores were insanely high and I think that stopped a lot of people from trying it.

But now it looks like it might be back for the foreseeable future.

Your Duolingo League ends anytime between 10:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. on Sunday evening/Monday morning —regardless of your time zone.

Ögeneral consensusPreviously, leagues reset every Monday at 00:00 UTC. However, it is clearRedditthat users around the world tend to reset their leagues around midnight local time.

So if you're in the UK, for example, your league will end several hours before someone in the US. This also means that your new leaderboard will start a few hours earlier.

Because some of the XP totals - especially in Diamond League and Tournament - are so high that people are wondering if some users are cheating.

All too often (and this isn't just limited to the Diamond League) there are users who top the leaderboards with seemingly impossible XP totals.

They are usually accumulated in short periods of time by profiles that have not used Duolingo for a long time.

While I don't think this has been definitively proven, some have questioned whether some users are using shady algorithms to work their way up the leaderboards.

You can see this first hand belowthis postethis postno reddit.

Admittedly, that's quite a large sum. Certainly much higher than I have ever reached!

However, this does not necessarily confirm that they are cheating.

As we'll see later in this article, there are actually ways to get those numbers, as long as you use strategy (and plenty of time!).

If you find leagues annoying or just aren't that competitive, you can opt out.

Unfortunately, there is no clear way to do this yet.

But there is a workaround.

To leave Duolingo leagues, you must make your Duolingo profile private.

To do this, simply go to the Duolingo website, hover over your profile picture and click Settings.

On the next page, click Privacy Settings, uncheck the Make my profile public box, and click SAVE CHANGES.

Note that this will not only eliminate leagues, but also make them impossibleother students to find you or to follow you!

If you absolutely want to be at the top of the leaderboard and win the league, then be sure to consider some of these tips.

These tips won't guarantee you a win, but they will definitely improve your chances.

Of course, you will find it easier to win the Bronze League than the Diamond League, but in any case, these tips will give you a chance no matter what league you play in.

wait to join your league

If you want to win your league, the first step is... wait.

You might think you need to get out of the loading blocks.

But really, you're much better off sitting back and biding your time.

Duolingo places you on a new leaderboard as soon as you complete your first lesson of the week.

If you do your first lesson on Monday, you know what? You will be placed on a leaderboard with other early risers.

In my experience, these guys tend to be die-hard Duolingo users. These are the guys who show up on Duolingo every day and put hours and hours of their time into completing lessons and earning XP.

Make no mistake - if you want to win your league then you don't want to compete with these guys even if you are a hard learner!

Instead, you should wait and have a better chance of being in a group with casual students (like me!).

These are the guys who usually only do a few lessons a day, so they don't earn huge XP totals.

This ensures that you don't need to earn tens of thousands of XP to come out on top.

If you're crazy about stripes, you probably won't want to wait.AlsoGet excited to jump in because you won't want to miss your sequel.

In this case, I recommend waiting until late Monday (or aFreeze stripsif you are not worried about the purity of your strip).

XP increases

XP-Boostsare essential in the fight for first place.

These handy little power-ups double the amount of XP you can earn in a 15-30 minute lesson.

There are a few ways to earn them (Early Birdchestsefriends questsare two of my favorite shapes), so make sure you have one active for most of your classes.

timed challenges

timed challengesare practically essential if you want to win your Duolingo league.

lightning round andgame madnessgive you a chance to gain up to 40 XP every two minutes.

Even better, if you do them with an active XP Boost, that becomes 80 XP every two minutes!

You can see how easy it is in the following video.

You should do at least a couple of these a day, depending on how intense your leaderboard is. They will also help your understanding of accelerating loads!

perfect lesson reinforcement

Not available.

Perfect Lesson BoostsDon't usually add a lot of XP to your overall lessons.

But if you use it with an XP boost, you'll get an extra 20 XP per lesson.

They are available from the Duolingo Store, cost 100 gems and take 15 minutes to complete.

As the name suggests, you only get going if you complete your lesson perfectly. So you should use them if you are very confident in the skills you want to work on.

legendary levels

legendary levelsare up there with timed challenges when it comes to gaining lots of XP fast.

They are not as accessible as the timed challenges as they are primarily forMore/Supermembers and you must fully complete a level before you can become legendary.

However, if you are able to try them, they are probably one of the best ways to win your Duolingo league.

If you do them right, you can earn up to 110 XP for each challenge you complete. If you know your way around, you can probably do this in less than a few minutes each time.

hardest lesson, double XP

From time to time, as you progress through the course, you will have the opportunity to complete a more difficult lesson to earn double XP.

It's not something you can turn on on the fly, but you usually have the opportunity every few classes.

They usually cost 20 gems and give you a chance to earn double XP in your class.

The base amount is usually 10 XP, so you have a chance to earn 20.

If you can spare the gems and don't mind increasing the difficulty, take on these challenges whenever they appear.

When it comes to Duolingo, I'm not that competitive. As I'll explain later, I'm not that concerned about leagues - I'm more interested in learning my languages!

However…

I know many of you are. So, using the tips above, I've come up with this simple strategy that will give you a solid shot at being at the top of your Duolingo league.

Montag

Wait as long as possible before completing your first lesson.

Ideally, wait until 11:00 p.m. on Monday evening.

You won't get the Early Bird XP Boost but will hopefully be placed in a less competitive league.

This should ensure you don't have to earn some of the high XP totals we've seen before!

Tuesday to Friday

Feel free to join Duolingo as soon as you like.

The sooner the better so you can get the Early Bird XP Boost.

You will not receive this until 6pm, so consider writing in an evening session as well.

Once you've done that, focus on completing your current level on yoursteaching path. This will activate a 15 minute XP boost.

You'll then dive into a timed challenge (whether it's a Lightning Round or Match Madness) or legendary level and want to keep attacking them until your XP boost runs out.

Complete levels and timed challenges for as long as you want.

Saturday to Sunday

Try again to join Duolingo as early as possible (before 12:00pm) to get the Early Bird Booster.

Then complete your first level of the day.

Once you've done that, instead of rushing into a timed challenge, you should go to the shop and activate a Perfect Lesson Boost (if available).

Then embark on your learning path and immerse yourself in a legendary level. You should arrange them during the week to get as much done on the weekend as possible.

If you manage to complete a legendary level perfectly, you will get up to 110 XP (assuming you have an XP Boost and a Perfect Lesson Boost active).

I recommend legendary levels over weekend timed challenges as the weekend timed challenges (XP Ramp Up) aren't nearly as effective as the weekday ones.

Relegated from your Duolingo league? Don't worry - you now have the option to undo this.

The league repair tool gives you the chance to keep your place in your league for another week. It doesn't come cheap though - it comes mega 2,000 gems together!

To do this, simply go to your league tab at the start of a new leaderboard. If you've been downgraded, Duolingo will ask you if you want to keep your spot for 2,000 gems. Just hit the repair button and you'll be put back in the league you left.

Is it worth 2,000 gems? Probably not. I think it would be much better to save them forHerzReload and Legendary Attempts.

But if you're really attached to your league - maybe it's been a really brutal week and you've only lost a few XP - and you have gems to spare, then it's definitely a good option!

Even though I'm not that competitive at Duolingo, I like the leagues.

I mean it makes sense. Duolingo is not just a language learning app. it is also a game.

So why not have some weekly leaderboards?

Buuuuut…

I see a lot of people making a big deal out of their garters.

They're pissed that someone they'll never meet managed to earn a little more XP than they did and denied them victory in a league that — let's face it — by and large doesn't matter.

The most important thing about Duolingo - what brings us to Duolingo in the first place - is language learning. Everything else is secondary.

Keep that in mind – and consider some of the following as well:

XP is broken

The league system encourages you to focus on earning as much XP as possible. That would be fine if more XP means more progress in your target language.

But not.

As it stands, the easiest and quickest way to gain XP is by taking shortcuts.

Note that the tips above do absolutely nothing to help you with your language.

When your focus becomes XP, you naturally gravitate towards things that will get you the most in the shortest amount of time.

That means rinsing off timed challenges every two minutes and doing nothing to improve your speech.

As we have seen, XP does not equate to competence. Someone with 10,000 XP in French can be light years ahead of someone with 100,000 - IF the person with 100,000 spends all their time playing the system.

Some users have an unfair advantage

Another reason you probably shouldn't worry about your Duolingo league is that many have an unfair advantage.

What can you ask?

We've already covered that - XP Power-Ups.

John could take 10 Spanish lessons with no active power-ups. With perfect combo bonus he gets 150 total XP.

Sophie takes the same 10 Spanish lessons with Perfect Match bonuses. However, she has both an XP boost and a Perfect Lesson boost active. That means John earned 15 XP per class, Sophie 50.

Same courses, same time.

John tem 150. Sophie tem 500.

You could say it's smart. And of course it's part of the game.

But Sophie hasn't learned anything like John, but she advances with 350 XP.

And it doesn't end there.

Duolingo no longer awards XP to those who complete the most difficult lessons in a course.

Of course, you get the "hardest lesson for double XP" that pops up every now and then.

But I'm talking about the levels in the last units of a course. The hard stuff.

These levels last longer, not only because they are more difficult than the first few units, but also because the questions can be much longer.

There is no compensation for this in the form of XP. Those who only repeat the first few units or spend their time completing timed challenges almost always come out ahead of those trying to advance their course.

And then there's the premium subscription. No Ads. no hearts

Not only does this speed up lessons, but it also allows premium users to keep working - even after 5 or more mistakes.

Bottom line – leagues just don't accurately reflect what matters most in Duolingo: learning a language.

pressure and burning

It's an old and tedious business trying to win (or even stay) in your Duolingo league, especially the higher ones. XP totals are often astronomical.

So if your league becomes a priority, it can put tremendous pressure on you to rack up huge XP totals in a short amount of time.

This is exhausting and in most cases unsustainable. As you start associating Duolingo with fatigue, over time you'll be less inclined to show up and quit your classes.

And if you want to learn a language, that's not good.

Unfortunately, I see this all the time: users accumulate tons of XP for a few weeks and then disappear, never to be seen again.

This is what happens when the need to be the best outweighs the desire to learn a language.

which I prefer instead

When it comes to Duolingo's success, the most important thing (at least for me) is not to lose sight of why you started using it in the first place.

I can assure you that you didn't apply because of the league system. You probably signed up because you wanted to learn a language.

So focus on that and nothing else. It's easy to get caught up in Duolingo's gamification when you think there's a correlation between coming first in their leagues and their skills in their target languages.

But as we have just seen, it is seldom so clear.

My advice is to take the league system lightly. Don't prioritize it. Just think of it as a bit of fun that will increase your motivation.

In my experience, it's better to focus on other things.

At Duolingo, I believe you are evolvingteaching pathand maintaining your streak should be your primary focus. Completing the units is a sure sign of progress, and a solid streak shows you're developing a strong language learning habit.

And don't forget that mastery of your target language depends on what you do outside of Duolingo as much as it does on Duolingo.

Innovative Language, for example, offers high-quality content in over 30 languages ​​- includingSpanish,French,DeutscheItalian- which, when used together with Duolingo, will take your listening and speaking skills to a whole new level.

A quality VPN such asNordVPNopens the door to an almost endless supply of films and TV shows in your target language.

ELingQhelps you turn your favorite content—like books, blog posts, song lyrics, and even Netflix shows—into your most effective lessons.

This is where the learning happens - not at the top of the Duolingo league. Do not forget that!

The league system is definitely a big part of Duolingo.

But what do you think about it?

Does that motivate you to attend your daily classes?

Did it help you progress in your target language?

Are there any changes you want Duolingo to make?

What are your thoughts on the "cheating" debate?

Let me know in the comments!