# Alphabet Sounds Word Study > Interactive educational app for teaching children letter sounds and spelling patterns. (iPhone/iPad app by This Reading Mama, LLC..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphabet-sounds-word-study/id1000174930 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [This Reading Mama, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1169090181) - Category: Education, Games - Price: $2.99 - Rating: 3.40/5 from 17 App Store ratings · 18 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 6.0 · 34 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2015-06-06 - Data updated: 2026-06-27 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphabet-sounds-word-study/id1000174930/reviews.md ## What is Alphabet Sounds Word Study? Teaching kids to spell includes much more than a list of spelling words students should memorize and write on a spelling test each week. Effective spelling methods do not rely on rote memorization, but are developmentally appropriate and hands-on. Word Study is a widely research-based spelling approach whose purpose is to “examine words in order to reveal the logic and consistencies within [the] written language system and to help student achieve mastery in recognizing, spelling, and defining specific words” (Words Their Way, Bear, et. al, 2012). Word Study is developmentally appropriate because it takes into consideration what the student understands or does not yet understand about spellings and word meanings to discover where spelling instruction should start. This is accomplished by looking at the student’s misspellings of certain word patterns (from simple words like man to more complex words such as multitude). It is hands-on in that it requires students to analyze, manipulate, and create meaningful and logical generalizations of how word spellings work. Two important skills for beginning readers and writers are knowing letters and letter sounds. Beginning letter sounds are typically the easiest for young children to recognize or hear. This is evident in their invented spellings. For example, frog may be spelled with just an F. As kids develop in their understanding of letters and sounds, ending sounds usually come next (spelling FG for frog) followed by the middle vowel sound (FOG for frog). Typically, the ability to hear and recognize harder features such as, blends and digraphs, comes next (FROG for frog). This spelling development, as explained further by Becky Spence in Teaching Kids to Spell, is the foundation for the letter activities found in Alphabet Sounds App. Within each level (1- Beginning Sounds, 2- Ending Sounds, 3- Middle/Vowel Sounds, and 4- Blends and Digraphs) are four activities: 1. Sort It! - Players can enjoy shopping, the beach, or taking down the laundry while sorting letters by their sounds based on pictures. 2. Find It! - Players are shown four pictures and asked to find the one picture that has a different sound than the rest. 3. Spell It! - Players move spelling tiles in place to finish the spelling of the words that are pictured. 4. Write It! - Players trace or write beginning, ending, and middle letters in the early levels of the app. As they progress, players can do the same for blends and digraphs. Fun Section: Also included in this app is a "fun" section where kids can play with their letters and sounds with BINGO, a matching game, or a slingshot game. Thank you to Kinka Art for providing clip art for this app. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kinka-Art Extra Resources for Alphabet Learning: Teaching Kids to Spell: A Developmental Approach to Spelling by Becky Spence Learning the Alphabet - printable ABC packs designed to teach letters and their sounds Tips for Teaching Letters and Letter Sounds 101 Alphabet Activities and Printables Alphabet Playdough Mats ## Key features - Letter sound sorting activities - Picture-based sound identification games - Interactive word spelling puzzles - Letter tracing and writing practice - Fun games like BINGO and matching ## Recent user reviews (10 of 18) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphabet-sounds-word-study/id1000174930/reviews.md ### 1/5 — No Sound *2020-05-12* Ugh! I have an iPad Air 2. iOS version 13.4.1. The other reviews are accurate. The sound does not work. ### 3/5 — Needs an update *2020-03-26, version 2.0* The sound on the app doesn’t work. ### 5/5 — ABC time *2019-05-07* My kids love to play this app. I love that the kid gets to go shopping and place items in the shopping cart with the initial sound. You can have them shop for items for two beginning sounds or three. Plus there are other activities like learning formation of the letters. This is a game my kid asks to play! ### 5/5 — Great app *2019-05-03* We homeschool our children and this app has been great for our Preschool aged child to help him with letter sounds ### 5/5 — Such great learning! *2019-05-03* My 5 year old loves using this app. I love that it doesn’t have any popular characters or is super flashy. ### 4/5 — Love it *2019-04-27* Our family loves this app. (3&6years) We haven't had any issues with sound at all as some reviews mentioned. ### 5/5 — Love *2019-04-26* I love this app for my struggling readers! I’m a 2nd grade teacher and this app keeps my kiddos engaged and having fun while learning! ### 5/5 — Great! *2019-04-26* This app is one of my students' favorites! I especially used it to help reinforce beginning, middle & ending sounds. I recommend this app to anyone who has a child/student that needs a tool to help reinforce that concept. ### 5/5 — Great! *2018-08-28* Love this app and all the others from "this reading mama" for my kiddos! ### 5/5 — Great app *2018-05-27* This is a great app for kids to work on phonemic awareness & basic phonics! I am a special education teacher, and we have used this app to give struggling students a little extra practice that is engaging and fun. The students love it, and their ability to segment sounds improved in a few weeks! ## Frequently asked questions about Alphabet Sounds Word Study ### What is the learning approach used by Alphabet Sounds Word Study? Alphabet Sounds Word Study utilizes a research-based 'Word Study' approach. This method focuses on analyzing words to reveal the logic and consistencies within written language, rather than relying solely on rote memorization. ### What are the different levels within Alphabet Sounds Word Study? The app is structured into four levels: 1- Beginning Sounds, 2- Ending Sounds, 3- Middle/Vowel Sounds, and 4- Blends and Digraphs. Each level contains specific activities designed to build upon the previous one. ### How does Alphabet Sounds Word Study help children with spelling? It helps children by making spelling developmentally appropriate and hands-on. Through activities like sorting, matching, spelling, and writing, children analyze and manipulate words to understand how spellings work. ### What types of games are included in the 'Fun Section' of Alphabet Sounds Word Study? The 'Fun Section' offers engaging games for children to play with letters and sounds. These include BINGO, a matching game, and a slingshot game, providing a playful way to reinforce learning. ### What is the price of Alphabet Sounds Word Study? Alphabet Sounds Word Study is a paid app, priced at $2.99. This one-time purchase grants access to all features without further costs. ### Is Alphabet Sounds Word Study available on multiple devices? Yes, Alphabet Sounds Word Study is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. This allows for learning across various Apple mobile devices. ### How often is Alphabet Sounds Word Study updated? The app was last updated on February 6, 2017, with version 2.0. While updates have not been frequent recently, the core content focuses on foundational literacy skills. ### What is the user rating for Alphabet Sounds Word Study? Alphabet Sounds Word Study has a rating of 3.4 stars based on 17 ratings. This indicates a mixed but generally positive reception from users. ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 2.0 — 2017-02-06 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. • Performance optimizations and minor fixes • Replaced voice-overs for blend and digraph sounds ### 1.4 — 2016-03-30 - Minor Bug fixes ### 1.2 — 2015-09-01 - New Audio letter sounds - Ability to turn off music ### 1.0 — 2015-06-05 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Alphabet Sounds Word Study | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Articulation Station Hive](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/articulation-station-hive/id1485607474) | 4.5 (415) | Free | Education | | [Teach Your Monster to Read](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teach-your-monster-to-read/id828392046) | 4.6 (21,153) | $8.99 | Education | | [Phonogram Sounds](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonogram-sounds/id797098295) | 4.0 (83) | Free | Education | | [Phonics Island Letter sounds](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-island-letter-sounds/id554102317) | 4.6 (3,158) | Free | Education | | [Intro To Reading by Oz Phonics](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/intro-to-reading-by-oz-phonics/id556500708) | 5.0 (2) | $1.99 | Education | | [Letter Sounds A to Z](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letter-sounds-a-to-z/id848347997) | 4.1 (101) | Free | Education | ## More apps by This Reading Mama, LLC. - [Short Vowel Word Study](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/short-vowel-word-study/id919696645) - [Long Vowels Word Study](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/long-vowels-word-study/id953806544) - [Trace it, Try it - Handwriting Exercises for Kids](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-it-try-it-handwriting-exercises-for-kids/id1080790224) - [Sight Word Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sight-word-games/id1151585389) - [Alphabetic Spellers](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphabetic-spellers/id1257018826) All apps by This Reading Mama, LLC.: https://appshunter.io/developer/1169090181 ## Related topics [alphabet sounds word study](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/alphabet-sounds-word-study) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-27.*