10 Speech and Language Apps parents may want to explore for their children — Updated 2026

Prices and availability were checked in September 2026 but may change. Please check the UK App Store or Google Play before purchasing.

Can an app replace speech and language therapy?

Speech and language apps can provide useful opportunities for practice, but they cannot assess why a child is having difficulty or create an individualised therapy plan. Children usually learn communication best through responsive interaction with other people. Apps are therefore most helpful when an adult joins in, follows the child’s interests and connects the activity to everyday life.

1. Articulation Station Hive

Best for: Practising specific speech sounds that have already been identified as targets.

What it does: Articulation Station Hive contains 17 activities covering consonants and vowels from individual sound production through to conversation. It includes visual cues, words, phrases, sentences, stories, matching activities, voice recordings and progress information. Little Bee Speech

Who may find it helpful: Children working on an identified speech-sound difficulty, particularly when a speech and language therapist has advised which sound to practise and how to produce it.

How to use it with your child: Choose one target sound and complete a short activity together. Model the sound naturally, praise effort and finish before your child becomes tired or frustrated. Five focused minutes can be more useful than a long practice session.

Points to consider: The older Articulation Station app has been replaced by the subscription-based Articulation Station Hive. It should not be used to diagnose a speech-sound disorder or select targets without professional advice. Practising a sound incorrectly can reinforce the existing production.

Platform: iPhone, iPad and compatible Apple Silicon Mac devices. It is not currently available for Android.

Cost: Free 14-day trial followed by a monthly or annual subscription. Check the current UK price before subscribing.

2. Speech Blues

Best for: Encouraging sound play, imitation and early vocabulary through videos of other children.

What it does: Speech Blubs includes more than 1,500 activities featuring early sounds, words, songs, animals, body parts, numbers and everyday vocabulary. It uses video modelling, voice-activated activities, games and visual effects. It is designed for children aged approximately 1–8. Speech Blubs

Who may find it helpful: Young children who enjoy watching and copying other children, as well as children who are beginning to experiment with sounds and words.

How to use it with your child: Join your child rather than leaving them to complete the activities independently. Copy sounds together, comment on the videos and connect the words to real experiences. For example, after watching an animal activity, find toy animals and continue the play away from the screen.

Points to consider: Not every child learns effectively through direct imitation. Avoid pressuring your child to copy or repeat words. Accept gestures, facial expressions, signs and sounds as meaningful communication. The app should supplement—not replace—responsive interaction or professional support. It automatically renews unless the subscription is cancelled. Google Play

Platform: iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Cost: Free trial followed by a recurring monthly or annual subscription. Check the current UK store price and renewal terms.

3. Proloquo2Go

Best for: Supporting people who cannot always rely on speech to communicate.

What it does: Proloquo2Go is a robust augmentative and alternative communication—or AAC—app. It enables users to communicate by selecting words and symbols that the app speaks aloud. Its vocabulary, appearance, access settings and voice can be personalised.

Who may find it helpful: Nonspeaking and minimally speaking children and adults, as well as people whose speech is not always understood or reliably available to them.

How to use it with your child: Keep the system available throughout the day. Model words on it while you speak, without requiring your child to copy you. For example, select “more” as you say, “You want more bubbles.” Respond to all communication attempts, including gestures, movement, speech, signs and AAC.

Points to consider: Choosing an AAC system requires careful consideration of the person’s communication, language, sensory, motor and access needs. Seek support from a professional with AAC knowledge before making a significant purchase. AAC does not prevent speech development and should never be removed as a consequence or withheld until a child has demonstrated another skill. Proloquo and Proloquo2Go are different products. AssistiveWare, Apple App Store

Platform: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and compatible Mac devices. Check device compatibility before purchasing.

Cost: One-off purchase. Check the current UK App Store price.

4. Splingo’s Language Universe

Best for: Developing understanding of spoken language and following instructions.

What it does: Designed by speech and language therapists, Splingo includes games targeting following directions, early vocabulary, verbs, pronouns, categories, past tense and describing words. Activities can be adjusted from simple to more complex language, and UK and US voices are available. Splingo

Who may find it helpful: Children who need additional support understanding vocabulary, concepts or increasingly detailed instructions.

How to use it with your child: Select a level at which your child can experience success. Give them time to process each instruction before repeating it. Afterwards, practise the same words during play—for example, putting a toy “under,” “behind” or “next to” another object.

Points to consider: Difficulty following instructions can be influenced by language processing, attention, working memory, sensory needs or an unfamiliar environment. Incorrect answers should not automatically be treated as a lack of listening. The app also contains a professional language-assessment tool, but this is not a replacement for a full speech and language assessment.

Platform: Currently listed on the UK Apple App Store. Availability of particular Splingo apps may vary by device and operating system. UK Apple App Store

Cost: Check the current UK store price and which activities are included before purchasing.

5. Language Therapy for Kids – MITA

Best for: Structured visual and language-based puzzles.

What it does: MITA—Mental Imagery Therapy for Autism—provides adaptive activities that gradually increase in complexity. Activities cover vocabulary, colours, patterns, size, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, syntax, spatial concepts and following directions. Google Play

Who may find it helpful: Children who enjoy structured visual puzzles and benefit from repeated practice involving language concepts. The developer describes it as suitable for children with autism, language delay and other developmental differences.

How to use it with your child: Sit with your child, follow their pace and use the activity as a starting point for interaction. Reinforce concepts during everyday routines—for example, practising “in,” “under” and “behind” while tidying toys.

Points to consider: Completing app-based puzzles is not the same as using language spontaneously during everyday communication. Although the developer makes research claims about MITA, the app should be described as a supplementary learning activity rather than a complete autism or language intervention. Do not expect daily use if your child finds the activities stressful or unmotivating.

Platform: iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Check current compatibility in your device’s store.

Cost: Free to download, with additional content or purchases potentially available. Check the current UK store information.

6. Toca Boca: Toca Kitchen 2

Best for: Encouraging imaginative play, shared attention and everyday vocabulary.

What it does: Toca Kitchen 2 is an open-ended virtual cooking game. Children select ingredients, prepare food in different ways and offer it to characters, who react to what they have been given. It is not specifically a speech therapy app, but it creates opportunities for playful interaction.

Who may find it helpful: Children who enjoy food, cooking or cause-and-effect play, including children who are less interested in structured language activities.

How to use it with your child: Take turns choosing, preparing and serving food. Comment instead of asking frequent questions: “That carrot is huge,” “You’re chopping it,” or “He doesn’t like it!” Offer meaningful choices and pause so your child can communicate using speech, signs, gestures, symbols or eye gaze.

Points to consider: The app does not teach language by itself. Most of the communication benefit comes from the interaction between the child and adult. Avoid turning the play into a test by repeatedly asking your child to name colours, foods or actions.

Platform: iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Availability can vary according to device and region.

Cost: Check the current UK store price.

7. Fun with Directions: Listening

Best for: Following instructions, understanding basic concepts and developing auditory memory.

What it does: This interactive app works on ten concepts, including “give,” “touch,” “open,” “close,” “top,” “middle,” “bottom,” “push,” “colour” and “erase.” Instructions range from simple directions to longer directions containing several pieces of information. It includes easy, intermediate and advanced levels. Google Play

Who may find it helpful: Children with a developmental language level of approximately 2–8 years who benefit from structured practice understanding spoken directions and concepts.

How to use it with your child: Begin with instructions your child can complete successfully. Allow additional processing time before offering help. Practise the same concepts away from the screen during play, drawing, dressing or tidying.

Points to consider: Following a direction involves more than listening. The child must hear, understand, remember and carry out the information. Attention and sensory regulation can also affect performance. Avoid increasing the level simply because of the child’s chronological age.

Platform: iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

Cost: One-off purchase with no monthly subscription indicated. Check the current UK store price.

8. Word Vault Essential

Best for: Providing adults and professionals with word lists and materials for targeted speech and language practice.

What it does: Word Vault Essential contains word lists and materials covering speech sounds, phonological patterns, vocabulary, language and social communication. It functions more like a bank of therapy materials than a game that teaches skills independently.

Who may find it helpful: Speech and language therapists, educators and parents who have been given clear targets and need suitable words or examples for practice.

How to use it with your child: Ask your child’s speech and language therapist which skill and word level to practise. Select a small number of appropriate words and include them in a brief game, rather than working through a long list.

Points to consider: The large amount of content may feel overwhelming without clear targets. It is not designed to diagnose a difficulty or decide what a child should work on. Parents should confirm that the selected words are appropriate for their child’s speech or language programme.

Platform: Historically available for Apple devices. Confirm current UK availability and device compatibility before including a download link.

Cost: Check the current UK store price and whether the Essential or Pro version is most appropriate.

9. Apraxia Farm

Best for: Structured practice of speech movements and syllable shapes for children with a confirmed or suspected motor-speech difficulty.

What it does: Apraxia Ville was designed to support practice involving consonants, vowels, syllable combinations and words. Activities can be personalised and use visual prompts and repeated practice.

Who may find it helpful: Children with childhood apraxia of speech or another motor-speech difficulty whose individual targets have been selected by a suitably experienced speech and language therapist.

How to use it with your child: Use only the sounds, syllables or words recommended by your child’s therapist. Keep practice short, provide an accurate model and follow the therapist’s guidance about cueing, repetition and feedback.

Points to consider: Childhood apraxia of speech cannot be diagnosed through an app. Effective intervention requires an individual assessment and carefully planned motor-based practice. The app’s current UK availability and frequency of updates are unclear, so verify that it remains available and compatible before recommending it to readers. If it is no longer supported, consider removing it from the article.

Platform: Developed for iPad and other compatible Apple devices; confirm current availability before downloading.

Cost: Check the current UK App Store price.

10. Peekaboo Barn

Best for: Early vocabulary, anticipation, shared attention and simple turn-taking.

What it does: Children tap the barn doors to reveal an animal, hear its sound and listen to its name. The predictable, repetitive format introduces animal vocabulary and cause-and-effect play. The developer currently describes it as suitable for children aged approximately 0–4. Google Play

Who may find it helpful: Babies and young children beginning to engage in shared play, anticipate familiar routines or learn early words and sounds.

How to use it with your child: Pause before opening the doors and wait to see how your child responds. Copy their sounds or movements, model simple words such as “open,” “more,” “again” and animal names, and take turns tapping. You could then continue the activity using toy animals or an animal book.

Points to consider: Do not require your child to name or imitate each animal. Looking, reaching, smiling, moving, vocalising, signing and pointing can all be meaningful forms of participation. The app is most valuable as a shared activity rather than independent screen time.

Platform: iPhone, iPad and Android devices, subject to current regional availability.

Cost: Check the current UK store price.

The right app will depend on your child’s communication strengths, needs, interests and developmental level. Whichever app you choose, try to use it together: comment on what is happening, allow plenty of processing time and respond to all forms of communication—not only spoken words. Apps can offer useful practice, but they should complement rather than replace everyday play, conversation and individualised professional support.

If you are concerned about your child’s speech, language or communication and are unsure what support would be appropriate, Little Gems Speech Therapy offers a free 10-minute telephone consultation to help you identify the most suitable next step.