Bottom Line: It’s not often that I run across an alphabet app that offers much new that excites me, but Vocabubble really is much more than an alphabet app. It’s a delightful way for kids to discover new and interesting words. The beautiful illustrations introduce an abundance of vocabulary to challenge young minds.
If you’d like to purchase Vocabubble ($2.99, iPad only), please use the handy link provided so they’ll know who sent you.
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No ads, no in-app purchases, external links in protected parent area.
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When I first opened up Vocabubble, I thought I was about to play another traditional alphabet app. But this is no A is for Apple, B is for Ball app. Not at all. Because A is for things like Artichoke and Abacus, and B is for Banjo and Brain. And so much more.
The gameplay of this app is smooth and easy. After choosing a letter, little users can hear the name of the letter out loud just by tapping the letter. By tapping and holding on the letter, the user is shown a picture of something beginning with that letter. Tap and hold the letter again to see the same picture with the word spelled out underneath. While on the page for a chosen letter, the player can tap on a clear spot on the screen and an additional copy of the letter will appear. By following the same process each time, users can see a multitude of new vocabulary words.
The beautiful illustrations are taken from Webster’s Pictorial Dictionary. They are charming drawings that the developer has animated to bring each word to life. The background music is pleasant, and it has the option to mute it independently. The app is currently available in four languages: French, English, Spanish and German.
What I liked:
- Unique variety of words compared to typical alphabet apps. Most of the letters offered a large sampling of words that weren’t necessarily in my kids’ everyday vocabulary. Gnu, Oryx, Caribou...such a fun way to introduce unfamiliar words.
- The illustrations from Webster’s Pictorial give the app a distinctive feel. To me, the illustrations themselves were appealing enough on their own and the animation that some of them had was really unnecessary.
- I liked that this app doesn’t feel limited to the preschool set. While it is certainly appealing to the youngsters just learning the alphabet, it is sophisticated enough in both appearance and in assortment of words to interest children up into middle elementary age.
What I liked less:
- Some of the letters were pretty limited in their word offerings (I’m looking at you, X and Q). I’d like it if there were a way those could be beefed up. Since I have not actually looked at Webster’s Pictorial Dictionary in person lately, I can’t actually speak for how many words are available for each letter and perhaps that’s the reason for the limitations. I just know I found myself wanting more.
- Since this is a more advanced alphabet and vocabulary app than the norm, I’d love to see the addition of an option to get more information about each word or item. Most children in the target market for this app aren’t going to know who Anubis is or what a Wapiti is.
- Since the app is already offered in four languages, it might benefit from offering American English also. I ran across several items that have different names in the American English than they do in British English.
Overall, Vocabubble is a very nicely made app that has enough unique elements to set it apart from the other alphabet and vocabulary apps on the market. The app does still have some room for improvement, but as it stands I’m ranking it a strong four-and-a-half stars.
*****
Kelli’s son did not appreciate her gnu joke this morning (What’s a gnu? Not much, whatsa gnu with you?) Smart Apps for Kids was paid a fee to review this app in a priority manner.
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