Comparison

Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC 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

Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC

This app teaches foundational reading skills for young learners, focusing on rhyming, segmenting, and blending CVC words. It uses a unique "reverse phonics" approach with interactive feedback to build phonemic awareness and improve spelling and reading.

Highlights
  • Teaches CVC words and short vowel sounds
  • Interactive "reverse phonics" approach
  • Phonics hint feature for blending
  • Spelling rule hints
  • Letter-by-letter feedback
  • Supports up to 40 user accounts
  • Progress reports and user stats
Features
Read full description

- Earned a spot as one of the "Best Five Phonics Apps" by Teachers With Apps. Simplex Spelling CVC Words teaches rhyming, segmenting and blending of over 300 three letter CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words covering all five short vowel sounds. The concepts taught are aligned with many of the US Common Core Standards for Foundational Skills in Reading for Kindergarten. Children will learn phonics and the primary letter sounds and letter names for the alphabet while building the phonemic awareness skills that are critical for becoming a fluent speller and reader. Simplex Spelling Phonics improves English spelling and reading skills in a fun and interactive way by combining a unique “reverse phonics” approach with contextually relevant spelling rules that explain why words are spelled in a particular manner. It works like a personal spelling coach with every word. Recommended for ages 4+. Note: You can not create your own spelling lists in Simplex Spelling Phonics - Rhyming With CVC Words. Features: - Over 300 three letter CVC words covering all five short vowel sounds (e.g. cat, sat, pig, wig, log, bog, bug, rug, get, set). - Words are spoken and used in a sentence to establish context. - Introduction seamlessly leads a student through the application’s features by providing spoken information while having the student spell new words. - The keyboard can be customized to speak either the primary phoneme for each letter , or the letter's name as it is typed. - Powerful phonics hint feature sounds out each word by phonemes from left to right to aid with blending and phonemic awareness skills. - The hint feature also provides a mapping of all the possible graphemes that can represent each sound. - Word lists are organized by onsets, rhymes and medial vowels to allow students to understand and spell new words by changing only a single sound from other words in the same list. - Contextually relevant spelling rule hints that help explain “how to spell” English words. - Unique letter by letter feedback system that provides immediate feedback. - Guaranteed success on every word. - Support for up to 40 user accounts. - Export and email student progress reports. - User stats screen that allows you to see words that have been mastered and words that require further practice. - Remembers each user’s position and progress. - Supports both upper and lower case letters. - Supports both alphabetic and QWERTY keyboard layouts. - Supports both US, UK and Canadian English spelling. Privacy Disclosure: - Does not contain 3rd party ads - Does not share any data - Does not contain In-App purchases - Contains child protected links to "email the developer questions" and developer's website for additional information, support and teaching tips. COPPA Compliant https://pyxwise.com/privacy-policy/

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

Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC4 screens
Phonogram Sounds3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Phonogram Sounds at Free against Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC's $4.99. Phonogram Sounds also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (84 vs 9). Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 70%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Phonogram Sounds is free to download; Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC costs $4.99 up front. 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 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phonogram Sounds has 84 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC's written reviews are positive against 70% of Phonogram Sounds's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC ships an update every 13 months, Phonogram Sounds every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on July 21, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC versus Phonogram Sounds: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplex Spelling Phonics CVCPhonogram Sounds
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (9 ratings)4.0 (84 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better69.6% of reviews
Number of ratings984 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size153 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPyxwise Software Inc.All About Learning Press, Inc.

Customer experience

Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Phonogram Sounds

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

In-app purchases

None

Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC

No in-app purchases

None

Phonogram Sounds

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC free?
Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phonogram Sounds free?
Phonogram Sounds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC or Phonogram Sounds?
Phonogram Sounds is rated higher. Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC averages 3.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Phonogram Sounds averages 4.0 from 84 ratings.
Do Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC or Phonogram Sounds have ads?
Neither Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC nor Phonogram Sounds shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC or Phonogram Sounds?
Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC ships an update every 13 months, and Phonogram Sounds every 6 months. Most recently, Simplex Spelling Phonics CVC was updated on July 21, 2026 and Phonogram Sounds on August 13, 2026.

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