Spelling practice

English spelling games for kids: from recognising to recalling

Start by checking whether the difficulty is remembering the spelling or finding the letters on the keyboard. Look at a picture, listen to the word, study its spelling, then hide it and try again. Use the result to decide what to practise next.

By Petket team · Updated

Try stage 1 free →

No account for stage 1 · Stages 2–10 free with email sign-in · US$3.00 once for later stages

Find the part that needs practice

A child may recognise an apple and say its name without remembering every letter in apple. Ask them to spell the word aloud before typing it. If the spoken spelling is correct but the keys are hard to find, slow the keyboard task down. If letters are missing in both attempts, work on the word first.

This distinction is useful for children learning English as an additional language. An unfamiliar English clue can be another obstacle: explain the meaning before testing spelling. A picture alone is not always enough, especially for abstract words.

Try three fruit words

appleRound red or green crunchy fruit
pearSweet yellow fruit, narrower top
bananaLong yellow curved soft fruit
  1. Point to the fruit, say its name and listen to its pronunciation.
  2. Show the complete word. Let the child identify the letters in order.
  3. Hide the spelling and ask them to type it from memory.
  4. Compare the attempt with the word. For banana, check the sequence of a and n rather than asking for a faster attempt.

Keep the activity small enough to discuss the mistakes. A correct answer copied from a model and a correct answer recalled independently show different things.

How the game supports that routine

Petket introduces words through an image, spoken pronunciation and a short English clue. During the first encounter in a stage, the complete spelling appears. Later recall encounters hide the untyped letters. An incorrect key clears the letters entered for that word so the child can start again.

My wordbook keeps practice information to revisit. Returning to a previously seen stage does not reset its first-encounter demonstration. Choose Free practice in Settings to remove the timer, listen again when needed and pause for a break. When letters are hidden, Show spelling reveals them; the first use in each run explains that this attempt will not count as correct or earn starlight or XP. You can still type it for practice.

Look beyond the score

After a session, ask the child to use one word in a sentence or recognise it in a book. Notice whether mistakes repeat at the same letter or occur on neighbouring keys. On another day, try the word without the answer visible.

These observations can guide the next activity; they are not an exam result or a promise of progress in a fixed number of days. Spelling games belong alongside reading, conversation, listening and writing.

Common questions

Can a beginner who cannot touch-type play?

Yes. Start slowly and allow the child to look at the keyboard. Vocabulary recall and touch typing can be practised separately.

Is the whole game free?

The opening story and stage 1 need no account. Stages 2–10 are free after email sign-in. The later stages require the US$3.00 one-time pass.

Keep exploring

Keyboard practiceEnglish typing practice for kids: accuracy before speedVocabulary reviewHow to review English vocabulary without copying the answer

Try the practice for yourself.

Pictures, pronunciation and a short story: see whether the first stage suits your learner.

Start playing →