# Funny Phonemes — Phonemic awareness training

> Phonemic awareness training app using slang and pop culture terms. (iPhone/iPad app by Gregory McDonald.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funny-phonemes/id1367922163 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Gregory McDonald](https://appshunter.io/developer/992464989)
- Category: Education
- Price: Free (on sale, was $4.99)
- Rating: 4.30/5 from 22 App Store ratings · 5 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 79 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-09-22
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funny-phonemes/id1367922163/reviews.md

## What is Funny Phonemes?

Phonemic awareness training meets pop culture jargon and clean slang in an app that older students will love! Practice hearing phonemes, identifying missing phonemes and arranging them into words. What words?  Over 250 of them including surfing terms, social media lingo, school-yard epithets and, of course, a few terms worthy of Captain Underpants.

Control which phonemes to focus on in the Phoneme Set Editor.  With the Editor feature, you can fine tune which phonemes the learner is asked to identify and differentiate. Want to train on word-initial consonants only? Short vowel sounds? Exclude consonant blends? Use single-syllable words only? It's all easy with the Editor.

With over 250 slang words from all over the globe, there are sure to be some words or usages that are new to you or your student. No worries! A tongue-in-cheek slang dictionary is built into the app with a handy text-to-speech function to read the definitions aloud. Any words you'd rather not use at all? Just add them to the app's blacklist.

## Key features

- Phoneme identification practice
- Phoneme arrangement into words
- Over 250 slang and pop culture words
- Phoneme Set Editor for customization
- Built-in slang dictionary with text-to-speech
- Word blacklist feature

## Recent user reviews (5 of 5)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funny-phonemes/id1367922163/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Silly fun for older kids with dyslexia, or maybe ESL

*2023-06-02*

slang and poop noises abound. So this app isn’t for everyone including for every kid. But for some older kids still struggling with phonemic awareness/letter sound correspondence this very affordable app provides a fun, light way to practice skills.

**Developer response:** Thanks for this wonderful review and for your understanding of the particular niche I am trying to serve. #LiteracyForAll

### 2/5 — NEEDS TWEEKING

*2021-02-25*

I love this app, but some of the sounds and answers don’t match up for example it asks in the hear section what word ends in z for zip. The answer they have as correct is FIX; but fix ends the phoneme /x/ with the grapheme sound (k/-/s/) for boX not /z/ as in Zoo. I’ve paid for this app, please fix so I can actually use it so as not to confuse the autistic teens I OT. Simply change Fix to Biz. When fixed rating will go to the 4 stars it deserves.

**Developer response:** Hi. I really do appreciate you taking the time to write this review. I want my apps to be as useful and reliable as possible and take bug reports seriously. And I value your time. I tried to reproduce the bug you describe but then realized that the word "fix" is not in the set of 268 words used by the app at all.  However "figs" (slang for "figures" as in "That figures!") is in the set and does end with the /z/ sound. It also sounds *very* similar to "fix". I agree that it could be confusing and would consider simply dropping that word in any future update.  For the time being, however, could I suggest that you take advantage of the Blocklist feature in the app (tap the Gear icon on the main screen, top left corner). Just check the box beside "figs" and the word will no longer be used in any of the exercises. I hope this is a satisfactory option for you and that you'll consider revising your rating. Thanks again for your feedback and for using Funny Phonemes in your important work with autistic teens.

### 1/5 — Gross not funny

*2020-01-08*

This app is completely inappropriate for any school student regardless of grade.  What a disappointment!

**Developer response:** Sorry, but I disagree. The word list in this app was vetted by teachers and reading specialists and contains nothing a student wouldn't see in books like the Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

### 5/5 — Fantastic!

*2019-11-07*

A great tool to help encourage decoding and sound differentiation. A fun and engaging platform for the learner and easy to use. We will get a lot of use out of this tool.

### 4/5 — Fun App

*2019-02-14*

I am rating this a 4star because the app support was swift and helped me fix my user error.  Also, it seems like a fun way to support older students in an age appropriate manner.  However, I have yet to use this with students.  I will edit my review at that point.  So far, my 12 year old thinks this is a fun app.

## Frequently asked questions about Funny Phonemes

### What is the learning methodology of Funny Phonemes?

Funny Phonemes focuses on phonemic awareness training by having users practice identifying and arranging phonemes into words. It utilizes a variety of words, including slang and pop culture terms, to make the learning process engaging.

### How does Funny Phonemes track progress?

The provided data does not specify how progress is tracked within Funny Phonemes. However, the app's design suggests practice-based learning and customization through its Phoneme Set Editor.

### Does Funny Phonemes offer certifications?

Funny Phonemes is designed for practice and skill development in phonemic awareness and does not offer formal certifications.

### What devices is Funny Phonemes compatible with?

Funny Phonemes is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices.

### What is the age rating for Funny Phonemes?

Funny Phonemes has an age rating of 9+, making it suitable for older students.

### How often is Funny Phonemes updated?

The latest version of Funny Phonemes was released on January 9, 2019. The app was initially released on September 22, 2018.

### What do users like about Funny Phonemes?

Based on its 4.2-star rating from 19 reviews, users likely appreciate the app's unique approach to phonemic awareness using slang and pop culture, along with its customization options.

### Does Funny Phonemes have ads?

No, Funny Phonemes does not contain advertisements.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 1.1 — 2019-01-09

- The much requested Chipmunk voice is now available in Extra Goodies (as well as British..ish, Cowboy, Dark&Mysterious and, of course, the default voice, Handsome Canadian).
- Updates for iOS 12.
- Funny Phonemes is now a paid app: access to the phoneme set editor and all the voices, themes, sound effects is fully unlocked.

### 1.0.2 — 2018-09-20

Thanks for using Funny Phonemes! This fixes a small "oops" where the "Shhh...No Sound Effects" Goody was not unlocked with the others when upgrading to premium. (You could still unlock it with Goody points.)

### 1.0 — 2018-09-17

No release notes.

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## More apps by Gregory McDonald

- [Planet Lettra](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-lettra/id992464990)
- [Teen & Adult Phonics Library](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teen-and-adult-phonics-library/id1189152100)
- [WordWhile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordwhile/id1250527022)
- [TAP Library School Edition](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-library-school-edition/id1407324366)

All apps by Gregory McDonald: https://appshunter.io/developer/992464989

## Related topics

[small talk phonemes](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/small-talk-phonemes)

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*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 2026-08-27.*