For grown-ups
No ads · No sign-up · Nothing trackedWord Bugs is a free phonics game. Your child sees a picture (or hears a word), then taps the bugs carrying its sounds, in order. Each bug says its sound out loud, so children blend /k/ /a/ /t/ into cat. Sounds that are spelled with two letters, like sh, ch, ee and ar, ride on one bug, the way they are taught in school.
| Group | Age | What it practises |
|---|---|---|
| Little Bugs | 3 to 5 | Short picture words (cat, sun, bed). The letters show faintly in the boxes to match. |
| Busy Bugs | 5 to 7 | CVC words, sh/ch/th, blends (frog, stamp), magic e (cake, bike), first sight words. |
| Clever Bugs | 7 to 10 | Vowel teams (rain, boat), r words (car, bird), tricky words and longer words, many with sound only. |
There are over 2,000 words in 37 topics and more than 500 levels. Stars and progress are saved in this browser only.
Does it collect any data about my child?
No. There is no sign-up, no analytics, no ads and no chat. Progress stays on your device.
Why sounds and not letter names?
Children learn to read by blending sounds. Hearing /sh/ /i/ /p/ as they build ship links each spelling to its sound. Tricky words like said and long words use letter names instead.
Which voice is it?
A clear, natural native English voice reads every word and sound, recorded once so it always says them the same way.