Dyslexia-Friendly Phonics Practice for Australian Students
SoundSnapp combines OpenDyslexic font, a high-contrast colour palette, and audio-first phonics practice — designed for every learner, including students with dyslexia. Free for Australian classrooms.
No account required · Free forever for classroom use
Why font matters
Font choice can make or break phonics for dyslexic readers
Students with dyslexia often experience letter rotation, mirroring, and crowding — where standard fonts make similar letters look identical. Choosing the right typeface reduces these confusions and lets students focus on the phonics task itself.
Letter confusion is real
Letters like b, d, p, and q are mirror images in most standard fonts. OpenDyslexic gives each letter a distinct weighted base, reducing confusion.
Visual crowding affects decoding
Tightly spaced letters and words increase visual crowding, making it harder for dyslexic readers to isolate individual graphemes. SoundSnapp uses generous spacing throughout.
Font is just one piece
SoundSnapp pairs font choice with consistent colour coding, clean grid layout, and short task sequences to reduce overall cognitive load for struggling readers.
OpenDyslexic font, built in
OpenDyslexic is a purpose-designed typeface that uses weighted bottoms on each letter to provide a visual anchor, reducing the rotation and mirroring that many dyslexic readers experience.
- Weighted letter bases reduce rotation confusion
- Unique shapes for b, d, p, and q
- Available in every SoundSnapp phonics level
- One tap to switch — no account required
- Remembered on device between sessions
How to switch font
- 1.Open any level at /play
- 2.Look for the Font selector in the top toolbar
- 3.Tap “Dyslexic” — applies instantly
Audio-first phonics
Hear it first — then decode
For many dyslexic readers, phonological processing (hearing and distinguishing sounds) is a strength, even when visual decoding is difficult. SoundSnapp puts audio at the centre — students hear the word before they try to match it to a grapheme.
This audio-first sequence reduces the decoding load and lets students use their phonological strengths to access the phonics content.
Consistent Australian voice
SoundSnapp uses a single high-quality ElevenLabs Australian voice. Students hear the same clear pronunciation every session, on every device.
Hear before you read
In Hear & Find mode, the word plays automatically before the student sees any text. This supports phonological processing and reduces the pressure of visual decoding.
No timers, no pressure
SoundSnapp has no countdown timers and no penalty for taking time. Students can listen again as many times as they need.
Accessible colour design
High-contrast palette, warm cream background
Pure white backgrounds can increase visual stress for dyslexic readers. SoundSnapp uses a warm cream background with high-contrast foreground colours — reducing glare while maintaining readability.
Warm cream, not stark white
SoundSnapp's background is a warm off-white (perceptual cream) rather than pure white. This subtle shift reduces the visual contrast between text and background to a comfortable level for students with dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome, without reducing readability for neurotypical students.
WCAG-guided contrast
All text and interactive elements meet WCAG AA contrast ratios. Phoneme tiles use colour plus shape/label cues — never colour alone.
Consistent colour coding for phoneme categories
Each phoneme category (initial consonants, vowels, digraphs, blends) uses a consistent colour. This visual consistency helps students with dyslexia build pattern recognition without relying solely on letter shapes.
Low-clutter layout
Each screen shows one word and one task. No sidebars, no ads, no decorative elements competing for attention.
Free for any classroom
Dyslexia-friendly tools shouldn't cost extra
SoundSnapp's OpenDyslexic font, accessible colour palette, and audio-first design are available in the free Whiteboard Mode. No licence required. Open the URL on any classroom screen and the accessibility features are there from the first session.
- OpenDyslexic font available in every level
- Warm cream background throughout
- Audio-first modes (Hear & Find, Middle Sound)
- No timers, no pressure
- Works on any classroom screen or smartboard
Accessibility features — all free
OpenDyslexic font
One-tap toggle in every level
Warm cream background
Reduces glare for visual stress
High-contrast colour palette
WCAG AA compliant throughout
Audio-first modes
Hear & Find, Middle Sound, Final Sound
No-timer gameplay
Students work at their own pace
Questions & answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SoundSnapp support students with dyslexia?
Yes. SoundSnapp includes the OpenDyslexic font as a one-tap option in every phonics level. The interface uses a high-contrast colour palette, clean layout, and audio-first design to reduce visual stress for students with dyslexia.
What is OpenDyslexic and why does it help?
OpenDyslexic is a typeface specifically designed to improve readability for readers with dyslexia. Its unique letter shapes and weighted bottoms help reduce letter rotation and confusion. In SoundSnapp, switching to OpenDyslexic applies to all letter tiles and text instantly.
Do teachers need to set up the font for each student?
No. Each student can switch the font themselves using the Font selector in the toolbar on any /play level. The selection is remembered on that device so they do not need to reset it each session.
Is Whiteboard Mode dyslexia-friendly?
Yes. Whiteboard Mode uses the same high-contrast colour palette and clean grid layout. Teachers can switch to OpenDyslexic for whole-class display in one tap, making whole-class phonics sessions more accessible.
Is the dyslexia-friendly mode free?
Yes. The OpenDyslexic font and all accessibility design features are available in the free Whiteboard Mode. No account or licence is required.
Start dyslexia-friendly phonics in your classroom today
Free Whiteboard Mode for any classroom. 7-day Assessment Mode trial for schools. All accessibility features included at no extra cost.
Whiteboard Mode
Free forever — no account, no setup
Freeforever
- OpenDyslexic font included
- Warm cream, high-contrast design
- Audio-first phonics modes
- Works on any IWB or screen
- No login required
Assessment Mode
Individual tracking, $199 AUD/year per school
$199AUD/year per school
- Everything in Whiteboard Mode
- Individual student progress tracking
- Identifies students working below level
- Whole-school licence — every teacher included
- 7-day free trial — no credit card needed
No Credit Card Required