SpellingCity vs. Spelling Test Buddy: Which is the better Online Spelling Tool?
Spelling City (now part of Vocabulary A-Z) and Spelling Test Buddy are both online spelling tools for classrooms. Here’s how they compare on features, ease of use, and pricing so you can decide which is worth your money.
Feature comparison: Spelling City vs. Spelling Test Buddy
| Feature | Vocabulary A-Z (Spelling City) | Spelling Test Buddy |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $125/year | Teacher plan: only $39.99/year |
| Ease of Use | Can be complex for beginners | Simple and intuitive. Enter words in bulk, or scan/take photos of existing word lists. Bulk upload student students. |
| Automated Grading | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Word Lists | Yes | Yes |
| Practice Activities | Yes | Yes |
| Works on All Devices | Yes, but performance issues on some tablets and Chromebooks | Yes, optimized for all devices |
| Teacher-Friendly Reports | Limited access for free users | Comprehensive and included |
| Student Engagement | Gamified activities | Gamified activities, spelling test practice and learning, and additional tools like Teach Me and Sorts |
| Integration with Curriculum | Yes | Yes |
| Rapid worksheet creation from existing word lists | Limited | Yes - Deep integration with Worksheet Creator - create worksheets from your lists in just a few clicks |
| Look and Feel | Dated - built over 20 years ago. Slow website that doesn't work well across devices | Modern, fast, and fully responsive on all devices |
Why we think Spelling Test Buddy is the better choice
1. It’s actually affordable
Most spelling tools charge a lot to unlock the features you care about. Spelling Test Buddy has a free plan, and the Teacher plan is $39.99/year. That’s less than a third of Vocabulary A-Z’s $125/year.
2. You can set it up in minutes
SpellingCity (Vocabulary A-Z) has a lot going on, and teachers tell us it takes too long to get started. Spelling Test Buddy is built to be fast: create a test, assign it, review results. You can onboard your word lists and entire classrooms of students by simply uploading them or taking a photo with your smartphone.
3. Practice that’s backed by research
Vocabulary A-Z has games, but a lot of them are time-fillers with no connection to Science of Reading, UFLI, Orton-Gillingham, or Words Their Way. Spelling Test Buddy focuses on actual spelling instruction, practice, and testing. You can also generate worksheets directly from your word lists. Our tools (Teach Me, Sorts) and games are built around how kids actually learn spelling.
4. Automated grading and reports
Nobody wants to grade spelling tests by hand. Spelling Test Buddy grades tests automatically and gives you detailed reports, so you get that time back. You can generate classroom-ready reports and see individual student activity easily.
5. It works on everything
Vocabulary A-Z’s interface feels dated and breaks on some devices. Spelling Test Buddy runs well on computers, tablets, phones, and yes, even those old classroom Chromebooks.
What went wrong with Vocabulary A-Z/Spelling City?
Independent reviews from CommonSense.org paint a rough picture of what happened after Spelling City was sold to Vocabulary A-Z in 2020:
- They removed practice test features, and teachers saw student test scores drop:
- Printable test reports got worse. They dropped missed words and test averages from the reports (link)
- Students can’t repeat activities after completing them once, which defeats the purpose of practice (link)
- Games freeze or break on multiple devices and operating systems (link)
- Navigation got harder for teachers and students alike
- The price tripled to $125/year
- Customer support went downhill, with teachers reporting unanswered requests
Try it out!
Want to try Spelling Test Buddy out? Here is a sample spelling test. How well can you do?
The bottom line
If you’re looking for a Spelling City alternative that’s affordable, easy to set up, and actually works on your classroom devices, give Spelling Test Buddy a try. It does what you need without the bloat or the price tag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spelling City still exist?
SpellingCity as it was originally known no longer exists as a standalone product. It was acquired and folded into Vocabulary A-Z in 2020. While the spellingcity.com domain still redirects to Vocabulary A-Z, many of the original SpellingCity features teachers relied on — including practice tests and detailed reports — have been removed or significantly changed. Teachers have reported frequent bugs, frozen games, and a decline in customer support since the transition. If you’re looking for a modern replacement that offers the core spelling test features SpellingCity was known for, Spelling Test Buddy is a strong alternative.
What are the alternatives to Spelling City?
Popular Spelling City alternatives include Spelling Test Buddy, Spelling Mastery, Spelling Stars, and Power Spelling. See our comparison of classroom spelling apps for details.
How much does Spelling City cost?
Vocabulary A-Z (formerly VocabularySpellingCity) offers vocabulary and spelling games for K-5 students with classroom management features for teachers. It costs at least $125/year, but their pricing is no longer available publicly. By comparison, Spelling Test Buddy’s Teacher plan is only $39.99/year.
Ready to get started?
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