# Sight Words by Little Speller — user reviews > 109 indexed App Store user reviews of Sight Words by Little Speller by Innovative Investments Limited, rated 4.70/5 from 179 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sight-words-by-little-speller/id420828421/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sight-words-by-little-speller/id420828421.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 145 · 4★ 23 · 3★ 4 · 2★ 4 · 1★ 3 ## What do users think of Sight Words by Little Speller? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - ✏️ Highly customizable word lists and difficulty levels - 🎤 Ability to record your own voice for words and letters - 📸 Can add custom pictures to represent words - 🎯 Effective for learning sight words and spelling - 👨‍👧‍👦 Great for special needs and struggling readers - 🆓 Free or affordable pricing - 🎨 Simple, clean, distraction-free interface - 📚 Pre-loaded Dolch word lists included - 🔒 Parental lock feature prevents accidental changes - 🌍 Works well for bilingual learning - ⭐ Excellent for children with autism and developmental delays **Cons** - 🐛 Recording feature frequently broken or non-functional - 🔐 Parental lock/settings access issues causing app crashes - ⚙️ Settings menu problems and navigation difficulties - 🔊 Audio/sound functionality broken after iOS updates - 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions - 🎯 Letters automatically snap to correct positions (limits learning) - 🔤 Font style confuses children (doesn't match handwriting) - 🔤 Uses letter names instead of letter sounds - ⏱️ No progress tracking or quiz/test mode - 📤 No ability to import/export custom lists - 🔔 Unwanted push notifications at inconvenient times - 🎮 App can be too easy for advanced learners **Commonly reported bugs** - Recording feature stops working (multiple reports across different iOS versions) - App crashes when accessing parental settings - Settings menu loops infinitely or becomes unresponsive - Audio stops working after iOS updates - Sound doesn't play when letters are dragged - Voice recording doesn't save properly - App crashes on iOS 5 and iOS 7 - Parental lock three-finger gesture doesn't work - Customization features become non-functional after updates - Wrong audio plays for selected words - App unresponsive when hitting record button - Multi-touch input causes dragging glitches **Most requested features** - Quiz or test mode with scoring and progress tracking - Option to allow incorrect letter placements for learning from mistakes - Extra letter choices to increase difficulty/challenge - Letter sound pronunciation instead of letter names - Ability to hide words and only show selected ones - Import/export custom lists via Dropbox or similar - Different font options (ball and stick, D'nealian alternatives) - Ability to move words around without re-recording audio - Australian English accent option - Blank template lists to avoid manual deletion - Multi-touch support for dragging letters - Success percentage display at end of practice sessions - Ability to share customized lists between devices ## Newest reviews (13 of 109) ### 4/5 — It does the job *2020-01-08, version 3.0* The app has helped my kindergartener with spelling sight words. My only complaint is I wish I could move around the words and not have to re-record the sound. ### 4/5 — Add your own words! *2019-10-31, version 3.0* You can add your own word list. I can put my kid’s weekly homework sight and spelling words in a list. You or your child can record your voice saying the word and add your own pictures to represent the word. A suggestion rot the developer: provide a blank list named “Your own list 1 “ so you don’t have to spend 5 minutes first deleting each word manually out of an existing list to add just your own. ### 4/5 — Intervention *2018-11-24, version 3.0* I am new to this app and so far like that it can be customized. I am using it fair intervention with an emerging reader. ### 5/5 — Perfect! Absolutely Perfect! *2015-09-16, version 2.0* I finally succumbed to modern technology and this was the first education app I downloaded for my toddler. This app is exactly the simple, no frills, lowercase-word-recognition program I was seeking for my two-year-old. The recorded voice sounds like an encouraging kindergarten teacher who gets just the right amount of excited when a kid achieves a goal. Our daughter likes this one better than the “Endless” series that a friend recommended. I can see her enjoying this on special occasions for at least the next year. I wish this developer had more apps available! ### 4/5 — Great spelling app *2014-09-29, version 2.0* The best spelling app I've found for my students! Much better than Bitsboard. Thank you for the update. It now works flawlessly on my classroom iPads. I would like the option to have extra letters (choice of 1-5 extra) to make it a little more challenging, of course with the option to turn it off. ### 5/5 — Love it! *2014-09-27, version 2.0* The new lock for the settings is great! Now, I don't have problems with my kindergarten students changing anything. I love being able to create my own sight word lists. Thank you for the "as entered" choice on upper or lower case letters! Now, I can have cards with students names and other words! Awesome update to a fabulous app! Thank YOU! ### 2/5 — Good in theory *2014-07-16, version 1.6* I've tried for ages to get it to record our voices. It just doesn't work. It's a good app but not customisable as it just doesn't record. ### 4/5 — Nice app.. *2014-04-27, version 1.6* Good start. Keeps her engaged. ### 3/5 — Audio bugs *2014-04-08, version 1.6* With latest update we no longer have audio! ### 3/5 — Font causes confusion *2014-03-08, version 1.6* This app is great! Customizable for skill level. The one suggestion I have is change the font to match the display. Typeset fonts like this one confuse kids because the way we write "a" is very different than this font and its hard for kids to correlate between the fonts and the letter. ### 2/5 — What happened *2014-01-25, version 1.6* This app use to be amazing when you could individualize lists. Now whenever I hit the record button, nothing happens. I have e-mailed grasshopper about the issue, but have not had a response in two weeks. ### 4/5 — Great app but... *2014-01-13, version 1.6* This is a great app but it is a bit too easy for my first graders. If the letters are close they are automatically put in the correct spot. The kids don't really have to know how to spell for that. It would be better if you could put the word and then "submit" and see if it's indeed correct. Other than that great app. ### 5/5 — Great for beginning readers *2013-11-13, version 1.6* I love the ability to customize the word list. My daughter gets frustrated with apps that have words that aren't included on her school site word list. We customized this list for her and will add new words as she gains more confidence. Thank you for this thoughtful introduction into reading! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Couldn’t add my own site words *2026-03-22, version 3.0* I downloaded this app because it said I can add my own site words but every time I go to the settings it has me use the parental lock and then shuts down on me. Also the app to add stuff just keeps circling. Definitely has a lot of bugs to fix and I wouldn’t have paid for it if I knew that ### 1/5 — Confusing *2015-11-14, version 2.0* This uses letter NAMES at a time when children will be using sounds so can cause confusion. Change this and you might be closer to an age appropriate app. Check the list of words used too.... ### 1/5 — Problems! *2014-10-31, version 2.0* Newest iOS update messed up the sound. The game no longer says the letters as the child spells them. This is happening on the 5 iPad minis & an iPhone 6 with iOS 8.1, so I know it's not my settings. Please fix soon!! This is by far the best spelling app I've found. And I've not had any issues on the 7 devices I have it installed on. There is one (more) thing I would like to see in this app. In the near future, I would like to see the option of adding extra letters for choices, making it a bit of a challenge. For example, if the child is to spell the word "them" the letters to spell 'them' would be on the board as well as a few extra. Of course, how many extra letters to add should be up to the parent/teacher. Thank you for a great app!! ### 1/5 — Won't open *2014-09-26, version 2.0* I can't get by the dumb 3 finger top to open parent settings. ### 1/5 — Recorder is not working *2014-04-03, version 1.6* Sometimes this app works and other times it does not. Very frustrating. Recorder is not working and when you customize,the person reading the word is saying the wrong thing. For example the word is "home" but the program voice is saying "now". I am disappointed. ### 1/5 — Record Feature *2014-02-11, version 1.6* I absolutely loved this app for my kids, but now I'm unable to record my voice for newly added words. Not being able to do that makes this app sadly a bit useless for us. ### 1/5 — Recording sound isn't working. *2014-01-16, version 1.6* I used to love this app until the record part of the app stopped working. I have tried everything possible to fix it and even wrote the creator an email and have not heard back. It still does not work on any of my multiple devices. ### 1/5 — Might be great- haven't been able to customize *2013-10-26, version 1.6* I'm sure it's a great app, but ever since I have downloaded it, I have not once been able to customize anything on it. I only wanted it to use with my own lists for my students, so I went right to the customize features and have not been able to record anything. This may quite well be due to the new iOS 7, but I hope it's fixed with an update soon. ### 1/5 — Can't turn off push notification *2012-09-12, version 1.6* Would be nice app except for the 5AM push notification on my phone. Deleted. ### 1/5 — Not Recommended *2011-11-12, version 1.5* Whilst the customisation is useful I encountered some errors using IOS5. The app was not engaging and my child did not enjoy this. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great app *2024-08-03, version 3.0* I used this app years ago to help my little patient who was unable to write. She could use an iPad. In researching and trying to help find an app that could help her with spelling and sight words, I came across this app. Now my first grandbaby is on the way and I hope this app is still available for him to learn spelling and sight words. ### 5/5 — Christian Evans *2020-08-18, version 3.0* I think this app is great for kids learning to read and write! ### 5/5 — Recommend *2020-04-17, version 3.0* Love this game ### 5/5 — Great app *2020-03-12, version 2.0* I am a school OT and use and recommend this app. It is easily customizable between students. I work with the kids on spelling theIr names. Some need to match and the next student may need to sequence, some need all caps and another with lower case-- This app lets me quickly change it as well as have their picture on the page ! You can add spelling lists or use the lists provided. ❤️😀❤️ ### 5/5 — Wonderful app for kids *2019-12-26, version 3.0* I searched for an app to help my son learn his sight words and went through several horrible apps. I’m so glad I came across this one. It’s ad free!!!! That was very important to me. The functionality is perfect. I changed the voice to his and mine. I read all of the letters and words. I also made up some new encouragement sounds and let him make up some self encouragement sounds like “yay! I did it”. He loves seeing pictures of himself and the family as he learns to spell words like brother and sister. This app is amazing. My son learned 7 new words in just a few hours and was able to recognize them in a sentence later on that night several hours after learning them. So he retained what he’d learned and I was so happy for him. He was actually able to read a sentence with all the words he’d learned. He wasn’t able to do that before! ### 5/5 — I Absolutely Love This App *2019-11-05, version 3.0* My son has used this app since he was 2yrs old. He has learned his sight words and now spelling in 1st grade. I absolutely love that you can customize the words for their growth. I highly recommend this app for beginner reading and spelling. ### 5/5 — Impressed, Worth the Money *2018-09-01, version 3.0* This is a great app. It is super easy for my 5 and 3 year old to use. It’s also very simple to add your own words with pictures and recording. Worth the money for sure. ### 5/5 — Just what we needed *2018-05-04, version 3.0* This is a great app to help little ones with their spelling, especially the lists of words they bring home from school. The ability to record all content makes it fun and relevant. We can emphasise particular letter combination sounds, making it good for remedial work. Brilliant! ### 5/5 — Sight words *2018-03-30, version 3.0* Love how you can change the words, how you say them and what they look like! You can set your own sight word list! Amazing app! ### 5/5 — Amazing! *2016-03-22, version 2.0* So configurable, love it! Easy to set your child's sight words from school, then you can take pics of the word, and have your child record themselves saying the word, and replace all of the other spoken instructions with your own voice - so amazing, so personalised, and exceeded our expectations of what we were expecting to find!! --- *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 2026-08-29.*