Comparison

Phonograms by SEI vs iPhonogram

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

Head to head
About

Phonograms by SEI

This app helps students learn the connection between speech sounds and written symbols (phonograms). Mastering phonograms is crucial for accurate reading, writing, and spelling, expanding vocabulary and improving communication skills.

Highlights
  • Learn phonogram sound-symbol relationships
  • Phonogram introduction by group
  • Oral phonogram review with sound check
  • Written phonogram review with writing practice
  • Differentiated practice for specific phonograms
  • Supports phonemic awareness and letter recognition
Features
Read full description

Welcome to The Spalding Method ™ Phonograms app! NOTICE: Upon installing this mobile application, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions. This Spalding Phonograms app is designed for helping students learn the phonics connection between speech sounds and written symbols that represent those sounds (phonograms). Learning the phonograms is essential for accurate and automatic reading, writing, and spelling. Teaching all the sounds of the phonemes represented by an alphabet letter or combination of two, three, or four letters (phonograms) enables students to read, spell, and write high-frequency words quickly. Students who learn the phonograms well expand their vocabulary and are able to use effective and creative communication skills in writing. Critical thinking is involved in learning the appropriate phonogram placement within words for accurate spelling and for applying information learned during phonogram reviews to pronounce unfamiliar words. The Spalding Phonograms app is for students that need additional practice, including home schooling, ESL (English as a Second Language), ELL (English Language Learners), ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students, and those with dyslexia or other learning disabilities. The school and home connection is encouraged through collaboration and communication with the teacher, parent, and student for practicing the phonograms appropriately and adequately. The Spalding Phonograms app aligns with the core reading foundational skills required by state and national standards that are most crucial to the development of early reading success and reading comprehension, including: • Phonemic awareness • Feature recognition • Letter recognition • Sound-symbol relationships (decoding) The Spalding Phonograms app provides the following options for all 87 phonograms. • Phonogram Introduction by selected group – The student sees the phonograms in order of instruction in The Writing Road to Reading, listens to the teacher say the sound(s), and then says the sound(s). • Oral Phonogram Review – A random phonogram card is show, followed by a pause. The student says the sound(s) and then listens to check accuracy. • Written Phonogram Review –The student hears the phonogram sounds, followed by a pause; the student repeats the sound(s), listens for a cue, if needed, and then writes the phonogram on lined paper. The card is immediately shown so the student can check for accuracy. • Differentiated Practice – Specific phonograms (from all 87) can be selected that need more practice. These phonograms can then be practiced in Phonogram Introduction, Oral Phonogram Review, or Written Phonogram Review.

About

iPhonogram

This app helps children and students improve reading skills by teaching phonics. It offers a wide range of phonogram sounds and interactive exercises to make learning engaging and fun. Users can search, sort, and create custom phonogram lists for personalized practice.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive phonogram sound collection
  • Interactive learning interface
  • Searchable phonogram database
  • Sort phonograms by type
  • Custom phonogram list creation
  • Personalized study and practice
Features
Read full description

Phonograms, also known as graphemes or letter combinations, are units of written language that represent specific sounds or phonemes.  They are the building blocks of phonics, which is the method of teaching and learning the relationship between sounds and letters. So, are you looking for an effective way to help your child or students improve their reading skills? Look no further!  iPhonogram is the perfect app designed to make learning phonics engaging and fun.  With a comprehensive collection of phonogram sounds and interactive interface, iPhonogram is your go-to app for mastering reading proficiency Using iPhonogram : • Search Phonograms for the fastest selection • Sort Phonograms between Alphabet, Multi-Letter, All(Phonograms) and Custom • Pick and choose your own custom Phonograms for personalized studies and practices Happy learning!

Screenshots

Phonograms by SEI4 screens
iPhonogram4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: iPhonogram at Free against Phonograms by SEI's $3.99. iPhonogram also leads on rating (4.2 vs 1.8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). Phonograms by SEI's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#19 vs unranked). On 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

iPhonogram is free to download; Phonograms by SEI costs $3.99 up front. iPhonogram sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Phonograms by SEI asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iPhonogram holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phonograms by SEI has 220 ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Phonograms by SEI's written reviews are positive against 33% of iPhonogram's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phonograms by SEI ships an update every 4 months, iPhonogram fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Phonograms by SEI versus iPhonogram: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhonograms by SEIiPhonogram
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating1.8 (220 ratings)4.2 (27 ratings) — better
Positive reviews19.8% of reviews33.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings220 — better27
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#19 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpalding Education InternationalWozete LLC

Customer experience

Phonograms by SEI

All ratings220 ratings
Positive16.8%
Neutral5.0%
Negative78.2%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive19.8%
Neutral7.7%
Negative72.5%

iPhonogram

All ratings27 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral3.7%
Negative18.5%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

Phonograms by SEI

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Sound not playing despite volume settings being correct
  • Written phonogram review displays blank screen
  • App requires phone ringer to be off silent mode for audio
  • Letters not visible in dark mode display
  • Written practice button 'Show Me' displays nothing
Show 7 more
  • Inconsistent sound functionality requiring app restart
  • Phonograms not displaying in correct font style
  • App crashes frequently on older devices
  • Cannot advance to next phonogram in some cases
  • Sound cuts out after partial completion
  • App stops functioning after updates
  • Slow download speed for phonogram files

Requested features

12 requests
  • Save selected phonogram lists for future sessions
  • Allow writing directly in the app instead of on paper
  • Add FAQ or troubleshooting guide
  • Implement dark mode compatibility
  • Enable sound to work while phone is on silent
Show 7 more
  • Add feedback system like Duolingo for practice
  • Provide cursive and print writing options
  • Allow random phonogram selection without sequential playback
  • Improve visual design and user interface
  • Add multiple differentiated practice lists per user
  • Include audio cues for writing instructions
  • Create lesson overview or search functionality

iPhonogram

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Phonograms by SEI

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

iPhonogram

One-time1
  • Unlock More Features$9.99

Questions

Is Phonograms by SEI free?
Phonograms by SEI costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is iPhonogram free?
iPhonogram is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phonograms by SEI or iPhonogram?
iPhonogram is rated higher. Phonograms by SEI averages 1.8 out of 5 from 220 ratings, while iPhonogram averages 4.2 from 27 ratings.
Do Phonograms by SEI or iPhonogram have ads?
Neither Phonograms by SEI nor iPhonogram shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phonograms by SEI or iPhonogram?
Phonograms by SEI ships an update every 4 months, and iPhonogram fortnightly. Most recently, Phonograms by SEI was updated on October 11, 2026 and iPhonogram on October 6, 2026.

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