# Sounds of Speech — user reviews > 71 indexed App Store user reviews of Sounds of Speech by The University of Iowa Research Foundation, rated 2.30/5 from 46 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sounds-of-speech/id780656219/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sounds-of-speech/id780656219.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 9 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 4 · 2★ 9 · 1★ 22 ## Newest reviews (14 of 71) ### 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. ### 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 ### 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 ### 3/5 — Not what is was Too Bad *2021-04-28, version 2.3* I used this site in the past and purchased the app hoping it was going to be similar to the desk top version. While it offers more languages, I don’t care for the app version. Everything was on one page per sound on the desktop version. I could see both the animated and live model version. It provided a profile and head on view. So much better before. Now, I have to jump between various pages and in the process lose the students attention and just not as effective. I will use it because I paid for it but may opt for other visuals ### 2/5 — The animations are misleading *2020-12-20, version 2.2.2* The animations are misleading because the model pronounces final /p/ of “top” as aspirated when it is, in fact, unaspirated. She does this with all stops in word-final position. It’s incorrect. Moreover, there’s no modeling of the /t/ allophone [ɾ] as in “butter.” ### 3/5 — Needs improvement *2020-04-18, version 2.2.2* I used to love this site because it would give you a list of words examples for each sound . Another downside of the app is that it doesn’t show you the sound for the complete word , rather it breaks it into parts but I want to be able to hear its pronunciation in both forms . As an English language student and linguistics student I find it a bit problematic not to have enough examples . Please make the app quality as good as your site . A big thanks though for all the good work you have already done . ### 4/5 — Sound? *2018-10-02, version 2.2.2* Thank you so much for this amazing app. However, for some reason the sound isn’t working... any tips? Thanks! ### 1/5 — Don't buy this! *2018-06-13, version 2.2.2* I was hoping this app would have all the features of the original web version. It is a very poor imitation. The web intro is misleading; it makes one think that Spanish phonetics are included. The fine print says not, but it's not a good practice to mislead. Also, the app version has this confusing, non-standard notation of IPA symbols (not in brackets, as if they were letters), and what I presume are letters as subscript. This notation is not explained anywhere that I can find. What is a beginner to make of this? ### 2/5 — Grrr I should have read closer *2018-02-20, version 2.2.2* I was on the website where they have English Spanish and German, so thought the app would have German. Nope, it doesn’t. Yes, it says that in the description. My bad. But still really annoying. I hoped that I could count on it being updated with German someday, but apparently the latest update was 2 years ago, so figuring it won’t. Dang it. Update to add the animations of the voiceless stops and fricatives have voicing - “tuh” instead of “t” etc. This is terrible!! At least the videos are correct. ### 1/5 — 不要买，这和网页版一摸一样！ *2017-11-06* 原以为app比网页版多了舌位的解剖图，结果和网页版一摸一样只有动画而已。大家不要买了，直接看免费的网页版吧。 ### 3/5 — Spanish *2017-09-03, version 2.2.2* Where Spanish module?????????? ### 1/5 — Not good *2017-07-14, version 2.2.2* I was expecting more for being a paid app. Does not worth it. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 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. ### 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! ### 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! ### 1/5 — What happened to the German? *2021-02-02, version 2.2.2* The original website had German. Hopefully that will be added soon ### 1/5 — 垃圾 *2021-01-22* 都是错的，一点也不准 ### 1/5 — Can’t play videos *2020-03-12* Can’t play videos ### 1/5 — Estafa absoluta *2020-02-26, version 2.2.2* Por favor, no lo descarguen. ### 1/5 — Sound isn’t working *2019-10-02, version 2.2.2* I would like to issue a refund for this app as the sound doesn’t work on my phone. I see this is a long shot as your help website is now dead and I don’t see anywhere else I can request this. Thanks ### 1/5 — SLP *2019-02-27, version 2.2.2* Not worth purchasing for $5.00. It is truly a waste of money. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Wonderful App *2025-05-26, version 4.0.0* use it for a few years, wonderful App ### 5/5 — Great app *2021-03-25, version 2.3* I love this app! I wish that there were more languages, but I use it all the time. ### 5/5 — Great App for Graduate School *2019-08-12, version 2.2.2* I love this app!! I am a graduate student for speech and have used this app many times to double check place, manner and voice. The app is very user friendly and straight forward. I love the video examples in animation as well as the real life videos of people making each phoneme. The app is also visually pleasing with clear colors of each anatomical structure. A great tool during my schooling. ### 5/5 — Great Teaching Tool for English Teachers *2018-12-16, version 2.2.2* I teach English as a second language. The combination of 1) video, showing a close-up of a face pronouncing the sounds, and 2) animation, showing a side view of the inner workings of lips, teeth and tongue, makes this a wonderful resource for my students. ### 5/5 — 好东西，美中不足少了6个双元音 *2018-04-04* app和网站内容一致，最棒的是自带中文，使友好度大幅提升。通过动画模拟（还有发音步骤的详细分解说明），以及真人示范，sound of speech真是非常棒的“正音”工具，很适合想拥有一口纯正美语发音的朋友。 btw，缺少的6个双元音，都是美式英语中特有的带‘r’的元音，即卷舌元音，去买本赖世雄老师的美语音标就解决了。 ### 5/5 — 最好的英语音标网站的app *2017-04-28* 讲解清晰，有动画有短视频有单词举例有分步讲解。学完这个可以继续学American Accent Training。不过口语还是要说啊！我自己用italki找的美国老师，Skype视频课一小时几十块，比国内口语课便宜多了吧…… ### 5/5 — Fantastic app! - unique *2016-07-31, version 2.2.2* Very handy for learners who are familiar with the English IPA - many thanks. Dictionary search and parsing functionality are very good - please consider the possibility of introducing playback of multiple (linked) phonemes (sound only). Thank you! ### 5/5 — Awesome work *2016-03-21, version 2.2.2* It would be way better if add the fluctuation of recording to compare the difference. ### 5/5 — 很不错 *2016-03-04* 大学老师推荐过网页版的，手机也买个，质量不错。 ### 5/5 — Congratulations *2016-02-13, version 2.2.2* Version 2.2.2 is very good and helps in learning the English language. I think this app is the best to learn the sounds and the phonetic transcription of the English language --- *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 2026-08-25.*