Spelling games for kids in India (2026): features, prices and limits
We make Mudly, one of the games below. This guide compares information published on each product's own website, linked beside each fact and checked on 7 October 2026. We have not completed hands-on testing with school spelling lists. Our founder will test the games in the coming weeks; we'll publish the method, the results and Mudly's shortcomings here.
The short answer
| If your child… | Look at | Cost (7 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| is 4–6 and still learning letter sounds | Teach Your Monster to Read, Starfall | Free on a computer |
| is 2–8 and you want one free app for everything | Khan Academy Kids | Free, no ads |
| is learning to read, in English or an Indian language | Read Along by Google | Android app |
| brings home a spelling list every week | Spelling Shed, Mudly, SpellBytes | £34.16 a year; from ₹399 a month; free and paid plans |
| wants lots of short, varied games | ABCya | Free with ads |
| is preparing for a spell bee | SpellBytes | Free and paid plans |
The four questions we compared
- Can it practise your child's own words? Families practising an assigned school list need this. Games with fixed word sets still teach useful spelling patterns, but they may not include this Friday's words. We weigh this heavily because it is what assigned lists need — and because it is what Mudly does. If your child's school doesn't send lists, weigh it less.
- Does it match the spelling in Indian school books? Most use British spelling (colour, favourite). American-made games may teach color.
- Does it suit the age? For most 4–6-year-olds, learning letter sounds (phonics) comes before practising lists.
- What does it cost in India, and are there ads?
The games
Teach Your Monster to Read
A phonics adventure made with Roehampton University (UK): letter sounds, blending (c‑a‑t → cat), tricky words and little books. Free on computers; the phone apps are paid. Google Play "Teacher Approved". Limits: fixed words, not your child's list; it is about learning to read more than spelling tests. Source
Starfall
A non-profit for pre-K to grade 5: ABCs, phonics (CVC words, sight words, vowel teams) and early reading. Learn-to-read is free and ad-free; a membership adds more. Limits: American spelling; fixed words. Source
Khan Academy Kids
Early reading, writing, language and maths for ages 2–8, with books and videos. Free, no ads, no subscription. Limits: spelling is a small part; fixed content. Source
Read Along by Google
An Android reading tutor with 1,000+ stories and word games, in English and Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati. Limits: reading, not spelling lists. Source
Spelling Shed
A UK spelling game with a full spelling scheme. The parent plan (£5.83 a month or £34.16 a year, up to 5 children) includes unlimited custom word lists, so you can type in the school list. British spelling. Limits: priced in pounds; built-in words follow the English (UK) curriculum. Source
Mudly (ours)
Custom-list practice with sticker rewards, for ages 4–10. A parent types the words from the school list; each becomes a picture sticker with a voice that the child earns by spelling it. Built-in stickers include everyday Indian words like rangoli, diya and bangle. Free to start; Plus is ₹399 a month with a 5-day free trial, or as low as ₹199 when the class joins together. No ads. For your child we ask only a first name or nickname; a parent signs in with their phone. Limits: spelling only — it doesn't teach phonics from scratch; on the web only (no app-store app yet); new. Source
SpellBytes
An Indian platform (Wizycom Nurture) for ages 5–13 with age-wise word collections and an international spelling olympiad. Its dictation module lets a parent or teacher type or paste words to make a test. Limits: built mainly around competitions and word knowledge. Source · Dictation module
ABCya
Hundreds of short games by grade (pre-K to 6), including spelling. Free with banner ads; a paid family plan removes them. Limits: American spelling; fixed words. Source
SplashLearn
Maths and English games and worksheets from preschool to grade 5. Limits: spelling is one part of a large programme; we could not confirm its price in rupees. Source
What happened to SpellingCity?
VocabularySpellingCity is now Vocabulary A‑Z from Learning A‑Z, a paid product aimed mainly at classrooms. Source
Making any of them work
- Spread practice over several days. Short sessions on different days usually beat one long session — the "spacing effect" (Cepeda and others, 2006).
- Test without hints. Spelling a word from memory teaches more than copying it — the "testing effect" (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006).
- Phonics before lists for young children. Sounding out sh‑i‑p (three sounds) helps a four-year-old more than memorising beautiful.
- Check the book first: colour or color? Practise the school's version.