Comparison

EFL Phonics 3rd Edition vs Phonics Cards

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

EFL Phonics 3rd Edition

This app helps elementary students learning English as a foreign language develop phonics skills. It uses listening and articulation exercises, phonics stories, and chants to teach letter sounds and sight words, building reading confidence.

Highlights
  • Letter-sound connection exercises
  • Enriched listening and articulation practice
  • Phonics stories and chants
  • Sight word introduction
  • Five progressive learning levels
  • Focus on EFL learners
Features
Read full description

EFL Phonics is an easy-to-teach five level series for elementary school students who are learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Through exposure to enriched listening and articulation exercises, students will learn how to connect the sounds of English with single letters or groups of letters more effectively. EFL Phonics also introduces fun phonics stories and chants with common sight words. These allow children to learn sight words more naturally and enable them to build confidence in reading while having fun. ■ Target Sounds and Goals of the EFL Phonics series Book 1 Single Letter Sounds: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x (final), y, z EFL Phonics 1 teaches students how to sound out and write the 26 letters of the English alphabet. Students will also be introduced to new words helping them better understand the letter-sound relationships. Book 2 Short Vowels: a, e, i, o, u EFL Phonics 2 teaches students how to make two and three letter combinations of short vowels and consonants. Students will also be introduced to new words that consist of short vowels. Book 3 Long Vowels: a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e EFL Phonics 3 teaches students long vowels. Students will also be introduced to new words that consist of long vowels. Book 4 Double Letter Consonants: (1) Consonant Blends: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl, br, cr, dr, fr, pr, tr, sm, sn, st, sw, nk (2) Consonant Digraphs: ch, sh, ph, th, wh, ng EFL Phonics 4 teaches students double letter consonants, such as consonant blends and consonant digraphs. Students will also be introduced to new words that consist of two letter consonants. Book 5 Double Letter Vowels: (1) Vowel Digraphs: ee, ea, ai, ay, oa, ow (bowl), oo (book), oo (moon) (2) Vowel Diphthongs: oi, oy, ou, ow (clown) (3) R-controlled Vowels: ar, er, ir, or, ur EFL Phonics 5 teaches students two letter vowels, such as vowel digraphs, vowel diphthongs, and r-controlled vowels. Students will also be introduced to new words that consist of two letter vowels.

About

Phonics Cards

This app offers a distraction-free way to learn phonics rules and improve pronunciation. It includes extensive word examples and customizable phonics sets, supporting both English and British accents.

Highlights
  • 23 phonics sets
  • ~5000 word examples
  • English and British accent pronunciation
  • Customizable phonics sets
  • Add custom words and notes
  • Distraction-free interface
Features
Read full description

Phonics Cards — Systematic English Phonics & Pronunciation Phonics Cards is a focused, distraction-free tool designed to help you master English letter sounds, spelling patterns, and pronunciation. Whether you are helping students learn phonics rules, practicing correct sound articulation, or improving your English pronunciation, Phonics Cards provides a clear, systematic reference tool. Phonics Cards consists of 23 comprehensive phonics sets ranging from basic to advanced, featuring over 5,000 carefully curated word examples. Check the pronunciation of any word in American and British English accents, adjust speech speeds, and explore word meanings with 4 world-class dictionaries. KEY FEATURES Tap to Listen: Tap any card on the grid to hear clear, natural pronunciation aloud. Instant Dictionary Lookup: Press and hold any word to look up definitions, phonetic transcriptions, and word origins across 4 dictionaries (Merriam-Webster, Oxford, Cambridge, and Longman). Adjustable Speech Speed: Select Normal, Slow, or Very Slow speeds to catch subtle vowel sounds, blend transitions, and consonant articulations. Custom Word Lists & Notes: Create personal phonics lists, add new words, attach custom notes, and manage cards with Edit mode. Distraction-Free Interface: Clean, modern flashcard grid designed for focused practice and easy navigation. 23 COMPREHENSIVE PHONICS SETS Short Vowels (a, e, i, o, u) Long Vowels (a, e, i, o, u) Silent E (a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e) Bossy R (ar, er, ir, or, ur) Vowel Teams I (ai, au, aw, ay, ea, ee, ei, ew, ey) Vowel Teams II (ie, oa, oe, ow, ue) Vowel Diphthongs (oi, ou, ow, oy) Double O Sounds (long oo, short oo, other) R-Controlled Vowels I (air, are, ear, eer, eir, ere) R-Controlled Vowels II (ire, oar, oor, ore, our, ure) Y Rules (consonant y, long-e sound, long-i sound, short-i sound) Schwa (unstressed vowel reductions) Initial Blends I (bl, br, cl, cr, dr, gr, pl, pr, tr) Initial Blends II (sc, scr, sk, sn, sp, spl, spr, st, sw) Initial Blends III (dw, fl, fr, gl, shr, sl, str, thr, tw) Final Blends I (-ct, -ld, -lf, -lm, -lp, -lt, -ft, -lk) Final Blends II (-mp, -nch, -nd, -nk, -nt) Final Blends III (-pt, -rd, -rt, -sk, -sp, -st) Consonant Digraphs (ch, sh, th, wh, gh, ph, ng) Soft C and G Silent Letters (gn, kn, mb, mn, wr) GH Letter Patterns (aigh, augh, eigh, igh, ough) Suffixes (cian, cien, sion, tion, tious, tial, ture) DESIGNED FOR: Parents and Educators teaching letter sounds, digraphs, and phonics patterns. ESL / EFL Students mastering English pronunciation, phonemic awareness, and spelling. Speech Practice and Study focusing on accurate sound recognition and vocabulary review. If you enjoy Phonics Cards, please take a moment to leave a rating and review on the App Store. Thank you for your support!

Screenshots

EFL Phonics 3rd Edition4 screens
Phonics Cards4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: EFL Phonics 3rd Edition at none against Phonics Cards's 1. EFL Phonics 3rd Edition also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). Phonics Cards's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 36 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Phonics Cards sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. EFL Phonics 3rd Edition asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phonics Cards holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phonics Cards has 52 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EFL Phonics 3rd Edition ships an update every 36 months, Phonics Cards every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
EFL Phonics 3rd Edition versus Phonics Cards: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEFL Phonics 3rd EditionPhonics Cards
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings)4.7 (52 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings352 — better
Update frequencyEvery 36 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size406 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developere-future Co., Ltd.Florithm LLC

Customer experience

EFL Phonics 3rd Edition

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Phonics Cards

All ratings52 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

EFL Phonics 3rd Edition

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Phonics Cards

One-time1
  • Unlock Everything$5.99

Questions

Is EFL Phonics 3rd Edition free?
EFL Phonics 3rd Edition is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phonics Cards free?
Phonics Cards is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, EFL Phonics 3rd Edition or Phonics Cards?
Phonics Cards is rated higher. EFL Phonics 3rd Edition averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Phonics Cards averages 4.7 from 52 ratings.
Do EFL Phonics 3rd Edition or Phonics Cards have ads?
Neither EFL Phonics 3rd Edition nor Phonics Cards shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EFL Phonics 3rd Edition or Phonics Cards?
EFL Phonics 3rd Edition ships an update every 36 months, and Phonics Cards every 4 weeks. Most recently, EFL Phonics 3rd Edition was updated on October 24, 2026 and Phonics Cards on October 24, 2026.

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