Chih Han Lin has updated SpellSynth, available for $2.99. The update is FREE to existing users.
What’s new in version 1.2.0:
- Two ways to type:
- KEYPAD – the familiar yellow A-Z grid, now with a SPACE key. Each letter still plays or tap; SPACE silently separates words. Works with MIDI keyboards too.
- TYPE – for paste, dictation, or the iOS keyboard. Tap the field, type a phrase, hit SAY.
- Twelve preset phrases come baked in – greetings (“HELLO WORLD”. “GOOD MORNING”), early-reading sentences (“THE CAT IS HERE”, “I CAN READ”), old-computer- movie callouts (“SYSTEM ONLINE”, “GAME OVER”). Tap any chip to play it. Phrases you’ve played save in a RECENT row for the rest of the session
- All vintage voices work on phrases, though each has its own character at sentence length. 1986 DECTALK STYLE sounds the most natural – DECtalk itself was built for sentences. 1978 LPC keeps the Speak & Spell buzz but smooths word boundaries the TI chip was tuned for sub-second utterances). 1968 ODYSSEY’s deliberately slow 1.6x cadence makes phrases feel measured.
- In the AUv3 plugin: the voice mode (RAW 1978 LPC) used to be a knob buried in the MIDI panel. It’s now a dedicated VOICE segmented picker, sitting above PITCH where you’d actually look for it. Saved presets and host automation still resolve to the same parameter – nothing breaks.
Type a letter and hear it spoken. Spell the word guess the mystery, or just listen – in crisp retro voices that bring the 1978 spelling toy back to life SpellSynth is a playable love-letter to the 1978 spelling toy that taught a generation to read – rebuilt for iPhone anc iPad. with four game modes and a crunchy VFD display.
Tap a letter and it speaks. Type a word and SpellSynth reads it back.
No accounts, no ads, no internet – just a pocket- sized speech toy that your kids (and you) can pick up for thirty seconds or thirty minutes.
- FREE PLAY
- Type letters and words, hear every one spoken aloud,
- The retro segmented display animates every keystroke.
- SPELL
- SpellSynth says a word. You spell it. Three mistakes and you get the answer, then try a new one. Tap HINT to reveal a letter when vou’re stuck.
- MYSTERY WORD
- The classic “guess the hidder word” game. You get the category and the first letter free; pick letters until the word reveals itself. Six wrong quesses and it’s game over
- SAY IT
- Listen-and-repeat mode for pronunciation practice. SpellSynth spells the word letter by letter, then savs it whole. Tap
- REPEAT
- To hear it again, NEXT for a new word
- BUNDLED AUDIO UNIT (AUv3)
- SpellSynth ships with an AUv3 instrument extension, so the same voice engine loads inside GarageBand, Logic Pro, AUM, Cubasis, and any other AUv3 compatible host. MIDI notes trigger letters; onboard parameters let you pitch, stretch, and warp the voices into something new. Perfect for producers chasing that Kraftwerk / Stereolab / Broadcast sound
- BUILT FOR KIDS. SHAPED FOR PARENTS
- Completely offline. No sign-up, no account, no data
collection. - No ads. No in-app purchases. No external links.
- No camera, no microphone, no location access.
- Works on iPhone and iPad. No internet required after install.
- Completely offline. No sign-up, no account, no data
- WORD LIBRARY
- 90+ pre-recorded words with a clear retro voice
- Add your own vocabulary list – the app falls back to the iOS speech synthesiser for custom entries.
For more information on SpellSynth, click here:
NOTE: Some of the links you click on may be affiliated. Clicking and purchasing using these links helps support and fund The Beat Community. Thanks for your support.
