# Sounds of Speech > Phonetics tool for learning American English sound production with visuals and audio. (iPhone/iPad app by The University of Iowa Research Foundation.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sounds-of-speech/id780656219 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [The University of Iowa Research Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/780656222) - Category: Education - Price: $3.99 - Rating: 2.30/5 from 46 App Store ratings · 71 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 104 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2014-01-02 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sounds-of-speech/id780656219/reviews.md ## What is Sounds of Speech? Notice: This Contains English Only Content. Spanish and German not included. This application was originally designed at the University of Iowa to help students learning how the sounds of different languages are produced. Since its production, it has become a milestone for phonetics teaching tools around the globe. Sounds of Speech™ provides a comprehensive understanding of how, physiologically, each of the speech sounds of American English is formed. It includes animations, videos, and audio samples that describe the essential features of each of the consonants and vowels of American English. Sounds of Speech™ is especially useful for students studying English as a second language. Features include: ## Key features - Speech sound production animations - Video demonstrations - Audio samples - Consonant and vowel formation details - Physiological explanations ## Chart rankings - #127 in Top Paid · Education (US App Store) ## Recent user reviews (10 of 71) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sounds-of-speech/id780656219/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Wonderful App *2025-05-26, version 4.0.0* use it for a few years, wonderful App ### 1/5 — Adds schwa to plosives *2024-10-08, version 4.0.0* Not okay when trying to teach a child! ### 1/5 — Incorrect representations *2024-03-24, version 3.0.6* As a speech pathologist, I purchased this to show my students how to produce certain sounds. Unfortunately, the animation of the tongue only represents what the middle of the tongue is doing, not the sides of the tongue. For example, for the /s/ sound, the sides of the tongue brace against the hard palate. The animation on the app, in contrast, suggests that the tongue never touches the hard palate to produce the /s/ sound. ### 2/5 — Not happy with it *2024-03-05, version 3.0.6* I baught this app to usein my class. When I tried it in class full screen option did not work. I am disappointed. The website used to be free and was much more practical. ### 1/5 — Don't buy this app *2023-10-08, version 3.0.5* I found the website very interesting. I thought the app would be the same as the website (including the English language). This was a false propagandist. The application does not present any learning tools (it is not the same as the website). Don't buy this app. Whoever created this app stole US$3.90 (plus tax) from me! ### 3/5 — Not bad but… *2023-09-25, version 3.0.5* When watching an animation or video, the symbols for playback, 10-second forward, and 10-second reverse are constantly visible on the screen, making it difficult to view the content clearly. I strongly request improvements to address this issue. ### 2/5 — What happened to the website?! *2021-10-30, version 2.3* I used to frequent the sounds of speech website when I was a SLP student. It was amazing and now doesn’t exist for English anymore and this app isn’t as good as the old website’s content. Why remove such a valuable resource for students and practitioners? Such a bummer ### 1/5 — hard to move the screen up and down using my MAC,don't konw why! *2021-10-03* hard to move the screen up and down using my MAC,don't konw why! ### 3/5 — Video quality is not good *2021-08-31, version 2.3* This app used to have excellent video quality. Something has happened and now they are degraded, pixelated, and show the video controls. Please fix. Thanks. EDIT: 8/31/2021 Just following up. Is this ever going to be fixed? ### 3/5 — 不好 *2021-05-17* 视频看不了啊视频看不了 ## Frequently asked questions about Sounds of Speech ### What does the Sounds of Speech app do? This app provides a comprehensive understanding of how each speech sound in American English is physiologically formed. It utilizes animations, videos, and audio samples to describe the essential features of consonants and vowels. ### What are the key features of Sounds of Speech? Key features include detailed animations and videos demonstrating the production of speech sounds, along with audio samples. It offers physiological explanations for the formation of American English consonants and vowels. ### Is Sounds of Speech free to use? Based on the provided information, the app is a paid application. It does not contain in-app purchases or advertisements, indicating a one-time purchase model. ### Who would benefit from using Sounds of Speech? This app is especially useful for students studying English as a second language. It also serves as a valuable tool for anyone learning about phonetics and the production of speech sounds. ### What languages does Sounds of Speech cover? The app exclusively contains English content, specifically focusing on the sounds of American English. It explicitly states that Spanish and German content are not included. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.0.0 — 2024-08-06 Updates under the hood. ### 3.0.7 — 2024-04-20 Fixes under the hood to allow for easier updates in the future. Adjusted full screen behavior. ### 3.0.6 — 2023-10-11 Fixed several incorrect animation videos. Adjusted annotation for oy phoneme. ### 3.0.5 — 2023-09-19 Removed built in controls for video playback and added a 'Play' and 'Full screen' button. ### 3.0.2 — 2023-05-26 Updates under the hood. ## Apps similar to Sounds of Speech | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [ANZAC Correspondent](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anzac-correspondent/id1469171280) | — | Free | Education | | [CBC Highlands](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cbc-highlands/id1475147920) | 4.3 (6) | Free | Education | | [The New School App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-new-school-app/id1474388180) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Education | | [Solis USA States and Capitals](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solis-usa-states-and-capitals/id1479512480) | — | Free | Education | | [영 단어즙](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1480979760) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Education | | [Victoria International Schools](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/victoria-international-schools/id1480979200) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Education | ## Related topics [sounds of speech](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/sounds-of-speech) · [phonetics trainer study sounds](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/phonetics-trainer-study-sounds) --- *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.*