Comparison

iSpellBetter vs Phonogram Sounds

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

Head to head
About

iSpellBetter

This educational game makes spelling practice fun and challenging with increasingly difficult word puzzles. It helps users improve their general spelling skills by tapping into their natural ability to form and retrieve visual images of words. The app features adjustable difficulty and power-ups for strategic players.

Highlights
  • Challenging word puzzles
  • Adjustable difficulty modes
  • Power-up system
  • Visual word image retrieval
  • Customizable word lists
  • Upside-down and backwards words
Features
Read full description

Completely updated with a fresh, new look, our iOS 11 version of iSpellBetter reinvents the educational game genre. You’ll believe it when you play it. Like all compelling video games, it is great fun, with increasingly challenging levels, adjustable difficulty modes and delightful surprises for the determined, strategic player. Amazingly, at the same time, you will become a better speller, as you vanquish words that are not just right-side-up, but once you get to Level 4, upside-down, backwards, plus both upside-down and backwards! You had better earn and save your power-ups, since you’re sure to need them. It’s not just practice or a test of what you already know… no letter scramble disguised as a game. Rather, our straightforward and engaging approach taps your natural capacity to form, hold and retrieve visual images. You’ll not only easily and enjoyably learn the words you encounter in the game – including your own word lists, if you choose – you’ll actually become a much better speller in general.

About

Phonogram Sounds

This interactive app provides clear audio pronunciations for letter sounds and combinations, featuring all 72 basic phonograms from a popular language arts curriculum. It's designed to support reading and spelling development for learners of all ages.

Highlights
  • Hear correct pronunciation of sounds
  • Clear enunciation of letters and combinations
  • Includes all 72 basic phonograms
  • Supports reading and spelling skills
  • Interactive learning experience
Features
Read full description

Touch a button and hear the correct pronunciation! *Check that your sound is turned on!* This interactive program features clear enunciation of the sounds of the letters and letter combinations (also known as phonograms). Contains all 72 of the basic phonograms as taught in the All About Reading and All About Spelling language arts curriculum. All About Reading is a multisensory, mastery-based program that starts with essential pre-reading skills and continues on to teach all five key components of reading. All About Spelling teaches encoding skills, spelling rules, and multisensory strategies to help your student become a proficient speller for life. Our lightly scripted “open and go” lesson plans and mastery-based approach leave no gaps and make this curriculum a favorite of homeschool families everywhere. Suitable for all ages and learning styles!

Screenshots

iSpellBetter4 screens
Phonogram Sounds3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Phonogram Sounds at 4.0 against iSpellBetter's 3.3. Phonogram Sounds also leads on update cadence (every 6 months vs every 21 months) and ratings volume (84 vs 7). iSpellBetter's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phonogram Sounds holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phonogram Sounds has 84 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of iSpellBetter's written reviews are positive against 70% of Phonogram Sounds's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iSpellBetter ships an update every 21 months, Phonogram Sounds every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
iSpellBetter versus Phonogram Sounds: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriSpellBetterPhonogram Sounds
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (7 ratings)4.0 (84 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews69.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings784 — better
Update frequencyEvery 21 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNext Learning LLCAll About Learning Press, Inc.

Customer experience

iSpellBetter

All ratings7 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative33.3%

Phonogram Sounds

All ratings84 ratings
Positive70.2%
Neutral14.3%
Negative15.5%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive69.6%
Neutral13.0%
Negative17.4%

Bugs and requests

iSpellBetter

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Phonogram Sounds

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • R says /er/ instead of /r/
  • Sound not working
  • App crashes
  • No sound when tapping phonograms
  • Sound only works with ringer on
Show 2 more
  • List of phonograms cut off on iPad
  • App is stick, no audio, no movement

Requested features

9 requests
  • Videos showing lip/tongue placement
  • Interactive game app
  • App for building words/movable tiles
  • Level-based sound availability
  • Enlarging tapped tile
Show 4 more
  • Adding missing phonograms (Level 6, Spalding)
  • Adding more sounds for /i/, /e/, /x/, /ou/, /ei/, /oe/, /wor/, /ear/
  • Spelling lists for review
  • All About Reading app with word reading

In-app purchases

None

iSpellBetter

No in-app purchases

None

Phonogram Sounds

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iSpellBetter free?
iSpellBetter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phonogram Sounds free?
Phonogram Sounds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iSpellBetter or Phonogram Sounds?
Phonogram Sounds is rated higher. iSpellBetter averages 3.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Phonogram Sounds averages 4.0 from 84 ratings.
Do iSpellBetter or Phonogram Sounds have ads?
Neither iSpellBetter nor Phonogram Sounds shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iSpellBetter or Phonogram Sounds?
iSpellBetter ships an update every 21 months, and Phonogram Sounds every 6 months. Most recently, iSpellBetter was updated on October 6, 2026 and Phonogram Sounds on October 8, 2026.

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