# Ultimate Phonics Reading App — Better reading & pronunciation > Structured phonics program for reading and pronunciation improvement. (iPhone/iPad app by Brian Spencer.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ultimate-phonics-reading-app/id1315910462 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Brian Spencer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1315910461) - Category: Education - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 3.80/5 from 29 App Store ratings · 13 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 8.0 · 100 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2018-02-13 - Data updated: 2026-07-07 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ultimate-phonics-reading-app/id1315910462/reviews.md ## What is Ultimate Phonics Reading App? This app is a must-try for parents, teachers, and tutors who teach reading to students of any age. It is also excellent for self-study to improve reading and English pronunciation. Ultimate Phonics is useful in any situation where reading is taught: * Beginning Readers Did you know that many children never become good readers? Reading is the most important skill for education and success. If you have young children first learning to read, you can give them the gift that lasts a lifetime by teaching them with Ultimate Phonics. Just an hour per week can make a huge improvement in their reading ability. * Struggling Readers Do you have children or students who guess and skip when they read? Did you know that word guessing causes poor reading comprehension and terrible spelling? Relying on word guessing prevents students from becoming good readers and cripples their education. A good reader reads by rapidly and accurately sounding out new words. That is exactly what Ultimate Phonics teaches. It develops your students into more accurate, fluent readers with good reading comprehension. * Dyslexia and Orton-Gillingham Ultimate Phonics is very effective for teaching dyslexics to read. The app can be used either by itself or as a supplement for Orton-Gillingham programs or other programs designed to overcome dyslexia. If you are an Orton-Gillingham teacher, you will love this app. It has excellent word lists and decodable sentences, all broken down and sounded out. The app also has a Find feature that lets you look up lessons matching any phonogram in a matter of seconds. This app is a great supplement to any Orton-Gillingham program and is guaranteed to become a useful tool in your teaching toolkit. * Adult Literacy Adult learners love the design of the program because it teaches them to read clearly and directly, without insulting them. And tutors love Ultimate Phonics because it's easy to use and produces great results. Try it for yourself and see why Ultimate Phonics is an essential teaching tool for any adult literacy situation. * ESL and English Pronunciation ESL (English as a Second Language) students need to learn to read English at the same time they are learning to speak it. Ultimate Phonics effectively improves reading, spelling, and pronunciation for ESL students of all ages. If you are a student learning English, you can use Ultimate Phonics to help with both your reading and your pronunciation. The app breaks down thousands of words and sentences by their individual speech sounds, so you learn in detail how to pronounce words more accurately. *** CONTENT The complete program consists of more than 4,400 words and 2,100 sentences organized into 262 lessons. The lessons are grouped into 12 levels, teaching the entire phonics system of English. You get the first level (lessons 1 to 50) for free. You have the option of purchasing additional levels one at a time or purchasing all the levels at once at a discount. Here is a summary of the topics in each level: * LEVEL 1 (Lessons 1 to 50) Simple words with short vowels, single consonants, and consonant blends. * LEVEL 2 (Lessons 51 to 80) Consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck), qu, x, ng and nk patterns, and doubled consonants. * LEVEL 3 (Lessons 81 to 106) Vowel digraphs (ee, ea, oo, ai, ay, oa, ou, ow, aw, au, oy, oi). * LEVEL 4 (Lessons 107 to 124) Endings (s, es, ed, ing, ful), apostrophes and more. * LEVEL 5 (Lessons 125 to 147) Syllables, compound words, and multi-syllable words. * LEVEL 6 (Lessons 148 to 155) Soft c and g patterns. * LEVEL 7 (Lessons 156 to 171) Long vowels in magic e syllables. * LEVEL 8 (Lessons 172 to 183) Long vowels in open syllables. * LEVEL 9 (Lessons 184 to 209) 22 more long vowel patterns. * LEVEL 10 (Lessons 210 to 225) R-controlled vowels (ar, er, ir, or, ur, and more). * LEVEL 11 (Lessons 226 to 239) 13 more short vowel patterns. * LEVEL 12 (Lessons 240 to 262) Silent letters and advanced patterns. ## Key features - Phonics-based reading instruction - Pronunciation practice for English - Suitable for all ages and reading levels - Effective for dyslexia and struggling readers - Extensive word and sentence library - Structured lessons across 12 levels ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Levels 2-12 (Lessons 51-262) | $29.99 | one-time | | Level 2 (Lessons 51 to 80) | $3.99 | one-time | | Level 3 (Lessons 81 to 106) | $3.99 | one-time | | Level 4 (Lessons 107 to 124) | $3.99 | one-time | | Level 5 (Lessons 125 to 147) | $3.99 | one-time | | Level 6 (Lessons 148 to 155) | $3.99 | one-time | | Level 10 (Lessons 210 to 225) | $3.99 | one-time | | Levels 3-12 (Lessons 81-262) | $27.99 | one-time | | Levels 4-12 (Lessons 107-262) | $25.99 | one-time | | Levels 5-12 (Lessons 125-262) | $23.99 | one-time | | Level 7 (Lessons 156 to 171) | $3.99 | one-time | | Level 8 (Lessons 172 to 183) | $3.99 | one-time | | Level 9 (Lessons 184 to 209) | $3.99 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 13) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ultimate-phonics-reading-app/id1315910462/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Help *2025-08-11* We use this app every day and today I woke and the sound does not work. I’ve deleted the app. Redownloaded and restored purchases and still no sound. ### 4/5 — Very helpful but only Apple *2025-05-11* All my ESL students use Samsung ### 1/5 — No sound *2023-10-19* Does not have a sound. ### 1/5 — The sound of this app does not work. *2022-10-30* I try so many times to fix the sound and followed the instructions to turn on the sound but I couldn’t fix it. Wasting of time. ### 1/5 — Not functional *2022-06-30* Don’t download. No sound, app isn’t working and can’t contact app support ### 5/5 — Best app Ever *2021-07-07* I’ve been using the free resources for over 5 years. It’s helped my Kindergarten students read at an advanced level. If you follow the lessons as it’s been outlined, your child will become an independent and fluent reader. I love that the sentences are made up of words that the child has already been introduced to thus increasing the confidence. The app is so simple to navigate and use. Love it! ### 5/5 — This is so good for adults and children *2021-04-22* This is so brilliant for me because I’m learning the phonics And learning the sounds and if you want this yes it’s for free But when you open the app when you go to your settings you will have to pay for it if you want it I love it ### 1/5 — Sound *2020-10-06* I read reviews and responses...I made sure the ringer and alert volume was on for my iPad, and the text to speech still does not work. I can’t have my illiterate student work in this app independently if the text to speech isn’t working. I will submit another review if that issue is resolved. ### 1/5 — This was dissapointing *2020-09-01* I purchased this app to help my child improve his phonics ability. It is nothing like what I thought it would be and I don’t think it will be useful at all. ### 1/5 — No sounds out *2020-07-29* And no hints tell us where can find the sounds back. Hard to use **Developer response:** If you are not hearing sound on your iPad or iPhone, it is because your ringer mute is on. To hear the sounds in the Ultimate Phonics app, you need to make sure the ringer mute is off. If your device has a side switch, is it showing red? That is causing the sound problem. If your iPad or iPhone does not have a side switch, you can change the mute settings through the Control Center on your device. This article has an explanation, scroll down to the section "If Your iPad Doesn't Have a Side Switch”: https://www.lifewire.com/ipad-side-switch-behavior-4103818. If you ever have any support questions or problems, you can always get help at support@spencerlearning.com. Thanks, Brian ## Frequently asked questions about Ultimate Phonics Reading App ### What is the learning methodology of Ultimate Phonics? Ultimate Phonics uses a structured phonics system to teach reading and pronunciation. It focuses on sounding out words accurately, which is crucial for developing reading comprehension and overcoming guessing habits. ### How does Ultimate Phonics track user progress? The app organizes its content into 12 levels, with over 4,400 words and 2,100 sentences. Users progress through these levels, implying a structured approach to tracking learning milestones. ### Does Ultimate Phonics offer certifications? The provided information does not mention any specific certifications offered by Ultimate Phonics upon completion of its program. ### What is the pricing structure for Ultimate Phonics? The first level of Ultimate Phonics is available for free. Additional levels can be purchased individually, or users can opt for a discounted purchase of all levels at once. ### Is Ultimate Phonics suitable for young children? Yes, Ultimate Phonics is described as excellent for beginning readers and young children learning to read. Just an hour per week can significantly improve their reading ability. ### How often is Ultimate Phonics updated? The latest version of Ultimate Phonics is 3.3.2, last updated on June 25, 2020. This indicates a release cycle that may not be very frequent. ### What devices support Ultimate Phonics? Ultimate Phonics is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod, making it compatible with a range of Apple mobile devices. ### What do users like most about Ultimate Phonics? User reviews suggest that parents, teachers, and tutors appreciate its effectiveness for struggling readers, dyslexic individuals, and ESL learners. The structured approach and clear instruction are often highlighted. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.3.2 — 2020-06-25 This release of the Ultimate Phonics Reading App: * Improves visual layout. * Adds a help link to Quick Start video. * Adds a setting to customize the way consonant blends are taught. * Fixes a few minor bugs. ### 3.1.6 — 2019-09-16 This update fixes a bug in the Find feature where a few of the words were not being found correctly. ### 3.1.4 — 2018-10-14 Fixes error that occurred with iOS 12.0. ### 3.1.3 — 2018-10-11 Fixes error that occurred with iOS 12.0. ### 3.1.2 — 2018-02-13 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Ultimate Phonics Reading App | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Sight Words - Pre-k to 3rd](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sight-words-pre-k-to-3rd/id1498466300) | 4.6 (1,793) | Free | Education | | [Letter Sounds A to Z](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letter-sounds-a-to-z/id848347997) | 4.1 (101) | Free | Education | | [Phonogram Sounds](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonogram-sounds/id797098295) | 4.0 (83) | Free | Education | | [Flash Cards: ABC Learning Kids](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-cards-abc-learning-kids/id1605651786) | 4.6 (1,515) | Free | Education | | [Read-Along: Books For Kids App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-along-books-for-kids-app/id1459753862) | 4.6 (1,743) | Free | Education | | [Hooked on Phonics Learning](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hooked-on-phonics-learning/id588868907) | 4.5 (14,810) | Free | Education | ## More apps by Brian Spencer - [Ultimate Phonics Full Version](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ultimate-phonics-full-version/id1453483745) All apps by Brian Spencer: https://appshunter.io/developer/1315910461 ## Related topics [phonics dyslexia](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/phonics-dyslexia) · [orton gillingham](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/orton-gillingham) · [phonics for adults](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/phonics-for-adults) · [adult literacy](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/adult-literacy) · [phonics sense](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/phonics-sense) --- *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 2026-07-07.*