Comparison

Action Words vs Articulation Arcade

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

Head to head
About

Action Words

This app uses gorgeous photographs to help children learn over 100 action words. It's designed for easy use by toddlers and older kids, with customizable features for parents and teachers. It's great for language learning, special needs education, and engaging discussions.

Highlights
  • Learn over 100 action words
  • Gorgeous photographs illustrating actions
  • Customizable word lists
  • Introduce words one at a time
  • Add new concepts easily
  • Grouped by difficulty level
  • Engaging for kids of all ages
Features
Read full description

"Omg... these pictures are amazing. What a fun way to learn action words!" Endorsed by tens of thousands of satisfied parents, teachers, and kids the world over. When it comes to learning a new language, action words are one of the best ways to get started regardless of age. The app is so easy to use that even toddlers will delight in the gorgeous pictures as they start to explore and learn over 100 new action words. This app focused on helping kids learn new action words by showing gorgeous photographs where the actions are clearly acted out. WHY PARENTS AND TEACHERS LOVE THIS APP ● The app is super easy to customize so you can adjust everything to your liking ● You can turn individual action words ON or OFF and introduce one new action word at a time ● The app is super easy to use for kids of all ages and all abilities ● You can add new concepts (actions, emotions, etc.) in one click ● The app comes loaded with over 100 action words grouped by level of difficulty ● Great for kids with special needs ● The app is great for having discussions, asking questions, and engaging with kids WHY KIDS AND STUDENTS WILL LOVE IT TOO ● 500+ gorgeous photos keep kids engaged and wanting more ● The app if fun, simple, and easy to use ● Kids love hearing everything in mommy's or daddy's voice ● Wrong answers do not interfere with gameplay HEROIC SUPPORT Heroic Support is not just what we do.  It's really what makes us, well, us.  It's that drive to make a difference in your life - no matter how big or small.  Really, it's our way of life because we want you to be our customer for a lifetime of fun and learning. Have questions?  We are here to help.  Email us at support@alligatorapps.com

About

Articulation Arcade

This app provides interactive games and activities designed to help children improve their speech clarity and pronounce sounds correctly. It offers customizable practice levels from words to sentences, with over 1400 high-quality images to support learning.

Highlights
  • Interactive articulation games
  • Word, phrase, and sentence level practice
  • Over 1400 high-quality photos
  • Customizable sound practice
  • User profiles for children
  • Record spoken productions
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Articulation Arcade brings speech sound practice, a wide variety of games, progress tracking, and rewards together in one easy-to-use app. Choose a target speech sound, pick a game, and start practicing — whether that means kicking goals in Kick & Say, climbing ladders in Snakes & Ladders, or launching the slingshot in Knockdown. The app handles the flashcards, scoring, and data, so you can focus on supporting each child’s speech. Created by a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP), Articulation Arcade is designed specifically for children with speech sound delay or speech sound disorder. Built with SLPs in mind, it’s also simple enough for parents and teachers to use at home or in the classroom with guidance from a speech professional. Fun, interactive games and a star reward system keep kids motivated and celebrate every step of their speech progress. **PERFECT FOR** * Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and SLP assistants in schools, clinics, and private practice * Teletherapy and in-person sessions alike * Early intervention and preschool speech therapy * Special education teachers and support staff * Parents supporting speech practice at home * Kids working on articulation and phonology goals **HOW IT WORKS** Pick an articulation game or the Flashcards activity, choose your target sound and word position (initial, medial, or final), and start. On each turn, a flashcard pops up and the child says their target word, phrase, or sentence as many times as needed. Score each production as correct, approximately correct, or incorrect — no separate data sheet required. **9 ARTICULATION GAMES** * Kick & Say — kick the ball to collect pictures and score a goal. * Snakes & Ladders — take turns climbing ladders and dodging snakes. * Knockdown — pull the slingshot and launch the ball at the stack. * Four in a Row — line up four counters to win. * Tic Tac Toe — get three in a row to win the game. * Matching — find the matching picture pairs. * Bingo — hear the word, find the picture, and stamp it. * Spin the Wheel — spin and land on a picture. * Scratchcards — scratch to reveal the flashcard beneath. Kick & Say includes a two-player mode, and Snakes & Ladders supports up to four players — so kids can play against their SLP or parent, or take turns in group therapy sessions. **STAR REWARDS** Kids earn a star for every production marked correct, then spend their stars to unlock Kick & Say teams, Bingo stamps, and Snakes & Ladders game pieces. A Star Progress screen shows what they’ve unlocked and how many stars they need to reach the next reward — a simple motivator that encourages kids to practice even more. **WHAT’S INSIDE** * Over 1,400 real-life photos — real objects, not cartoons, to support generalization. * All 22 English consonant sound programs, plus l, r, and s blends. * Sounds targeted in initial, medial, and final positions. * Word, phrase, and sentence level practice. * Approximately 60 target words for most speech sounds. **BUILT FOR SPEECH THERAPY** * An individual profile for each child. * Record and play back productions to monitor responses. * Email a results summary — no data sheets, no printing, no prep. * Results tracking and built-in data storage. * Works fully offline — no Wi-Fi required, perfect for any therapy room or on the go. **ONE-TIME PURCHASE** — no subscriptions, no monthly fees. Buy once and keep it forever. 9 games, real photos, and automatic data recording — everything you need to make articulation practice something kids look forward to. Download Articulation Arcade and see the difference in your next speech therapy session.

Screenshots

Action Words4 screens
Articulation Arcade4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Action Words at $0.99 against Articulation Arcade's $59.99. Action Words also leads on ratings volume (154 vs 50) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). Articulation Arcade's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and update cadence (weekly vs every 31 months). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Action Words costs $0.99 and Articulation Arcade $59.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Articulation Arcade holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 154 and 50 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Action Words's written reviews are positive against 100% of Articulation Arcade's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Action Words ships an update every 31 months, Articulation Arcade weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Action Words versus Articulation Arcade: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAction WordsArticulation Arcade
Price$0.99 — better$59.99
Rating4.4 (154 ratings)4.9 (50 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings154 — better50
Update frequencyEvery 31 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#197 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB350 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInnovative Mobile AppsAptus Speech and Language Therapy Limited

Customer experience

Action Words

All ratings154 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral6.5%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive85.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative10.5%

Articulation Arcade

All ratings50 ratings
Positive98.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Action Words

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Sound does not work or loads improperly
  • App crashes when attempting to record custom sounds
  • Unable to change number of pictures displayed despite app claiming this feature
  • Inconsistent app behavior with audio loading
  • Navigation issues when paging backwards
Show 1 more
  • Unclear audio pronunciation in some recordings

Requested features

12 requests
  • Single photo/flashcard mode option
  • Adjustable number of pictures displayed (start with 2, progress to 4)
  • Animated or video demonstrations of actions
  • Background music and visual/sonic feedback for wrong answers
  • Ability to repeat audio prompts on demand
Show 7 more
  • Progress tracking and data collection
  • Hide/disable concepts without deleting them
  • Slower auto-transition speed or manual page control
  • More school-oriented action scenarios
  • Player profiles for customization without deleting concepts
  • Visual feedback (fireworks, animations) for correct answers
  • Comprehensive default sound set included

Articulation Arcade

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Action Words

No in-app purchases

None

Articulation Arcade

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Action Words free?
Action Words costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Articulation Arcade free?
Articulation Arcade costs $59.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Action Words or Articulation Arcade?
Articulation Arcade is rated higher. Action Words averages 4.4 out of 5 from 154 ratings, while Articulation Arcade averages 4.9 from 50 ratings.
Do Action Words or Articulation Arcade have ads?
Neither Action Words nor Articulation Arcade shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Action Words or Articulation Arcade?
Action Words ships an update every 31 months, and Articulation Arcade weekly. Most recently, Action Words was updated on October 4, 2026 and Articulation Arcade on October 8, 2026.

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