Phonics games

Tap a picture to play. 28 short phonics games, with no account or download.

We count plays anonymously. Nothing records the screen, and progress stays in this browser unless a grown-up saves it to an account. Privacy details

Start here

Just learning letter sounds
Say the SoundSee a letter and say its sound out loud.
Play Say the Sound
Then try Letter Hunt and Big & Little.
Starting to blend sounds into words
Stretchy BlendSlide through each sound and blend it into a word.
Play Stretchy Blend
Then try Word Family and Change a Sound.
Ready to read short words
Picture PickSound out a word, then pick the picture it names.
Play Picture Pick
Then try Silly or Right? and Read the Word.

Already reading short sentences? Try Read the Line or Story Time: reading comprehension, or browse every game by skill below.

All 28 games, by skill

Each group is a skill, in the order ReadPals teaches them. Every game is free, takes a few minutes, and has its own page to bookmark or share.

Letters and their sounds

A first step, for a child meeting letters and the sounds they make.

Say the SoundSee a letter and say its sound out loud.
Letter HuntHear a sound, then find its letter.
Big & LittleMatch each capital letter to its lowercase partner.
Letter TraceTrace letters to practice how they are written.
Try this oneWhich Way Round?Spot the letter that faces the right way.
Build the LetterBuild b, d, p and q from a stick and a ball.
The BedUse the bed picture to tell b from d.

Listening for sounds

Also a first step: no reading needed, just careful listening.

Play together with sound on, and explain any unfamiliar word or question.

Clap the PartsClap the beats in a spoken word.
Try this oneFirst SoundHear a sound, then pick the picture that starts with it.
Sound SortListen for a sound and find every picture that has it.
Do you hear it?Hear whether a sound is hiding inside a word.
Same or Different?Hear whether two words sound the same.

Blending sounds into words

Next, once your child knows some letter sounds and is ready to join them.

Stretchy BlendSlide through each sound and blend it into a word.
Word FamilyRead word families like sat, pat, cat and hat.
Change a SoundSwap one sound to turn a word into a new word.
Try this oneBuild the WordHear a word and spell it with letter tiles.

Reading words

Then, once short words blend smoothly and your child is ready to read them.

Picture PickSound out a word, then pick the picture it names.
Silly or Right?Read two words one sound apart and pick the right one.
Read the WordSound out a new word and read it out loud.
Try this oneHeart WordsLearn tricky words like said and was.
Flash WordRead a short word at a glance, out loud.

Sentences and stories

Then, once single words feel comfortable and whole lines come next.

Read the LineRead one whole line from a little story out loud.
Read and DoRead a sentence, then make it true on the stage.
Try this oneStory Time: reading comprehensionRead a short story, then answer a question about it.

Longer words and word parts

Later, for splitting syllables, word endings, prefixes and suffixes.

Split the WordFind where a two-syllable word breaks.
Syllable TypesName the syllable pattern: closed, open or consonant-le.
Try this oneAdd the EndingAdd -s, -ing or -ed to match the picture.
Part MeaningsLearn what prefixes and suffixes mean.

For grown-ups

Each game is one focused reading activity that takes a few minutes: letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, decoding, syllables, and word parts. Play is anonymous by default — no account is needed to play. A grown-up can sign in from “Who’s playing?” in the game to save a child’s progress across devices. None of these games make a reading-level diagnosis. We count plays anonymously, with no cookies and no screen recording, so we can improve the games. Your child’s progress is saved only in this browser and isn’t sent to us unless you choose to save it to an account. Privacy details.

The same games can be embedded on any static site, and each one has its own page you can bookmark or share.

New to phonics apps? Read how to choose a phonics app for kids or using these games for decodable reading practice.