Build a spelling practice app: this week's list, read aloud and tested on the device

How spelling practice works best

The method many schools use is look, say, cover, write, check: see the word, say it, hide it, write it from memory, and compare. It works because it asks the child to recall the spelling rather than copy it. An app can run that sequence exactly, and add two things a paper list can't: spaced repetition of the words a child got wrong, and a record of which words keep tripping them up across weeks.

Spelling lists usually follow a pattern (words ending in -tion, a silent letter, a prefix), so show the pattern on the list screen. Children who notice the rule spell new words in the same family more reliably than those who memorise each word separately.

Practice modes to ask for

Learn

The word is shown and spoken with an example sentence. The child taps to hear it again, then types it while it's still visible.

Look, cover, write, check

The word is shown, then hidden. The child types it from memory and sees their attempt beside the correct spelling, with the differing letters highlighted.

Test

The word is only spoken, in a random order, as at school. Results at the end, with each mistake shown kindly.

Tricky words

A mixed practice of every word the child has misspelt recently, from this week's list and earlier ones.

Spelling bee

One word at a time, spelled letter by letter, with a timer and a calm sound for each correct word. Good for older children preparing for a competition.

Words read aloud

The app uses the speech voices built into the browser and the device, so the app itself records nothing and sends nothing anywhere. The trade-off is that what you hear depends on the device: voices, accents and quality differ between phones, tablets and computers. Ask for a voice picker and a slower speed option, and listen to a few words on the device your child will use. Some words are ambiguous out loud (their, there, they're), which is why each word should carry an example sentence you type in, such as "They put their coats on."

If a device's voices are poor, or speech doesn't work on it, the app can fall back to showing the example sentence with a gap, and a parent can read the word instead.

Describe it to Anticode

"A spelling practice app for a nine-year-old's weekly school list. I add a list with a title, the pattern (for example 'words ending in -ous') and up to 20 words, each with an example sentence. Each word is spoken by the browser's speech voices, with a voice picker and slow mode. Modes: learn, look-cover-write-check, test and tricky words. Show differing letters in a different colour when wrong. Keep every list and result in this browser, with a history of test scores and a list of words misspelt more than once. Large clear font with good letter spacing, and a dyslexia-friendly option."

Typing in each week's list takes a couple of minutes. Children who are old enough can do it themselves, which is useful practice in its own right.

Limits

• Typed answers only. The app has no microphone access, so it can't listen to a child spell a word aloud.
• Voices vary by device, and the app can't download better ones.
• No teacher view. Results stay on the device; nothing reaches school.
• No sync. Lists and results on the family tablet won't appear on a phone. Ask for an export to a file if you want to move them.
• No ready-made curriculum lists from outside sources. You type in the lists your school sends.

For maths practice, the times tables app uses the same short-session, focus-on-mistakes approach. For vocabulary in a new language, see the flashcard app and language learning app pages.

Questions people ask

Can a spelling practice app read words in a British accent?

It uses whatever voices the device has. Many devices include British English voices; ask for a voice picker and choose one.

Does it need an internet connection?

The app itself makes no network requests. Whether a device's voices work offline depends on the device, so test it.

Can it help with dyslexia?

It can offer a clearer font, larger spacing, slower speech and untimed tests. It isn't a specialist intervention, so talk to the school too.