Sound It Out Spelling

Not sure how to spell a word? Simply sound it out. Start spelling the word one letter at a time, and Sound It Out Spelling tries to guess your word.

It's okay if you spell the word incorrectly, Sound It Out still tries to guess the word you're trying to spell and notifies you about the misspelling.

Not sure you've ended up with the right word? Simply ask Sound It Out to speak the word or provide a definition.

Not sure how to start spelling the word? Simply speak the word using the dictation feature, and Sound It Out will spell the word for you.

• Provides a self-help tool for those learning to spell
• Suggests words as you type
• Highlights word in red when spelled incorrectly
• Suggests words for incorrectly spelled word
• Speaks selected word
• Asks choice when dictating homonyms (eg. to, two, and too)
• Provides definition for selected word
• Interactive learning improves retention
• Builds spelling confidence
• Allows the student to work independently
• Faster and more fun than using a printed dictionary
• More effective than a printed dictionary

(The dictation feature requires Siri. Internet access is required for Siri usage and cellular data charges may apply.)

My 9-year-old son has been getting a lot of handwriting assignments in school. I realized that I was spending a lot of time spelling words for him. "Dad, how do you spell, allergies?" I would spell it out, "A-L-L-E-R-G-I-E-S," and he would just write it out, one letter at a time. Once he was finished, he didn't go back and read the word again. Instead, he just continued on to the next word. It didn't seem like a good way to learn, and we don't even own a printed dictionary like my parents had.

So, I invented Sound It Out. With Sound It Out, my son starts the word by sounding it out, chooses the right word, reads the word in its entirety on the screen, and then copies the word by hand on paper. We can monitor his usage of the app, and ensure that he's only using the dictation feature as a last resort.

Sound It Out is a fun and effective way to learn. Now that my son can work independently, I can turn my attention to my 6-year-old who's chasing the cat, for who knows what.