# The Sounding Out Machine — user reviews > 24 indexed App Store user reviews of The Sounding Out Machine by FIZZBRAIN LLC, rated 4.07/5 from 30 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sounding-out-machine/id1063090009/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sounding-out-machine/id1063090009.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 11 · 4★ 15 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 2 ## Newest reviews (4 of 24) ### 4/5 — Reading made easy! *2016-03-04* This app seems like it is very helpful for young kids just getting the hang of sounds and for older kids needing help with complex words. It is easy to maneuver around this app ### 4/5 — A useful tool for a child with extra challenges *2016-03-04* Having just downloaded this app and tried it out, I think that it will be a useful tool for improving my son's reading skills. He loves to learn, but having Down syndrome increases the degree of challenge he faces. I look forward to trying this app with him. My wife or I will have to work with him at first, but I think that he will enjoy using this app to learn new words and to practice words he knows already. ### 4/5 — Review *2016-03-04, version 1.1* This will be a great tool for my 6th graders. Once I get my IPad I'll be able to use it in the classroom! ### 4/5 — Challenging for young kids but good for older readers *2016-03-04* To use this app you must take an image of the page you are reading. My kids found this difficult and they were almost never clear. You have to type the word from the box you select no matter what so I am not quite sure the point of the photograph. It doesn't know he word on the page you have to tell it. I do like how it slowly sounds he words out and breaks them down. Different colors are used to help show he different parts of the word. The words are saved and the list can be emailed so adults can track a students progress. I think this app is intended for older children who are good readers and just don't know maybe one or two words per page. I was hoping it would work for my budding reader but it requires to much I put from him with knowing very few words. Will save for later though ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — The app is bad *2019-04-09* The Cramer dos not work do not wast your money ### 2/5 — Needs more work *2016-03-05* We downloaded the app and the colors are very vibrant and welcoming. When we tried using the "teach me" button initially it was not clear that we had to use our word card, once we figured we need to use a word card to get a word to type in we were not able to see the word card because it was off to the left side of the screen and we were on able to move it to the center to read the words. It was great to type in the one word we could see (all) and hear the iPad voice sound out the letters and then teach us how to say that word ### 3/5 — Great idea if it worked right *2016-03-05* Unfortunately it doesn't have knowledge of a lot of kids names when you type them. It also kept saying error when we tried to read the word we took a picture of. I think this will be a great app once they work out the bugs. ### 4/5 — Can be helpful *2016-03-06* This app is fun and colorful. However, we found it difficult as you have to take a picture of the page you want to use. Then, you have to type the word you need help with. It does sound out the words great and my daughter was able to follow along. So, as long as you know you have to type in the words, it works great. ### 4/5 — Helpful for struggling readers *2016-03-05* I tried out this app and can see its use to help readers when they come to a word they don't know. I like how it can color chunk out parts of words for older readers. I found typing in the word was the best way to use this. When I took a picture and put a box around it, I still had to type the word in, so that was disappointing. I can also see using this as part of a phonics lesson in small groups of beginning readers. ### 4/5 — Great for helping special needs kids! *2016-03-05* My son has autism and is just getting his words... this is that extra bit of help he needs sounding out new words! Great idea! Love that after working with him a little, he will be able to work on photos of his reading pages independently. He loves not having to ask me all the time! ### 4/5 — The sounding out machine *2016-03-05* I love this idea! The whole idea of a machine can appeal to lots of little ones! With my son with autism, I feel like the story length would have to be minimal to maintain his attention span after taking the picture, searching and spelling the word. I do love the capability to send to list of struggling words to the parent or teacher! ### 4/5 — Pretty cool *2016-03-04* It is not quite what I was hoping for. I was hoping that the kids could just click on a word and it would sound it out, but they have to type the word into another portion of the app. This would not work for my eight year who is impatient and tends to guess. I do like the reading assists that they can use to avoid distractions. ### 4/5 — Helpful *2016-03-04* My daughter likes to guess. When she reads, so this will help with her learning to sound words out correctly. ### 4/5 — App *2016-03-04* Excellent app! Creates ability for your child to read whatever they wish! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Found this gem of an app. Just wish I found it sooner! *2022-01-26* Can’t believe there is no recent review of this great app. I hope even more that the creators continue to develop it. With the last two years especially, reading and speech have been impacted. This is such a wonderful tool that empowers them to figure it out or click the “teach me”. We used the option type your own word option when coming across a word they didn’t understand. So the act of typing helps link the letter to sound recognition as well as the wonderfully sounded out words. Please please please keep adding to the library. Going to pass this app along to others. ### 5/5 — A great device to help children read difficult words! *2016-03-05* I'm really impressed with this app. I never knew this existed and I definitely plan to use this with my own son who struggles to read. I'll then take it to school for my first graders! ### 5/5 — For Any Age With Special Needs *2016-03-05* This will be great for someone special to me. Recovering from a stroke - she is having difficulty sounding out words. I am excited to try The Sounding Out Machine with her. Thank you. ### 5/5 — Pretty cool! *2016-03-05* I think this will be very helpful with my students that struggle with words when they are reading. This will encourage some independence on figuring out how to pronounce the word. ### 5/5 — Great! *2016-03-05, version 1.1* This is great for the next step in independent reading! What a wonderful way to boost confidence. ### 5/5 — Very helpful aid to reading *2016-03-04* This appears to be a very helpful aid to allow children to read more independently. It will also help a child to learn to sound out words. I plan to not only use this app for my children, but in my classrooms. Thank You to (A4CWSN) Apps 4 Children With Special Needs for the heads up that this app was going for no charge. ### 5/5 — Great educational app! *2016-03-04, version 1.1* This app worked very well for difficult words for kids. It showed them how to send it out and also showed them how to pronounce it once they did send it out. What a great way to learn! I highly recommend this app. ### 5/5 — Fantastic *2016-03-04* I just downloaded this app for my nonspeaking child with apraxia and autism spectrum disorder. I cannot wait to try it with her today! I have not found another app like this. Consider downloading it! ### 5/5 — The sounding out machine *2016-03-04* This is a great app for any special needs children as well as any beginning readers out there my kids have taken pics of multiple pages of books we have at home so the app will read their favorite books to them... I love this app!! ### 5/5 — Dysleic *2016-03-04* My son has dyslexia and struggles with word phonics. So far I am impressed with this app and I hope with continued use my son will learn to sound words out on his own. --- *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 2026-06-10.*