First Words Phonics Pro vs Write the alphabet
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First Words Phonics Pro
This educational app teaches children reading and spelling through synthetic phonics. It offers two learning levels and various hint options to customize difficulty, making learning engaging with colorful visuals and sound effects.
- Synthetic phonics learning levels
- Learn words and spelling
- Letter recognition and matching
- Interactive exploration interface
- Child-friendly user interface
- Engaging artwork and sound effects
- 121 words in 5 categories
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"First Words for Kids" includes all 121 words across Animals, Vehicles, Shapes and Colours, Household Items and Numbers. Everything is included with no in-app purchases needed. Three hint settings (colour hints, letter hints, and combined hints) together with five difficulty settings let you fine-tune the challenge as your child grows. The thumbnail navigation lets children explore all words freely, with no time pressure and no countdowns. Used by parents and educators. Featured by Apple on the US App Store in Games/Educational and Games/Kids. ________________________________ SYNTHETIC PHONICS "First Words for Kids" uses synthetic phonics to help children learn to read by linking each letter and letter combination to its sound, then showing how those sounds blend into full words. This is the evidence-based approach recommended by national literacy frameworks in the UK, the US and Australia. Two phonics levels are included: Synthetic Phonics Basic: introduces blending using simple, single-sound phonemes. Designed for children who are just starting out. Synthetic Phonics Advanced: introduces graphemes (letter groups that represent one sound), digraphs (two letters that together make a new sound), and letters with more than one sound. For children ready for a bigger challenge. The app was designed with children who have autism and speech delay in mind. No timers. No pressure. A clean interface that moves at the child's pace. ________________________________ THE MISSION ReadnLearn exists because of Marios. Aris's son has autism and speech delay. Every design decision in every ReadnLearn app comes from watching Marios learn. What works for him works for every child who learns differently. readnlearn.com/the-mission-autism-educational-tools/ ________________________________ FEATURES ● All 121 words across 5 categories, fully included ● Letter sounds through two levels of synthetic phonics, plus letter names ● Learn words and how to spell them ● Recognise upper and lowercase letters and match them to words ● Three hint settings to control how much support the child receives ● Six difficulty settings that grow with the child ● Thumbnail navigation so children can explore all words freely ● Tap any image to hear its sound and name ● Interface designed for small fingers ● Colourful artwork with animations and sound effects ● Studio recordings of all letters, words and spelling ● No timers. No pressure. No ads. No in-app purchases. ● Flight Mode reminder for uninterrupted offline use ________________________________ KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE We follow the Know What's Inside best practices for children's apps, set by Moms with Apps. ________________________________ DISCLOSURE At ReadnLearn, children's privacy and safety come first: ◇ Does not collect or share personally identifiable information ◇ No social network links or social features ◇ No ads ◇ No in-app purchases ◇ Feedback and Tell a Friend buttons are behind a parental gate ◇ More Games button and page are behind a parental gate Privacy policy: readnlearn.com/kids-learning-apps/privacy/ Support: readnlearn.com/kids-learning-apps/#support ________________________________ IF THIS APP HELPED YOUR CHILD Leaving an honest review helps other families with autism, speech delay and learning differences find this app. And if there is something you want added or changed, tell us. Every piece of feedback shapes the next update. app-feedback@readnlearn.com ________________________________ ABOUT ReadnLearn ReadnLearn was founded by Aris Karavias, a children's illustrator and educational app developer with 27 years of experience and 25 published educational apps. His son Marios has autism and speech delay. Every design decision in every app comes from watching Marios learn. The apps have been downloaded over a million times across six languages. Questions or feedback: app-feedback@readnlearn.com Support: app-support@readnlearn.com readnlearn.com
Write the alphabet
This app helps children learn to draw and practice writing letters of the alphabet. It uses a letter drawing algorithm to provide feedback and offers rewards for correct attempts. Two mini-games are included to make learning the alphabet fun and engaging.
- Letter drawing guidance
- Practice copying letters
- Mistake indication algorithm
- Rewards for correct attempts
- Two mini-games
- Alphabet experimentation
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Learning to write begins with learning to draw letters. Through this application, kids will discover how to draw letter, and will be able to practice copying the letter's drawing. A letter drawing algorithm will indicate where mistakes were made and offer rewards if none were made (only on iPad). 2 additional mini games will extend kids experimentations with the alphabet while having fun. This game is part of your "Learning is fun" educational game collection. Visit our website for more info: http://ar-entertainment.net/learning/ipad.html or http://ar-entertainment.net/learning/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: First Words Phonics Pro at 4.3 against Write the alphabet's 2.0. First Words Phonics Pro also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Write the alphabet's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
First Words Phonics Pro costs $4.99 and Write the alphabet $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
First Words Phonics Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Words Phonics Pro has 22 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of First Words Phonics Pro's written reviews are positive against 50% of Write the alphabet's.
First Words Phonics Pro ships an update every 2 months, Write the alphabet every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Words Phonics Pro | Write the alphabet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (22 ratings) — better | 2.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Read 'n' Learn | Alexandre Minard |
Customer experience
First Words Phonics Pro
Write the alphabet
In-app purchases
First Words Phonics Pro
No in-app purchases
Write the alphabet
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Words Phonics Pro free?
Is Write the alphabet free?
Which has better reviews, First Words Phonics Pro or Write the alphabet?
Do First Words Phonics Pro or Write the alphabet have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Words Phonics Pro or Write the alphabet?
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