Spelling is a learned activity that requires formal/informal teaching and practice. You may pick up the oral part of a target language relatively easily (depending on your cognitive capacities, linguistic environment, and the level of your motivation and dedication, among other factors).But when it comes to learning how to spell, read and write, things get bit slower and might require much more attention and careful practice.
In today’s post I focus on one aspect of language learning: spelling. To this end, I curated for you this collection featuring some of the best apps for learning spelling. You can use them with your kids, students and anyone else keen on learning and improving their spelling skills.
The apps provide guided practice, interactive games, lessons, quizzes, puzzles, and several other materials to make learning spelling a fun and engaging task. I invite you to check them out and share with us if you have other suggestions to add to the list.
1. Simplex Spelling Phonics 1
Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 teaches students how to spell words correctly using a unique phonics approach that consists of 450 high frequency words arranged into 42 lists that are themselves organized by spelling patterns and levels of difficulty. Each list includes a lesson that teaches the fundamental building blocks of English spelling.
These building blocks include things such as phonograms, sounds, and spelling rules. Other interesting features provided by the app include review lists, placement test; support for over 40 user accounts; supports Canadian, US, and uk English spelling of words; supports both lowercase and uppercase letters, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad / Price: $4.99 / Age: 4+
2. Spelling Monster
Spelling Monster is a spelling app that helps kids develop their spelling skills using fun mini games. Parents and teachers can track kids spelling progress in the app. They can have access to kids spelling word lists, learn how many times the lists have been played, the length of time they were played, and percentage of correct answers. Other features provided by the app include HD graphics and sounds, the ability to create and edit personalized spelling lists, unlimited amount of lists can be entered, up to 13 words can be added, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad Price: $0.99 / Age: 4+
3. Reading Eggs
Reading Eggs is a learning program that offers a wide variety of spelling games, phonics activities, word puzzles, alphabet games, nursery rhymes, and a huge collection of story books for kids. The app also provide Kids with self-paced one-on-one lessons customized to their skill level. As students play the games and interact with the activities they get rewards in the form of golden eggs and collectable pets.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
4. Word Wizard for Kids
Word Wizard helps kids ages 4 to 10 develop their reading and spelling skills using engaging activities. The app features 3 spelling activities (e.g., Word Practice, Scrambled Letters, and Spelling Quizzes) with increasing difficulty levels and 200 built-in words. Teachers and parents have the ability to add their own words to construct customized spelling quizzes.Other features provided by Word Wizard include Alphabetic or QWERTY layout, uppercase and lowercase letters, customized word pronunciation, accessibility features, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
5. Sight Words Adventure
Sight Words Adventure offers a number of engaging mini games that help students practice and develop their spelling and writing skills. The app contains over 300 sight words arranged into 5 levels (PreK- Grade 3). The games are illustrated with colorful characters and beautiful visuals. The real time dashboard allows kids to track their progress and learn about their performance.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: $2.99 / Age: 4+
6. Tiggly Doctor
Tiggly Doctor helps kids learn to spell verbs and perform the operations of a doctor. The game is fun and entertaining. Kids get to play the persona of a doctor and engage in a series of operations that involve strategic use of action verbs, short and long vowels. Depending on the type of patients that visit the doctor, kids get to practice various literacy-based skills.
For instance, there is a patient who likes to read magazines in kids office. Each time he visits he asks for help to sound complex words such as Multimillionaire, Mouthwatering, Regulations, etc. The game starts with a simple level that consists of simple verbs and short sound vowels and increases in difficulty to the hardest level that contains long sounds, complex and fancy verbs.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free / Age: 4+
7. A+ Spelling Bee English Words
A+ Spelling Bee is another spelling game for kids and young learners. The app consists of three levels easy, medium, and hard. 'Kids drag and drop colourful buttons onto the blackboard in the correct order to learn spelling. They get rewarded with dragons in each level to keep them amused and motivated at the same time!'
There are two modes: learn mode which provides hints to help kids drag and drop letters correctly and play mode which requires kids need to use their spelling skills to win dragons.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android alternative / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
8. ABC Spelling
ABC Spelling is a spelling and phonics app that helps kids learn to spell the alphabet, sound out words, and associate letters with pictures. The three featured games are: Spelling ('a picture is shown on the screen with letters outlined just above it. Children match the letters at the top by choosing from the tiles below, placing them in the correct order to spell out words'),
Fill in Blank ('Kids spell out the name of the picture using letters on the screen. There’s just one catch, though: all the letters are jumbled up!'), and Bank Spelling ('Letters are placed at the bottom of the screen, but this time there’s no clue at the top!').
Other features provided by the app include: engaging animations and colourful visuals, report cards to display students learning progress, stickers to celebrate achievements, customizable game modes, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free / Age: 4+
9. Spelling Notebook
Spelling notebook helps kids practice spelling words using a built-in voice feature that speaks out any given word. The app's spelling dictionary contains over 100.000 words with the ability to create and add customized lists. Students can even record their own voice saying the word or a whole phrase. Other features provided by the app include support for multiple Englishes (e.g., UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ), import words from one list to the other, word list copy and paste, history of word list tests and practice, email test results, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android alternative/ Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
10. Spelling Bee: English Words
Spelling Bee: English Words enables kids to learn spelling through interactive hands-on activities. Kids can simply draw letters with their fingers, play games, and track their progress in real time. With over 30 topics covered, the app offers over 5000 words and expressions to practice spelling.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android alternative/ Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
11. Squeebles Spelling Test
Squeebles Spelling Test helps kids ages 5 to 11 practice and develop their spelling in fun and entertaining ways. Teachers and parents can create custom spelling tests using the words they want their kids to practice. They can also record their voice to sound each word or use pre-recorded spelling tests.
Other features provided by the app include dyslexia-friendly features (e.g., Open Dyslexic font), support for accented characters, tinted overlays, support for multiple kids registrations, teacher and parent area with passcode, a motivational reward system to keep kids engaged, and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: $4.99 / Age: 4+
12. Spelling Shed
Spelling Shed is a popular spelling game that helps kids from all around the world learn and develop their spelling, reading, and vocabulary skills. The app contains increasing levels of difficulty and a rewarding system using bonuses, points, and hot streaks to keep kids focused and incentivise accuracy and fluency. The app also is dyslexia-friendly using OpenDyslexic font as standard. Spelling Shed includes built-in word lists with the ability to create one's own custom words lists.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: $2.99 / Age: 4+
13. Word Wagon
Word Wagon offers a wide range of educational activities to help kids ages 2-6 learn spelling, reading, and phonics. The activities include four levels: level is all about learning the name of the letters, level 2 helps with learning the sounds of the letters, level 3 helps with learning to spell words up to four letters, and level four teaches kids to spell words up to six letters.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad / Price: Free / Age: 4+
More sources:
Reading Rockets: Spelling Apps (Reading Rockets)
Spelling Tools (Learning Library)
Spelling Tools and Activities (Dyslexia Help)
