The best spelling app for 3rd to 5th grade teachers (2026)
Full disclosure: I make one of these apps, so I’m biased. Here’s what I’d actually use in a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classroom, including the ones that aren’t mine. Short version: the right app depends on whether your curriculum already gives you word lists, and how much your students are motivated by games.
| App | Best for | Price | Uses your lists? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spelling Test Buddy (mine) | turning your weekly list into tests, games, and practice | $49.99/year, up to 150 students | Yes, from a PDF, Word file, spreadsheet, or photo; or use its K-8 curriculum |
| Spelling Shed | a full spelling curriculum with games and leagues | Free plan; Premium by quote | Yes, plus its own scheme |
| SpellingJoy | a free classroom option | Free; optional $2.99/month extras | Yes |
| Spelling Stars | Google Classroom schools, parent login | From $6.99/month, by class size | Yes |
| Power Spelling | one class on a tight budget | $29/year for 35 students | Yes, plus publisher lists |
What a 3rd to 5th grade spelling week looks like
Most upper elementary teachers I talk to run some version of the same week: a pretest on Monday, practice Tuesday through Thursday, and a test on Friday. Many have two or three groups with different lists. The time sink is the stuff around the teaching: making the lists usable, reading the test aloud, grading, and figuring out who needs what next week.
So the questions that matter are:
- Where do your words come from? A curriculum (Wonders, Journeys, UFLI, Words Their Way, a district list) or nowhere yet?
- How many groups? One list for everyone is easy anywhere. Three lists for three groups is where tools differ.
- What does your school run on? If grades have to sync to Google Classroom, that narrows the field quickly.
1. Spelling Test Buddymine
This is mine. I built it for the week above. Take a photo of the list or upload the PDF, and every word gets audio and a sentence. Set up a pretest, practice days, and the final test once, and students open your class link and see what’s due. Tests grade themselves, and results show up on your Reports page as each student submits.
For groups, give each group its own list. For students who need more, Adaptive Learning Programs build daily practice from the words that student keeps missing, using spaced repetition. Worksheet Creator makes sorts, cloze, and Look Say Cover Write Check sheets from the same list.
If you don’t have lists, its K-8 spelling curriculum gives you a sequence to follow. What it won’t do: sync grades with Google Classroom, or give kids leagues and leaderboards.
2. Spelling Shed
If you want a spelling curriculum where games are the center of it, Spelling Shed is the strongest choice for elementary. The lists follow a planned sequence, the games and leagues keep kids motivated, and it has native apps and Clever rostering. Spelling Test Buddy vs Spelling Shed.
3. SpellingJoy
Free and built for K-6. Custom lists, games, auto-graded tests, and class progress tracking, with no credit card. If you can’t get anything purchased, start here. Check its privacy policy against your district’s rules, like you would for any free tool.
4. Spelling Stars
The weekly routine works much like Spelling Test Buddy’s, with Google Classroom roster and grade sync and a parent login. If grades have to land in Classroom, that’s a good reason to pick it. Spelling Test Buddy vs Spelling Stars.
5. Power Spelling
The cheapest paid teacher plan here, with publisher lists already loaded and Google Classroom integration. No adaptive practice or worksheets. Spelling Test Buddy vs Power Spelling.
My pick
If your curriculum gives you weekly lists: Spelling Test Buddy. The time savings come from not retyping lists and not grading, and the adaptive practice helps the kids who need more than one week with a pattern.
If you have no curriculum: Spelling Test Buddy’s K-8 curriculum if you want adaptive practice and worksheets with it, or Spelling Shed if leagues and games matter most.
If grades must sync to Google Classroom: Spelling Stars.
If you can’t spend anything: SpellingJoy.
What I’d do this week
- Find next week's list in whatever form you have it: PDF, teacher's edition page, or the sheet you send home.
- Decide whether you're running one list or several groups. That decides how much a tool needs to handle.
- Try one tool on that real list for a full week, from pretest to Friday test, before you compare features.
- If you try Spelling Test Buddy, the trial is 14 days. Email me if you need longer and I'll extend it.
Questions
- What's the best free spelling app for 3rd grade?
- SpellingJoy is free and covers K-6 with custom lists, games, and tests. Spelling Shed’s free plan also includes its games. Spelling Test Buddy has a 14-day free trial, then costs $49.99 a year.
- Can I use my Wonders, Journeys, or UFLI lists?
- Yes, in any of these apps. In Spelling Test Buddy, take a photo of the list or upload the PDF and the test is built for you, with audio and a sentence for every word.
- How do I differentiate spelling lists for different groups?
- Put students in groups and give each group its own list. Spelling Test Buddy, Spelling Stars, and Power Spelling all support groups. Spelling Test Buddy also has adaptive programs that give each student practice on the words they personally miss.
- Do my students need email addresses?
- Not for Spelling Test Buddy. Students open your class link and enter a short student code. Other apps use student logins or Google Classroom rostering.
Try Spelling Test Buddy
$49.99 a year for up to 150 students, with every game, tool, and report included. Start with a 14-day free trial, and if 14 days isn’t enough, email me and I’ll extend it.
Start your free trialI checked prices and features for every product on this page in October 2026. Prices change, so confirm on each company’s site before you buy.