Games for English learners

Games for kids learning English

Vocabulary, listening, WH questions and conversation practice in short games that run in any browser. Some are free to play; the rest are part of Pro.

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Free games with a free account. Try Pro free for 14 days.

Free inside the app

Three free activities to start with

These are built into SpeechTherapyMagic and free to use with a free account.

Free

WH Questions

Picture scenes with who, what, where, when, why and how questions, at three levels. The first level offers only two answers, which suits newer learners.
About WH questions
Free

Sound Flashcards

Swipeable picture cards for every English consonant sound, sorted by where the sound comes in the word. Good for naming practice and new vocabulary.
About flashcards
Free

Memory Match

A memory game with picture and word cards for a chosen sound. Saying each word aloud as you turn a card over makes it speaking practice too.
About memory games

Vocabulary and word meaning

Words with more than one meaning, opposites and idioms are where a lot of English learners get stuck long after everyday English feels easy.

Level Up game screenshotPro
Play with Pro

Level Up

Synonyms, antonyms, multiple-meaning words and idioms in a multiple-choice game.

Listening and understanding

Questions that are read aloud let a learner show what they understand before their reading or speaking catches up.

Pro
Play with Pro

Garbage Truck Challenge

A listening game where a narrator reads every question out loud, so pre-readers can play too.

Pro
Play with Pro

Junior Detective

Read or listen to short scenarios and use the clues to work out the answer.

Maze Quest game screenshotPro
Play with Pro

Maze Quest

Comprehension and inferencing questions inside a maze game.

Conversation and social language

The unwritten rules of conversation differ between languages and cultures, so practising them explicitly helps.

Social Scenes game screenshotPro
Play with Pro

Social Scenes

Build conversations scene by scene, and record yourself practising them.

Social Spark game screenshotPro
Play with Pro

Social Spark

Practice social skills and emotional regulation, and build friendship skills along the way.

Free games for quick practice

Short, playful games that work as a warm-up or a reward, free with a free account.

Free
Play Free

Adventures With Milo and Boots

A cat-themed arcade of short speech and language games, including WH questions and sequencing.

Free
Play Free

Dip, Plop, Stack!

A food-themed memory game with three modes: dip nuggets, catch pizza toppings, stack a burger.

Getting more out of a game with an English learner

  • Preview the words first. Go through the pictures and key words before the game starts, so the game is practice rather than a test.
  • Let tapping come before talking. Many new English speakers understand far more than they say. Answering by tapping is real participation.
  • Then add speaking. Ask the learner to say the answer out loud, then the whole sentence. For focused work on a tricky sound, switch to pronunciation practice.
  • Keep it short and often. Five minutes a day does more than one long session a week.

Questions about the games

Are these games made for English learners?
They are speech and language games for children, developed by our team with our clinical lead, a licensed speech-language pathologist. They were not written only for English learners, but vocabulary, WH questions, listening and conversation are exactly the skills English learners practise, so these are the ones we would start with.
Which games are free?
The games marked Free on this page are free to play with a free account, along with WH Questions, Sound Flashcards and Memory Match inside the app. Games marked Pro are part of Pro, which you can try free for 14 days.
Are the instructions in other languages?
No. The games, instructions and words are in English only. For a newer English learner, play alongside them at first: read the question together, point to the picture, and let them answer by tapping before they answer out loud.
Do the games score pronunciation?
Most of these games practise vocabulary, listening and conversation rather than scoring speech. Sound-by-sound pronunciation feedback is in the pronunciation practice tool, which is part of Pro.
Do they work on Chromebooks and tablets?
Yes. Everything runs in the browser on Chromebooks, iPads, Android tablets, laptops and phones, with nothing to install. A free account is needed to play.

Browse every game by skill, age or setting on the games page, or see the free games.

Play the free games today

A free account opens every game marked Free. Try Pro free for 14 days to open the rest.

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