Comparison

First Phrases Lite vs Verb Expert!

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

Head to head
About

First Phrases Lite

This app helps toddlers and children learning basic English phrases to develop language skills. It uses interactive animations and audio to teach verb-noun combinations, encouraging both listening and speaking practice.

Highlights
  • Interactive animations
  • Audio and visual learning
  • Record and playback speech
  • Verb + noun phrase practice
  • Speech therapy support
  • Early literacy development
Features
Read full description

This interactive, beautifully illustrated and animated app for the iPad, iPhone and Mac is perfect for the toddler or speech-delayed child who is learning how to put two-three words together or any child who is learning basic English phrases. Developed by an experienced speech-language pathologist, this app provides many opportunities to both hear (receptive), see, and say/record (expressive) 10 different verb + noun combinations, such as: eat the carrot, drive the train, close the door, drink the juice, sleep on the bed, turn on the light, and more. A delightful cat performs them, with 28 possible animation combinations. It is also a great way to teach the article “the” in a meaningful phrase context. **For more verb and character choices, we suggest upgrading to the full version of this app. First Phrases Lite includes user settings for 1 child and 1 guest player. Only one user can keep data. Hamaguchi Apps is dedicated to the mission of bringing high-quality apps to the general public and professionals for affordable prices. We do not have subscriptions for our apps--you download them and they are yours. How you play: Tell the cat what to do! By touching the illustrated parts of the phrases in order (verb+ object forms: “eat the carrot”) the child hears the pre-recorded spoken phrase modeled. The user has the option to repeat this action once, twice or three times in the settings for maximum auditory input. The child then watches an animation of the cat performing the command to help the child associate the words and their meaning. Now it’s the child’s turn to say it and tell the cat what to do! Touch the microphone and record, listen again, and watch the animal follow your direction. Use the optional visual support by tapping on the shapes above the microphone. An adult can score the parts of the phrases. All correct? The cat gives a thumbs up and we hear a praise phrase such as "Awesome!". Tap on End Session to see the data and replay any missed items. This format is especially powerful for children with speech delays and autism spectrum disorders who need strong visual support with as little background clutter as possible, and for use in speech therapy sessions. The format also is a terrific way to support early literacy for left to right orientation, reading (with text on feature) and word boundaries. Options include text on/text off, recording feature on/off, presentation of the phrase in 3 segments (verb + the + object) or 2 segments (verb + the object). Developed by noted speech-language pathologist Patti Hamaguchi, who is the author of several books in the speech-language pathology field including, "Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know". Patti is also the author or co-author of several standardized tests including the RESCA-E, the TAPS4, the ELCI and upcoming tests the RESCA-ELD, RESCA-A and the Hamaguchi Speech-Language Screening Test. PRIVACY POLICY: We do NOT collect personal data from our users and have no ads! Personal data regarding user performance on the tasks on this app are self-contained and not transmitted in any way to any third parties including us. It is on your device only. *Please contact our tech support at info@hamaguchiapps.com if you are experiencing any technical issues with our apps. We will always help you troubleshoot it and get back to you generally within one business day. To find out more about this app and our other upcoming projects, visit our website: www.hamaguchiapps.com

About

Verb Expert!

This app helps learners master English verb tenses through a fun, game-like experience. It offers graduated practice with regular and irregular verbs, providing hints and tracking progress. Designed for children and adults learning English, it aims to build essential grammar skills for academic success.

Highlights
  • Practice English verb tenses
  • Regular and irregular verbs
  • Graduated practice levels
  • Progress tracking
  • Hint system for errors
  • Motivating reward center
  • Reporting for up to 10 players
Features
Read full description

** Happy Frog Apps is a Mom’s Choice Award Winner! Also featured on FunEducationalApps.com, TeachersWithApps.com, and more! ** Verb Expert quickly develops your learner's English verb skills. Learning happens in a fun game-like environment that motivates even hesitant learners. What parents say about our awesome apps: *** 5 stars! Brilliant! An app that understands how kids actually learn. Thank you!
 *** 5 stars! My kids love this app because of the fun, silly sentences. I love it because it works!  
 Verb Expert! provides: -- Graduated practice at using each of the tenses with regular and irregular verbs. The app covers present, present progressive, future and past tense. -- Students progress only when they demonstrate mastery. -- Hints promote learning when students make an error. -- Fun sentences keep students motivated. -- 'At a glance' reporting shows you instantly how your learner is doing and where more work is needed. Being able to use verbs correctly is a key requirement for school success. This app provides a motivating environment for your learner to develop these important skills. Our app is designed for children with language delays and adults or children learning English. Other benefits: - FRUSTRATION FREE: Your child will always be guided to the correct answer.
 REWARD CENTER: Fun and engaging Reward Center increases motivation. - EASY TO USE. Can be used independently (just hand it over: your child will know what to do!) or with a therapist/parent for intervention. - EXTENSIVE REPORTING: for up to 10 players to suit the needs of parents, teachers and therapists.
 Our apps are designed for and tested by typical and special needs children. Testers include children with Autism and other special needs. Our apps work for them! 
To evaluate the app, download the free version, which has 4 free levels. Additional levels and additional players can be accessed with in-app purchases. (All levels can be purchased for $2.99 -- price may change.) 

If you prefer no in-app purchases, download the School Edition of this app, which includes all levels and up to 10 players. We take customer service very seriously! If you ever have a problem or find that we've missed something, contact us at our website and we will do our best to fix the problem.  We collect NO private information in our app. None! Our apps do not allow unrestricted web or social media access. We conform to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

Screenshots

First Phrases Lite4 screens
Verb Expert!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Phrases Lite at 86% against Verb Expert!'s 0%. First Phrases Lite also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 110 months). Verb Expert!'s advantage is iOS requirement (12.2 vs 16.6). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Verb Expert! sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. First Phrases Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Phrases Lite ships an update every 4 months, Verb Expert! every 110 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
First Phrases Lite versus Verb Expert!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst Phrases LiteVerb Expert!
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews86.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 110 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.612.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size612 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHamaguchi Learning & Development, LLCJanine Toole

Customer experience

First Phrases Lite

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive86.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative4.0%

Verb Expert!

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

First Phrases Lite

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Verb Expert!

One-time3
  • Add an extra user$1.99
  • All Levels$2.99
  • 10 Users$2.99

Questions

Is First Phrases Lite free?
First Phrases Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Verb Expert! free?
Verb Expert! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do First Phrases Lite or Verb Expert! have ads?
Neither First Phrases Lite nor Verb Expert! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, First Phrases Lite or Verb Expert!?
First Phrases Lite ships an update every 4 months, and Verb Expert! every 110 months. Most recently, First Phrases Lite was updated on October 23, 2026 and Verb Expert! on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons