Learning to Read, One Sound at a Time
28 levels across 8 zones — from single letter sounds to blends, Magic E, vowel teams and syllable division. Every rule taught in order, every exception taught honestly.
28 Levels
Letter sounds → syllables
8 Zones
Grouped by age and skill
84 Stars
Up to 3 per level
2,009 Clips
Every word, recorded
How Children Actually Learn to Read
Reading isn't guessing from pictures. It's knowing which sound each letter pattern makes — and being able to blend those sounds fast.
Decoding, not memorising
Children learn to break a word into sounds and build it back up. That skill works on words they have never seen — memorised word lists don't.
One rule at a time, in order
Each level only uses patterns already taught. No level asks a child to read something the path hasn't prepared them for.
Proven with nonsense words
Word Detective hands your child invented “alien” words. You cannot memorise a word that doesn't exist — cracking it proves real reading.
All 28 Levels, Start to Finish
Levels 1–3 are free in the app. Everything below is the real curriculum — the same order, the same example words your child will meet.
FoundationLevels 1–2
Age 3-4
🔤Letter Sounds
Free in appEvery letter has its own sound
🍎Short Vowels
Free in app/a/ ant · /e/ egg · /i/ ink · /o/ ox · /u/ up
Early BlendingLevels 3–5
Age 4-5
🔗2-Sound Blending
Free in appVC: at, an, in, up · CV: ba, ma, si, do
🐱CVC Words
Try it here →cat, dog, pig, sit, bug
📏Short Vowel Spelling Rules
In the app-ff/-ll/-ss/-zz off, bell, miss · -ck duck, back · -ng ring, song
Word PatternsLevel 6
Age 5-6
👨👩👧Word Families
In the app-at bat, cat · -en hen, ten · -ig big, pig · -og log, dog · -un sun, run
Blends & DigraphsLevels 7–10
Age 6-7
🌟Beginning Blends
In the appbl, cl, fl, pl, sl · br, cr, dr, fr, gr, tr · sm, sn, sp, st, sw
🎯Ending Blends
In the appnd hand · nt tent · mp lamp · lk milk · sk desk · ft left
🔊Digraphs
In the appch chip · sh ship · th thin · wh whip · ph graph · qu quiz
🔚Special Endings
In the app-tch catch, watch · -dge bridge, fudge · -nk sink, tank, honk
Long VowelsLevels 11–16
Age 6-7
🔓Open Syllable
In the appme, he, go, no, she, be · vowel at end = long sound
✨Magic E
In the appcap→cape · hop→hope · bit→bite · cub→cube · pet→Pete
🤝Vowel Teams
Try it here →ai/ay rain · ee/ea feet · oa/ow boat · oo moon/book · ew/ue new, blue · ea bread
🔄Diphthongs
In the appoi/oy coin, boy · ou/ow cloud, cow · au/aw pause, saw
🌀R-Controlled Vowels
In the appar car · or fork · er her · ir bird · ur burn
🌙igh & gh Patterns
In the appigh night, light, fight · gh silent: though · gh=/f/: enough, laugh
Advanced PatternsLevels 17–20
Age 7+
🦋Y as a Vowel
In the appfly, sky = /i/ · happy, baby = /e/ · gym, myth = /i/
💪3-Letter Blends
In the appstr strong · spl splash · spr spring · thr three · scr scream
🎭Soft C & Soft G
In the appc+e/i/y = /s/ city, ice · g+e/i/y = /j/ gem, giraffe, gym
🤫Silent Letters
In the appkn knife, know · wr write, wrist · mb lamb, climb · gn gnat, sign
Word BuildingLevels 21–27
Age 7+
🔧Word Endings
In the app-s/-es cats, boxes · -ing/-ed/-er/-est · double run→running · drop-e · y→i cry→cried
⬅️Prefixes
In the appun- unhappy · re- redo · pre- preview · dis- disagree · mis- mistake
➡️Suffixes
In the app-ful helpful · -less careless · -ness kindness · -tion action, direction
🤏Contractions
In the appdo+not=don't · can't · I'm · you're · they've · won't (irregular!)
🍏Consonant + -le
In the appap-ple, lit-tle, ta-ble, pur-ple, bub-ble · final -e is silent
🌈Compound Words
In the appsun+flower · rain+bow · bed+room · butter+fly · tooth+brush
✂️Syllable Division
In the appVCCV rab-bit · VCV pi-lot · V/CV ti-ger · VC/V cam-el
Sight WordsLevel 28
Age 3+
⭐Sight Words
In the appthe, was, said, have, they, once, who, your, because, friend
The Same Four Steps, Every Time
Children know exactly what to expect, so the only new thing in each level is the phonics itself.
Step 1
Intro
Meet the pattern — what this level covers, in plain kid language.
→Step 2
Learn
The teaching screen: the rule, real example words, and the exceptions that break it.
→Step 3
Practice
A scored quiz that ends in 0–3 stars and a recap of every word missed.
→Step 4
Listen
Sound-by-sound playback — tap each phoneme, then hear the whole word blended.
Play Two of the Levels Right Here
No download, no sign-up. These are web versions of two real levels — blending sounds into words, and choosing between two spellings of the same sound.
Level 4 · CVC Words
Blend the Sounds
1 / 5Real recordings from the app — tap any tile, sound or the picture to hear it again.
Honest About English
English breaks its own rules constantly. Most apps pretend otherwise and children get stuck. This one names the rule, then names the words that ignore it.
Rule Breakers!
Shown inside lessonsWords that refuse to follow the level's rule get their own card — so a rule that fails never comes as a surprise.
Not like this!
The common mistakeknife
❌k·nife (saying the k)
✅/nīf/ — the K ninja makes no sound!
bite
❌bit·e (saying the e)
✅/bīt/ — silent e, long i!
Showing the wrong reading on purpose is what stops it becoming a habit.
Exceptions are taught, not hidden
Every rule comes with a “Rule Breakers!” card listing the words that refuse to follow it — have, give, love, said, been. A rule that quietly fails is how children lose trust in reading.
The wrong reading, shown on purpose
“Not like this!” cards put the common mistake right next to the correct reading — ❌ k·nife with the k said out loud, ✅ /nīf/ where the k is a silent ninja.
No made-up rules
Where English genuinely has no rule — oo in book, ea in bread — the app says so and teaches those small families by heart instead of inventing a pattern that breaks.
Every word is tappable
2,009 recorded clips cover every letter, sound, pattern and example word. Tap anything on screen to hear it — and it all works offline, because nothing streams.
Rules in the order readers need them
Letter sounds → blending → CVC → blends and digraphs → long vowels → advanced patterns. Each level only uses what has already been taught.
Proven with nonsense words
Word Detective asks children to decode invented “alien” words. You can't memorise a word you've never seen, so success there means real decoding.
Rules in kid language
Word for word, the way they appear on screen in the app.
AI hides in the MIDDLE… AY loves being LAST!
Level 13 · Vowel Teams
Right after a short vowel → TCH! Anywhere else → CH.
Level 10 · Special Endings
Hard /k/ like CAT… soft /s/ before e, i, y like CITY!
Level 19 · Soft C & Soft G
In a one-syllable word with a short vowel, double the final F, L, S, or Z.
Level 5 · The Floss Rule
K is a ninja 🥷 — before N it hides in silence, only N sounds!
Level 20 · Silent Letters
🙈 Q is super shy — it never goes ANYWHERE without holding U's hand!
Level 9 · Digraphs
Four Ways to Put It All Together
Knowing 28 rules isn't the same as using them on a word you've never seen. These modules bridge that gap.
Reading Ladder
You meet a NEW word… now what?
Five rules to try in order, top to bottom. It turns everything learned across the levels into one strategy a child can actually use on an unfamiliar word.
Word Detective
Real word 🌍 or alien word 👾?
The ladder as a game. Made-up 'alien' words can't be memorised, so solving them proves your child is genuinely decoding — not reciting words they've seen before.
Super Quiz
Which pattern is hiding?
Ten mixed questions drawn from every level played so far. A word is read aloud with its key pattern blanked out — r__n — and your child picks the pattern that fits.
Compare & Choose
Same sound? Same letters? Learn which one wins!
Sixteen head-to-head battles for the confusions that trip readers up: ai vs ay, c vs k vs ck, hard vs soft g, and the three different sounds of -ed.
The Reading Ladder
You meet a NEW word — try the rules in this order, top to bottom.
Does it end with Magic E?
YES → the vowel says its name, the e stays silent!
📖 Level 12 · Magic E
Are two vowels walking together?
YES → the first one talks! (ai · ee · oa)
📖 Level 13 · Vowel Teams
Is a Bossy R after the vowel?
YES → r changes the sound: ar · or · er · ir · ur!
📖 Level 15 · R-Controlled Vowels
Is the syllable open or closed?
Open ends in a vowel → long sound! Closed → short!
📖 Level 11 · Open Syllable
No pattern? Sound it out!
Say every sound, then blend them fast!
📖 Level 4 · CVC Words
16 Compare & Choose Battles
🕵️ Same sound? Same letters? Learn which one wins.
📝 Which spelling? same sound
ai ⚡ ay
rain · day
AI hides in the MIDDLE… AY loves being LAST!
oa ⚡ ow
boat · snow
OA sits in the MIDDLE… OW takes the END!
oi ⚡ oy
coin · boy
OI stays in the MIDDLE… OY jumps to the END!
ou ⚡ ow
cloud · cow
OU works in the MIDDLE… OW finishes the word!
au ⚡ aw
pause · saw
AU likes the MIDDLE… AW likes the END!
c ⚡ k ⚡ ck
cat · kite · duck
C likes a,o,u… K likes e,i… CK ends the word after a short vowel!
ch ⚡ tch
chip · catch
Right after a short vowel → TCH! Anywhere else → CH.
ge ⚡ dge
cage · bridge
Right after a short vowel → DGE! After anything else → GE.
tion ⚡ sion
action · vision
-TION is the usual champion… -SION comes from S and D families!
🔊 Which sound? same letters
oo 🌙⚡📖
moon · book
OO usually howls a long “oooo” like the moon… a small book-family says a quick “u”!
ea 🌿⚡🍞
read · bread
EA usually says /ē/ like read… the bread-family says short /e/!
ow ❄️⚡🐮
snow · cow
OW says /ō/ in snow… and /ow!/ in cow!
th 👄⚡🐝
thin · that
Helper words BUZZ 🐝 — thing words blow soft air 👄!
ed 🥾⚡🔔⚡🌱
jumped · played · planted
After quiet sounds ED whispers /t/… after noisy sounds /d/… after t and d it sings /id/!
c 🐱⚡🏙️
cat · city
Hard /k/ like CAT… soft /s/ before e, i, y like CITY!
g 🐐⚡💎
goat · gem
Hard /g/ like GOAT… soft /j/ before e, i, y like GEM!
One of these — ai ⚡ ay — is playable on this page. The other 15 are in the app.
The Whole Journey Lives in the App
This page is the map. The app is the road — all 28 levels with teaching, practice, audio and progress, and levels 1–3 free to start.
A road, not a menu
All 28 levels sit on a winding road grouped into 8 colour-coded zones, so a child can see exactly where they are and what comes next.
84 stars to collect
Up to 3 stars per level — 1 for finishing, 2 for 70%, 3 for perfect. Stars never go down, so a bad day never erases progress.
A parent report
Session length, levels attempted and the exact words your child got right or wrong — so you know what to practise together.
Fully offline
Every level and all 2,009 audio clips are bundled in the app. No signal needed on the train, in the car, or on a plane.
Questions Parents Ask About Phonics
Where to start, what gets taught, and what English does when its own rules fail.
Start Your Child's English Learning Journey Today
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