TMR Memory Test vs PhoneticSleep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TMR Memory Test
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TMR Memory Test application is used for conducting targeted memory reactivation (TMR) experiment in education purposes. Newly acquired information is stabilized into long-term memory through the process of consolidation. Memories are not static; rather, they are constantly updated via reactivation, and this reactivation occurs preferentially during Slow-Wave Sleep. This application uses method called targeted memory reactivation, whereby auditory cues that were previously associated with learning are re-presented during sleep, triggering recall of stored memories and through this strengthening these memories.
PhoneticSleep
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PhoneticSleep uses targeted memory reactivation (TMR): you study a small set of sounds or words in the evening, the same items are replayed quietly during early sleep, and you test recall in the morning. Learning new material from scratch while asleep is not supported by the research. The night session therefore only ever replays what you already studied — nothing new is introduced while you sleep. HOW A NIGHT WORKS 1. Evening — drill a small set until you recall each item twice in a row. 2. Night — after a sleep-onset delay, the cued items replay quietly during the first sleep cycles, then stop. 3. Half held back — half of what you learned is never replayed. That half is your own control group. 4. Morning — cued and uncued items are scored separately, so you can see whether it worked for you. SOUNDS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SPEECH Every sound is synthesised on your device with a Klatt-style source–filter model: a glottal pulse train with natural jitter and shimmer, passed through resonators tuned to that phoneme's formants. Fricatives use a noise source placed where that sound's energy really sits. Stops are a silent closure, a burst, and — where the language has it — aspiration. Formant targets glide between neighbouring sounds, so a consonant leaves its trace on the following vowel. 8 LANGUAGES Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Turkish. REAL WORDS, REAL TRANSCRIPTIONS Word mode uses dictionary pronunciations from Wiktionary (via WikiPron), filtered to the sounds each language actually uses. Everything is bundled, so nothing needs a network connection at night. ALSO INCLUDED • Wake-up alarm that rings through Silent mode and Focus • Pronunciation check — say a word and the on-device recogniser tells you whether it was understood • Apple Watch sleep stages, read back the next morning to annotate your night • Optional binaural sound bed for masking room noise • Phoneme explorer with IPA symbols, formant data and example words • Progress view comparing cued against uncued scores across nights WHAT THIS APP DOES NOT CLAIM The published studies time each cue to a slow wave detected by EEG. An iPhone cannot read brain activity, so this app uses an open-loop schedule instead: a sleep-onset delay, then a bounded window during the first sleep cycles. Effects reported in the literature are modest and vary between people. Binaural beats are offered for comfort and masking; evidence that they improve memory consolidation is weak and mixed, and they are not part of the protocol. The in-app Evidence page lists the supporting studies and the limits in full. No account and no sign-in. Nothing you study leaves your device. A subscription unlocks all 8 languages and every feature. Payment is charged to your Apple ID; subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Terms of Use (EULA): https://djenkjilmazz-tech.github.io/phoneticsleep-site/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://djenkjilmazz-tech.github.io/phoneticsleep-site/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TMR Memory Test at none against PhoneticSleep's 2. TMR Memory Test also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. PhoneticSleep sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. TMR Memory Test asks for nothing beyond the download.
TMR Memory Test ships an update every 3 weeks, PhoneticSleep every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 17, 2026.
| Parameter | TMR Memory Test | PhoneticSleep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Backyard Brains | cenk yilmaz |
In-app purchases
TMR Memory Test
No in-app purchases
PhoneticSleep
- Pro Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Pro Yearly3 Days trial$5.991 Year
Questions
Is TMR Memory Test free?
Is PhoneticSleep free?
Do TMR Memory Test or PhoneticSleep have ads?
Which is updated more often, TMR Memory Test or PhoneticSleep?
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