Nonsense!

Nonsense!

by Brian Wilkinson

4 ratings
5 reviews

Archived App (Last seen on 22 Aug 2025)

This is an archived listing of the app previously available on the App Store.

Although the app is no longer distributed by Apple, you can still view its description, screenshots, version history, ratings, and metadata for reference.

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • February 11, 2015
  • April 16, 2020

Features

Nonsense! screenshot #1 for iPhone
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About

This app generates nonsense words to help struggling readers, including those with dyslexia, ESL students, and articulation challenges, improve their decoding skills. Designed by educators, it provides a fun, safe learning environment where users must rely on phonemic awareness to decipher words.

Nonsense word generation
Supports decoding skills
Aids struggling readers
Designed for dyslexia support
Nine progressive levels
Open Dyslexic font option
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What's New in Nonsense!

1.9

April 16, 2020

Updated for use with iOS version 13.0

User reviews

Great for beginning concepts

This is a great app for beginning concepts up to cvce and es suffix. Would love to see it have a button to read the word to the student so that they can check their own work and go beyond these simpler concepts. (Think of adding multisyllabic words, vowel teams, r controlled vowels, other suffixes, glued sounds, trigraphs, more complex sounds like "tion" and "ight" etc)
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Excellent

Fantastic simple game to practice decoding. Needs to be played with an adult to ensure accuracy. Great additional tool for reading remediation!

For teachers and tutors

I’ve used this with reading classes and individual students. It is not useful for a student to use on his own as there is no way to check, but it is useful for a teacher-led situation. There is a major error in that it includes “y” as a consonant in the levels CVCC, etc. I only use those levels for students who have learned to syllabicate, or I skip the pseudo words when I see the y come up. It would be most helpful, and I would recommend it to more teachers if you could correct that error and also include a level with multi letter vowels (ee, ea, ai, ay, etc.). Thanks!
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Don't buy this app is a rip off

As an educator this is a rip off, does not help child at all. No sound to assist child.

Great start but needs more

I have been looking for this app for a while and even considered making it myself. Decoding nonsense words is an essential skill and one my young special needs students struggle with. I like the random word generator and the different levels. For the price, I would like a few more features, such as choice of font, ability to turn off the unpleasant clunking sounds, and most importantly, spoken words so that kids could check their answer. Perhaps some kind of tracking of kids' progress would be very helpful too. I can use it for now though since there is no other app like this available.
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Developer apps

FAQ

What is Nonsense! used for?

Nonsense! is a tool designed to help users improve their reading decoding skills by generating nonsense words. This method encourages reliance on phonemic awareness rather than guessing familiar words.

Who developed Nonsense!?

Nonsense! was created by an Orton-Gillingham certified instructor with an M.Ed. and her spouse, who holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Johns Hopkins University.

What is the price of Nonsense!?

Nonsense! is available for a one-time purchase of $2.99.

Does Nonsense! have ads?

No, Nonsense! does not contain advertisements. It is a paid application designed without ads to provide an uninterrupted learning experience.

What devices does Nonsense! support?

Nonsense! is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices.

How often is Nonsense! updated?

The latest version of Nonsense! is 1.9, and it was last updated on April 16, 2020. Users can expect updates to maintain functionality and potentially add new features.

What is the age rating for Nonsense!?

Nonsense! has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for young learners and above.

Can learners use Nonsense! independently?

No, Nonsense! is not intended for independent use by learners. It is recommended for use by educators, therapists, and parents to actively support students.