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Sounds: The Pronunciation App app for iPhone and iPad


4.6 ( 6416 ratings )
Reference Education
Developer: Springer Nature Limited
5.99 USD
Current version: 3.42, last update: 7 years ago
First release : 29 Jun 2011
App size: 18.61 Mb

The ultimate interactive English pronunciation tool, for both students AND teachers. Sounds helps you study, practise and play with pronunciation wherever you are.

Based on the best-selling book Sound Foundations by pronunciation expert Adrian Underhill, the app features a fully-interactive Phonemic Chart for both British and American English.

You can look up and listen to words and phrases in the WORDLIST, plus record and compare your own pronunciation. All wordlists now come complete with definitions, powered by Macmillan English Dictionary Online. If you’re using a Macmillan coursebook, you can now buy additional wordlists directly inside the app.

PRACTISE your pronunciation reading, writing and listening skills
Test yourself with one of the pronunciation QUIZZES
Use the phonemic TYPEWRITER for free practice
LEARN with lesson plans, videos and top tips for teachers, and study hints for students

*** Winner of the British Council ELTons Award 2012 for Innovation in learner resources. The judges felt that “This is a great app – it is easy to navigate, user-friendly, thorough, and, I am sure, innovative.” ***

COMPLETE FEATURE LIST:

► Interactive Phonemic Chart (British and American English) with high quality audio - tap to hear a sound, or tap and hold to hear the sound and an example word.
► Work in British or American English, and switch between them at any time.
► Vocabulary Wordlist (with over 650 words):
- Phonemic transcriptions and audio
- Record your own pronunciation
- Purchase new wordlists from directly inside the app. Wordlists are available for popular Macmillan coursebooks, as well as topic-based lists. New wordlists feature vocabulary, phrases and audio recordings.
- Turn stress marks on or off to view the primary stress mark in the Wordlist, Practice, Quiz and Type sections.
► Practice Activities (Listen, Read and Write).
► Quizzes (‘3 Minutes’ & 3 Lives modes) for listening, reading and writing.
► Phonemic Typewriter for free practice.
► ‘Introduction to the Chart video featuring Adrian Underhill.
► Three downloadable lesson plans for teaching with the Sounds app.
► Top Ten Tips for Teachers.
► Top Ten Tips for Students.
► ‘Teaching with the Chart – complete workshop video with Adrian Underhill.
► Full Instructions.

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*** Some of the great user reviews we’ve received:

“Excellent app for teachers and students alike. Takes the guesswork out of pronunciation and helps with memorisation of the chart.”

“I’m an ESL teacher in Mexico and cannot tell you how handy this app will be in my classes. I simply love it!”

“I’ve been studying for a TEFL qualification and I wish I’d found this app sooner!”

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For more information about the phonemic chart, the choice of vocabulary included in the Wordlists, and the benefits of Sounds: The Pronunciation App for both language teachers and students, visit the website at www.soundspronapp.com

Pros and cons of Sounds: The Pronunciation App app for iPhone and iPad

Sounds: The Pronunciation App app good for

I am improving my pronunciation very fast with this app. Fantastic job. There is only a little bug when I try to correct a typemismatch in the begining of the word. If the developer need some assistance in this issue I can explain better via email.
I liked it... If you want to improve your English, you have to study the English Phonetic.
Hi! This application is awesome to learn English sound. Good quality sounds and fun and easy to learn. But two improvements will be fine to raise more my level of satisfaction. Im a French Canadian learning Canadian English. The Canadian English language is not American or British language, but a mix of both. I find that unfortunate we have never nobody to make an application with sound pronunciations and vocabularies for our country. I know that implies more money to make that, but you will find new customers. The second improvement is about your vocabulary databases. Why we arent not able to tag words in your databases as favorite and able to review and practice later with their sound in a new list. I have to write down on a paper the words that I have to practice and search again inside database to play the sound. Its not useful. The application will be more complete with this feature. In average its a very good application of high quality. Best regards Sylvain Soucis, BC, Canada
I like this app, I can see from the video that it is well put together. But, having said that, I am looking for an app. that when you are reading, and you come across a word, and are having trouble with the pronunciation of it. You could type it in and hear the proper way of saying it. Thank you.
I did not read it all and took the time to explore it all, but this is an absolute essential for those who really want to learn how to pronounce words in UK English or American English correctly. One thing seems to be missing and this is the rules that allow to think of how to pronounce or write some specific words though. This is not a reproach at all. Such a tool should have been done much before!
Good to practice pronounciation!! Love it!! i think if the app explained how to move tongue and lips about each phonetic symbols, it could be better. And If it judged whether your pronounciation was fine or not WITH SIRI, that would be great. Please consider about them. Thank you from Japan!!

Some bad moments

The very first word Ive searched I couldnt find. The "type" mode is useless!
Now if only theyd fix a couple of annoyances. First, the app always starts in portrait mode even when the screen is locked in landscape mode. Probably, it is easy to fix, and the fact that they havent fixed it probably says something. Second, their "r" sound is misleading, and always requires intervention on my part when students mistakenly think "r" is pronounced "rah". Leaves me wonderah-ing if the app will one day be rah-edy fo-rah use in class. Until then I recommend giving the app a pass. If I could give it a rah-ating of ze-rah-o, I would. Again, this is probably easy to fix, and the fact that the developers cant be bothered shows a certain lack of respect for their customers.
When I installed iOS 7.0.3 to my iPad mini, I could not type on the screen.
I want to buy new wordlists. Although I repeatedly tried to buy it, I couldnt. Why cant I buy it? I wish it will be fixed as soon as possible!
Does not worth to 6 dollars. Just an app that should be priced at most 99 cents.
We need an upgrade because the practice doesnt let us to choose phonemes then it doesnt work at all. Ive got the pro version!!!