# Hairy Phonics 1 — Learn phonics with Hairies! > Educational app for learning consonant digraphs and phonemic awareness. (iPhone/iPad app by Nessy Learning Limited.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-phonics-1/id938105297 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Nessy Learning Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/410276291) - Category: Education - Price: Free - Rating: 3.17/5 from 12 App Store ratings · 17 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 9.3 · 240 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2014-12-03 - Data updated: 2026-08-19 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-phonics-1/id938105297/reviews.md ## What is Hairy Phonics 1? The ideal app to follow the award-winning Hairy Letters. Hairy Phonics develops phonemic awareness with the introduction of the 9 most common consonant digraphs. This is where two consonants join and make one sound. - Learn 9 phonemes (sounds): sh, ch, th, ck, ff, ll, ss, zz, ng. - Guides your child through a structured sequence of learning. - Phonic animations link an action with the sound. - Trace the letters with your finger. - Play games to blend the phonemes into a whole word and improve understanding - Sound out words and understand how the phoneme changes the sound of the word - Save all the Hairies and see them dance. This is a particularly important skill for those with dyslexia. Designed for 4-6 year olds. This app is strictly educational and has no in-app purchases. **************************************************** REVIEWS **************************************************** This is a really great app my son loves it. All the Nessy products are amazing and my son thinks it's such a funny game, so learning and laughing fab. – 100CoolCat My kids loved the first Hairy app and were excited to play this one. It didn't disappoint as they really enjoyed it. It has a different game to the first one where you build a word for the Hairy guy to slide over. – OJRocks ## Key features - Learn 9 consonant digraph sounds - Structured learning sequence - Phonic animations with actions - Letter tracing activity - Word blending games - Collect and see Hairies dance ## Recent user reviews (10 of 17) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-phonics-1/id938105297/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Pointless! *2025-08-13* Why is there no sound!? Utterly useless without sound. ### 3/5 — No sound *2025-04-09* I downloaded this app on my iPad but there is no sound, re-started table but no change. What can I do? ### 2/5 — I’m not sure about this app *2025-03-25* I can’t get past the letter ‘Sh’ and it ends so quick I do the one on safari but it is better than this app not trying to be rude ### 1/5 — No sound for ipad and iphone *2025-02-15* No sound from app on multiple apple devices. ### 5/5 — Great phonics app! *2024-03-29* My 5 yr old loves this app. She is learning phonics in a fun and engaging manner. It woks well on both the iPad and iPhone. We will also try out the other apps! ### 3/5 — 3 star *2024-03-02* My daughter really likes it but it has no sound when her iPad is on max she can’t hear anything ### 5/5 — Another fantastic Hairy app *2023-12-03* Another great app to teach kids the basics of reading — this time with a bridge-building game that starts the journey in phonics. Also a note on sound: i didn’t have any problems with sound but I’ve noticed with other similar games if your phone is on silent the sound mightn’t work. So ensure sound is on and volume is up. ### 1/5 — No sound *2023-09-15* No sound on iPhone. Will this be fixed ever? ### 1/5 — No sound *2022-04-13* This app has no sound? How do you teach phonics with no sound?? 🤔 (iPhone) ### 5/5 — Hairy Phonics 1 *2020-06-17* My son (5) loves this game. It is very short but really captures his imagination and helps him learn the phonics. The spelling and letter tracing are particularly useful for the phonics practise. It’s free and he’s enjoyed both the free games so we’re thinking about buying the last one. ## Frequently asked questions about Hairy Phonics 1 ### What phonics sounds does Hairy Phonics 1 teach? Hairy Phonics 1 teaches 9 common consonant digraph sounds: sh, ch, th, ck, ff, ll, ss, zz, and ng. These are sounds where two consonants join to make a single sound. ### How does Hairy Phonics 1 help children learn? It guides children through a structured learning sequence, using phonic animations that link actions to sounds. Interactive games help them blend phonemes into words and improve their understanding of how sounds change words. ### Is Hairy Phonics 1 suitable for children with dyslexia? Yes, the app is specifically mentioned as being particularly important for those with dyslexia. It helps develop phonemic awareness, a crucial skill for reading development. ### What age group is Hairy Phonics 1 designed for? Hairy Phonics 1 is designed for children aged 4-6 years old. This age range typically corresponds to preschool and early kindergarten. ### Does Hairy Phonics 1 have ads? No, Hairy Phonics 1 is strictly educational and does not contain any advertisements. ### Are there in-app purchases in Hairy Phonics 1? No, Hairy Phonics 1 is strictly educational and does not have any in-app purchases. ### What devices can I use Hairy Phonics 1 on? Hairy Phonics 1 is supported on iPhones and iPads. It is designed for mobile devices within the Apple ecosystem. ### How often is Hairy Phonics 1 updated? The latest version, 2.1.0, was released on March 17, 2020. While updates may not be frequent, the app is functional and educational. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.1.0 — 2020-03-17 Updates to support latest operating systems and devices. ### 2.0 — 2016-01-05 bug fixes and updates for iOS ### 1.0.3 — 2015-01-15 Added support for more devices. ### 1.0.2 — 2014-12-11 We've removed external links to the app store and Nessy website, to prevent children navigating away from app without adult supervision. ### 1.0.0 — 2014-12-03 No release notes. ## More apps by Nessy Learning Limited - [Hairy Letters](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-letters/id410276288) - [Chimp Fu Syllables](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chimp-fu-syllables/id894610082) - [Hairy Phonics 1](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-phonics-1/id938108978) - [Hairy Phonics 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-phonics-2/id938109106) - [Hairy Phonics 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-phonics-2/id938109205) All apps by Nessy Learning Limited: https://appshunter.io/developer/410276291 --- *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 2026-08-19.*