Comparison

Articulation IV vs ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe

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

Head to head
About

Articulation IV

Features
Read full description

Speech Therapy for school and home practice! Articulation IV has four of the most common articulation targets—R, S, L, and Th–in the Initial, Medial, Final positions and in Consonant Clusters. Buttons on the screen let you listen to the word, the sounds in the word, a short phrase containing the word, and three sentences. Sentence 1 may add another of the same target. Sentence 2 includes at least 2 of the same target sound and usually is a longer sentence. Sentence 3 likely has multiple target sounds (R, S, L, and/or Th) and will be semantically complex. A clear speech model is presented for the child to imitate and they can record and play back their own speech. The clinician can choose from three scoring methods. 1. Score each response as correct, distorted or incorrect. 2. Score responses as correct, distorted, substituted, or omitted. 3. Score productions based on whether they are spontaneously correct/incorrect or imitatively correct/incorrect. New vocabulary includes words not commonly found in yesterday’s word lists but necessary for today's classroom success such as: compost, awesome, LOL, USB port, browser, search engine, etc. Sort the words by target sound and position. You'll find curriculum-based words including: computer-related words, math, time & measurement, emotions, food, music, sports and games etc… This app uses the content from LocuTour’s Articulation IV CD. There are 475 words and photographs. There are: 85 words in /r/, 189 words in vowel controlled /r/, 212 words in /s/, /z/, 117 words in /l/, 49 words in voiced/voiceless /th/. Words may be in multiple phoneme groups.

About

ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe

This app teaches young children letter sounds using a science-backed phonics approach. It focuses on lowercase letters with engaging visuals and multi-sensory learning to build a strong foundation for reading.

Highlights
  • Master letter sounds
  • Scientifically sound phonics
  • Engaging visuals with photos
  • Multi-sensory learning
  • Repetition and rhythm
  • Lowercase letter focus
  • Distraction-free learning
Features
Read full description

ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 - Learn Letter Sounds the Right Way! Science-Backed Phonics for Early Reading Success! Unlock your child's reading journey with ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2! Built on the foundational Science of Reading, this engaging app focuses on the crucial alphabetic principle, teaching your child the essential sounds of lowercase letters – the key to unlocking reading success. Give your child the fundamental tools they need to become a confident reader. Just as numbers form the basis of math, understanding letter sounds is the cornerstone of reading. By mastering these sounds, your child gains the power to decode words and build a strong reading foundation. ABC Magic Phonics 2 directly addresses the alphabetic principle – the understanding that letters represent sounds and that these sounds can be blended together to form words. Grounded in the Science of Reading, our app prioritizes teaching letter sounds, the most effective way to initiate reading skills. *Master Letter Sounds: Learn the primary sounds of all lowercase letters – the building blocks of 95% of printed text. *Scientifically Sound: Based on the Science of Reading, focusing on the proven method of teaching letter sounds first. *Engaging Visuals: Each letter is paired with four phonetic photo images that clearly represent its sound. *Multi-Sensory Learning: Combines visual (colored letters, photos), auditory (letter sounds, photo names), and kinesthetic (touching to hear) learning. *Repetition & Rhythm: The app's design incorporates repetition and rhythm to aid memorization of letter sounds. *Lowercase Focus: Smartly prioritizes lowercase letters, which make up the vast majority of written words. *Distraction-Free Learning: All unnecessary elements are removed, allowing your child to concentrate on letter-sound associations. *Builds on Prior Learning: A natural progression for children who may have used previous apps in the series. *Prepares for Future Reading: Lays a solid foundation for more advanced phonics skills and reading fluency. Give your child a smart start! Unlike traditional methods, ABC Magic Phonics 2 focuses on lowercase letters first. Why? Because 95% of the words in books and periodicals are in lowercase. By prioritizing these essential letters, you're maximizing your child's learning efficiency. Children actively engage by touching letters to hear their sounds and touching photos to hear their names. This auditory reinforcement, combined with clear visual associations, makes learning fun and effective. Young learners will enjoy repeating the sounds they hear, solidifying their understanding. Created by a team of experienced educators using accelerated learning techniques and Montessori principles, ABC Magic Phonics 2 has been rigorously tested and loved by preschool children. Help us make learning even better! Please share your feedback and suggestions as we continue to improve ABC Magic Phonics 2. Give your child the magic of phonics! Download ABC Magic Phonics 2 today and set them on the path to reading success!

Screenshots

Articulation IV4 screens
ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe at $1.99 against Articulation IV's $9.99. On update cadence, 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

Articulation IV costs $9.99 and ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Articulation IV ships an update every 9 months, ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Articulation IV versus ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArticulation IVABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe
Price$9.99$1.99 — better
Rating—4.3 (43 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—43 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 months — betterEvery 15 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size275 MB109 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLearning Fundamentals, Inc.PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY

In-app purchases

None

Articulation IV

No in-app purchases

None

ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Articulation IV free?
Articulation IV costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe free?
ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Articulation IV or ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe have ads?
Neither Articulation IV nor ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Articulation IV or ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe?
Articulation IV ships an update every 9 months, and ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe every 15 months. Most recently, Articulation IV was updated on October 26, 2026 and ABC MAGIC PHONICS 2 Deluxe on October 24, 2026.

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