Best ABC, phonics & learn-to-read apps for Android
Learn-to-read apps take young children from the alphabet and letter sounds to blending words, with letter tracing, spoken sounds and short sentences.
39 apps & games ranked · How we rank
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Number 1: Little Stories: Bedtime Books
Diveo Media - Story Books for Kids
4.9 out of 5 (45.8K) 5M+ installs
A well-crafted bedtime story app that makes your child the hero, best suited to parents of preschoolers and early readers.
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A free, ad-free alphabet and phonics game that suits toddlers and preschoolers working with an adult nearby.
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Number 3: ABC Games: Phonics & Tracing
Bebi Family: preschool learning games for kids
4.7 out of 5 (31.5K) 5M+ installs
A free, ad-free alphabet and phonics app for toddlers and kindergarteners, best for families starting out with English letters.
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A free, ad-free spelling and phonics game that fits the toddler-to-kindergarten window well and runs out once a child reads fluently.
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A free, ad-free sight word drill with eight mini-games, best for preschoolers through third graders practicing early reading.
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A free, ad-free illustrated library for young children, with narration and offline reading that make it easy to rely on.
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A well-structured phonics program for parents willing to sit down and work through it with their child.
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Number 8: LetterSchool - Learn to Write
Letterschool Enabling Learning
4.4 out of 5 (16.1K) 5M+ installs
A structured, ad-free handwriting trainer for preschoolers, with free content enough to judge it before buying the full alphabet.
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A free, ad-free early learning app for ages 2 to 8 that covers reading, math and more without asking for a subscription.
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A complete, structured reading program for families with multiple children, provided you are ready for a subscription and a reliable connection.
More of the best ABC, phonics & learn-to-read apps
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11
ABCmouse: Kids Learning Games
Age of Learning, Inc.
4.6
5M+
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12
Hooked on Phonics Learning
Hooked on Phonics
4.4
1M+
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13
Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC
Duolingo
3.9
10M+
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14
Writing Wizard - Alphabet ABC
L'Escapadou
3.8
10M+
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15
ABC Kids: Tracing & Learning
BayBee Brain
4.3
10M+
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16
Vooks: Read-Aloud Kids' Books
Vooks Inc
4.3
500K+
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17
Learn to Read - Readability
Readability Reading Tutor
4.5
100K+
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18
HOMER: Fun Learning For Kids
Begin Learning
4.1
1M+
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19
SplashLearn: Kids Learning App
StudyPad, Inc.
4.7
1M+
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20
ABC Games: Tracing & phonics
Piggy Panda Inc
4.3
5M+
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21
Sesame Street Alphabet Kitchen
Sesame Workshop
3.8
10M+
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22
CoComelon: Learn ABCs and 123s
Moonbug Entertainment Limited
4.1
5M+
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23
Kids Learn Letter Sounds
Intellijoy Educational Games for Kids
4.3
50K+
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24
Superfonik: Kids Learn to Read
Play Piknik
4.0
100K+
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25
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books
Novel Effect Inc.
4.0
100K+
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26
Epic: Kids' Books & Reading
Epic Kids Inc.
3.9
10M+
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27
Boook: Learning Games for Kids
AG Softworks LTD
50K+
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28
Teach Your Monster to Read
Teach Your Monster
3.8
1M+
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29
Alphablocks: Letter Fun!
Blue Zoo
3.8
10K+
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30
Pinkfong Tracing World : ABC
The Pinkfong Company
3.8
1M+
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31
Alphablocks, How to Write
Blue Zoo
3.2
10K+
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32
Sago Mini School Toddler Games
Play Piknik
3.5
5M+
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33
Early Learning Academy
Age of Learning, Inc.
3.7
10M+
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34
Phonics Museum - Learn to Read
Veritas Press
3.5
10K+
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35
ABCKidsTv - Tracing & phonics
Craox Technologies LLP.
3.7
50K+
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36
Metamorphabet
Vectorpark
4.6
10K+
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37
PLAY-DOH Create ABCs
PlayDate Digital Inc.
3.0
1M+
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38
Pango Comics: cartoon for kids
Studio Pango - Kids Fun preschool learning games
3.1
5K+
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39
ABC Games for Kids - ABC Jump
Cubic Frog® Apps-Learning Games for Kids
4.3
10K+
About ABC, phonics & learn-to-read apps
A common weakness is that a child can tap through screens without learning much, so the better ones ask for a response and correct it. They suit parents and teachers who want practice between lessons, or a calm activity for a car ride. Some follow a strict phonics order and move slowly, which builds accuracy but can feel repetitive. Others mix songs, stories and games, which holds attention but may skip ahead before a child is ready. A few are read-along books where the child follows highlighted words.
What to look for
- Check the order in which letter sounds are introduced and whether the app waits for the child to blend them before moving on, because a random sequence leaves gaps that are hard to fill later.
- Look at how tracing is scored: an app that accepts any scribble teaches nothing, while one that responds to stroke direction and shape gives useful feedback.
- Decide if you want a single purchase, a subscription, or a free app with ads, since ads inside a reading lesson break a young child's attention and can lead to accidental taps.
- See whether lessons work without a connection and how progress is stored, because a child often practices in the car or on a plane where there is no signal.
How we rank
Apps are ranked by their Google Play rating (weighted by how many people rated them), their number of installs, how recently they were updated and how closely they fit the category. Only apps we've reviewed are included.