# Pirate Phonics 1: Fun Learning — Teaching Kids to Read! > Phonics learning app for kids with pirate-themed reading challenges and word building. (iPhone/iPad app by Unit11.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pirate-phonics-1-fun-learning/id586978856 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Unit11](https://appshunter.io/developer/461513620) - Category: Education, Games, Adventure, Puzzle - Price: $2.99 - Rating: 3.30/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 48 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 7.0 · 408 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2013-01-04 - Data updated: 2026-08-16 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pirate-phonics-1-fun-learning/id586978856/reviews.md ## What is Pirate Phonics 1? Rated 5/5 and Recommended by educationalappstore.com, official advisor to the Tablets for Schools scheme. Pirate Phonics offers fun and Phonics for kids who are just learning to read/recognise letters and simple CVC words. Pirate phonics uses the concept of a child’s dream about pirates as the theme of an educational game to develop skills in the basic phonics. It is a very large App which uses 5 ‘treasure islands’ with a ‘phonic’ route map across each island to recover the treasure stolen by Blackbeard the pirate. Each phonic is introduced by a pirate with ‘phonic challenges’. By passing the challenges coins are collected and the child heads towards where Blackbeard has hidden the treasure. Each island is completed when the children use phonic challenges to open the treasure chest, but of course that’s not the end! Pirate Phonics has been designed to support the first stages of phonic learning over an extended period, at least several weeks. Each phonic is emphasised through the use of several ‘picture words’ which are deliberately read slowly by the narrator. Once a phonic has been unlocked and learned the child can revisit that island and phonic at any time. The whole app introduces more than 300 words! The 5 Treasure Islands introduce the phonics 1 at a time before using blends to form simple words (mainly CVC). Phonics introduced in this App include: •s a t p d •n m i g o •c e u r h •k b f l j •v w x y z •ck ff qu ss zz •ll ch sh th ng th If your child just wants to learn words related to any individual phonic then that can be selected from the ‘extras’ area on the start screen without going through every island. Pirate Phonics 2 is also available now, with even more focus on blending, word building and reading groups of words! ## Key features - Pirate-themed learning adventure - Phonics challenges for letter recognition - CVC word building and blending - Over 300 words introduced - Revisit learned phonics and islands - Individual phonic selection ## Recent user reviews (10 of 48) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pirate-phonics-1-fun-learning/id586978856/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Wonderful, fun and efficient *2020-04-21, version 2.2* Wonderful for young children to discover phonics in a fun and engaging way. 4 stars only because we have a bug and can’t play “u”! Developers please could we get this fixed! Thanks ### 1/5 — Sound doesn’t work *2020-02-21, version 2.1* There is no sound! Have turned the toggle to on and turned my iPad volume up but still no sound! ### 1/5 — No Sounds *2019-11-09, version 2.1* Same as other people! Refund please ### 1/5 — Sound won’t work! *2019-01-16, version 2.1* Tried toggling in settings, quitting and restarting, deleting and re-downloading - to no avail. The 2nd app works fine so it’s not a phone problem, just this app. Will re-review if it starts working. (Ps to previous reviewer - for half the country “barth” is a perfectly correct pronunciation of bath ;) ) ### 1/5 — Useless app *2018-12-17, version 2.1* Most useless app I ever spent on Wish I could get a refund My son found it boring and not mentally challenging. Probably for a 1 year old ### 4/5 — No sound at first *2018-11-04, version 2.1* We didn’t have sound at first but you just need to make sure your phone isn’t on silent mode and it works fine - on I phone make sure the button on the left hand side of phone isn’t on silent :) ### 4/5 — Good UK phonics *2018-05-03, version 2.1* This is basic phonics so you might make the same mistake as me and buy it when your child is well beyond the single letter phonic sounds. Also, the accent of the voice over makes sound pronunciation incorrect. For example, “bath” is pronounced “barth”. I wish that the dialogue changed colour so the child could read along to the text. ### 1/5 — Sound does not work *2018-03-24, version 2.1* Pointless, what's the use of a phonics app where the sound doesn't work. Don't waste your money like I did. ### 1/5 — No sound?! *2018-01-27, version 2.1* Just purchased the app bundle but there is no sound! In settings the toggle is switched to ‘sound on’ and my phone volume turned up all the way and nothing. I want a refund ### 5/5 — Abu son's son *2016-12-11, version 1.5* Amazing I've been using it for the 2 years and I haven't seen any as good as this. 5 star price for 5 star app ## Frequently asked questions about Pirate Phonics 1 ### What does Pirate Phonics 1 teach? Pirate Phonics 1 teaches children basic phonics, letter recognition, and how to read simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. It introduces over 300 words through a fun, pirate-themed adventure across five treasure islands. ### How does the app teach phonics? The app uses a pirate dream theme with 'phonic challenges' on each treasure island. Children collect coins by passing these challenges, which are designed to introduce and reinforce specific phonics sounds and blending techniques. ### Is Pirate Phonics 1 free to use? Yes, based on the provided information, Pirate Phonics 1 is a free application. It does not have in-app purchases or advertisements. ### Can my child revisit learned phonics? Yes, once a phonic sound has been unlocked and learned, the child can revisit that specific island and phonic at any time. This allows for repeated practice and reinforcement of learned material. ### What age group is this app suitable for? This app is designed for children who are just beginning to learn to read, recognize letters, and understand basic phonics. It supports the initial stages of phonic learning over an extended period. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.3 — 2020-04-29 Fixed an issue when loading the 'U' level. Fixed quiet audio on iPhone. ### 2.2 — 2020-04-02 Pirate Phonics 1 can now play audio when the device is in silent mode. ### 2.1 — 2017-12-16 - Addressed iOS 11 issues (Thanks for user feedback!). - Added support for iPhone X. - Improved stability and graphics. - Improved response speed. - Ported to Unity Engine. ### 1.5 — 2015-10-21 Now fully compatible with iOS 9. ### 1.4 — 2014-10-07 Now fully compatible with iOS 8. ## Apps similar to Pirate Phonics 1 | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [READING MAGIC 4 for Schools](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-magic-4-for-schools/id1211342193) | 4.9 (7) | $3.99 | Education | | [Word Reader - Skinny Books 1](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-reader-skinny-books-1/id898089674) | 5.0 (6) | $1.99 | Education | | [Subtracting Sardines HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtracting-sardines-hd/id468674475) | 5.0 (3) | $2.99 | Education | | [123 Numbers Learning Game 2026](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/123-numbers-learning-game-2026/id6451436874) | — | Free | Education | | [Phonics Connections](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-connections/id1501592853) | — | $1.99 | Education | | [Dinosaur Letters](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dinosaur-letters/id683308014) | 1.0 (1) | $2.99 | Education | ## More apps by Unit11 - [Human Skeleton: Beginner Bones](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/human-skeleton-beginner-bones/id475752311) - [Jack and the Land of Colors](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jack-and-the-land-of-colors/id497703714) - [A Day With A Difference](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-day-with-a-difference/id498266298) - [Writing Magic Letters : Kids learn to write](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-magic-letters-kids-learn-to-write/id537579402) - [Times Tables: Maths is fun!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-tables-maths-is-fun/id553818836) - [Writing Magic Numbers](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-magic-numbers/id583844038) All apps by Unit11: https://appshunter.io/developer/461513620 ## Related topics [phonics one](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/phonics-one) --- *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 2026-08-16.*