How did we select these articulation apps?
We first wanted apps that:
- mimic articulation drill practice
- decent quality
- be easy to use for families and children
No point wasting time or money on apps for articulation that are not aligned with recommended drill practice or are complex to use.
Using the right tools is important to not waste time, money and effort. We tried to include free articulation apps though very few qualified for quality and content depth required.
We’ve curated here a list of the best articulation apps for practice at home between clinic sessions. We chose articulation apps that are good quality and that can be used at home with parent support.
I built this list because my child has weekly sessions of articulation therapy to improve her speech intelligibility but I wanted to continue at home practice of new skills between in-clinic sessions. We have tried several offline games and activities but sometimes digital games are more effective to keep my child’s attention.
It took my speech and language therapist and I hours of research and discussions to find the right ones… there are lots of articulation app alternatives out there, including some with dubious claims, some of poor quality and some with questionable marketing.
Always, try to get recommendations from your speech and language pathologist first to ensure that what you are doing at home aligns with what they recommend but also try here our articulation app alternatives.
Articulation Station Hive by Little Bee Speech
Apple Store Rating:
Age Range: 4+ years old
What we love:
- one of the best articulation apps recommended by speech and language therapists
- comprehensive list of words and modern images
- modern app interface
- priced per sound
Needs improvement:
- for non-expert parent, unless you have been given specific instructions by your therapist, it’s hard to decide which sounds, in which position, in which order
- limited engaging gameplay
- requires parents to sit with child to ‘score’ the speech which isn’t great to do in front of your child
Focus area: Hearing and Pronouncing Individual sounds (speech sounds, articulation)
Availability: iOS, iPadOS
Pricing: 9.99 US$ per month or 119.99 US$ per year for famillies
Boo Articulation App
Apple Store Rating:
Age Range: 3 to 6 years old
What we love:
- the attention to showing the child, in age-appropriate way where in the mouth the sound is made
- age-appropriate graphics
- game play integration
Focus area: Hearing and Pronouncing Individual sounds (speech sounds, articulation)
Availability: iOS, iPadOS, Android
Pricing: Lite is free, Pro is 9.99 US$
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Word Vault by Home Speech Home
Apple Store Rating:
Age Range: 4+ years old, designed for adults
What we love:
- comprehensive articulation app content accross words, phrases, sentences, and stories by sound, blend, place, difficulty, or concept
- easy to navigate
- modern images
- good for children and adults alike
Needs improvement:
- basic app design
- complex set of options without clear instructions from a speech therapist
- limited ‘fun factor’ so difficult for young children to sustain
Focus area: Hearing and Pronouncing Individual sounds (speech sounds, articulation)
Availability: iOS, iPadOS
Pricing: Essential is free, Pro is 49.99 US$
Articulation Hunt by Home Speech Home
Apple Store Rating:
Age Range: 3 to 6 years old
What we love:
- fun factor higher than other apps
- good to get lots of repetitions
Needs improvement:
- lots of options to select from
- doesn’t save previous configurations
Focus area: Hearing and Pronouncing Individual sounds (speech sounds, articulation)
Availability: iOS, iPadOS
Pricing: 5.99 US$
Articulation Plus App by Smarty Ears
Apple Store Rating:
no ratings
Age Range: 4+ years old
What we love:
-
- great for speech therapists with lots of data tracking and an option for group sessions
Needs improvement:
-
- too many options to configure for untrained parents
- not enough engaging game play
Focus area: Hearing and Pronouncing Individual sounds (speech sounds, articulation)
Pricing: 69.99 US$
Articulation Scenes by Smarty Ears
Apple Store Rating:
Age Range: 4+ years old
What we love:
-
- engaging graphics and age-appropriate games
- good data tracking to understand progressing
Needs improvement:
-
- too many options to configure for untrained parents
- not enough engaging game play
Focus area: Hearing and Pronouncing Individual sounds (auditory discrimination, articulation)
Availability: iPadOS
Pricing: 49.99 US$
ArtikPix Articulation App Flashcards
Apple Store Rating:
no rating
Age Range: 4+ years old
What we love:
-
- familiar to most speech and language therapists
- group session option
Needs improvement:
-
- limited engaging game play
Focus area: Hearing and Pronouncing Individual sounds (auditory discrimination, articulation)
Availability: iPadOS
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases, 3.99 US$ – 7.99 US$ per sound
Articulation Teacher by Speak Easy Community
Apple Store Rating:
Age Range: 4+ years old
What we love:
- personalised questionnaire when you download the app to focus only on speech sounds for my specific child
- excellent parent coaching on how to do the activities with their child, limits screen time
- simple and clear explanations to coach parents
Needs improvement:
- hard to navigate for a young child on their own
- requires parent to lead the activities or operate the app for the child
Focus area: Hearing and Pronouncing Individual sounds (speech sounds, articulation)
Availability: iOS, iPadOS, Android
Pricing: 5.99 US$ per month
If you were looking for articulation station alternatives or just a comprehensive list of articulations apps to change things up at home, we hope this list helps your family! Let us know what you think and share with us your own favorite apps!
