Support Every Student. Improve Outcomes. Reduce Frustration.
Fonetic English is a breakthrough tool for teachers, schools, and universities. It’s designed to make reading simpler to teach and easier to learn, without changing how English is spoken or written.
Based on the science of Human Cognitive Architecture and Cognitive Load Theory, Fonetic English has been developed in collaboration with UNSW Emeritus Professor John Sweller, the founder of Cognitive Load Theory. He and our founder, Christopher Stephen, have co-authored a paper explaining how this system improves how English is taught and learned.
Fonetic English is not a replacement for teachers—it’s a powerful complement to your current curriculum.
What is Fonetic English?
Fonetic English keeps standard English spelling, but adds superscript sound characters to each letter. These superscripts show exactly how to pronounce each part of a word, using the 42 sounds (phonemes) of English.
Why It Matters
English has only 26 letters, but 42 sounds and many letters represent multiple sounds depending on the word.
For example, the letter “u” makes seven different sounds in these common words:
√bus, √bū…rý, √bűş…ý, pùt, qüick, ůşe , frñit
Fonetic English removes the guesswork. With superscripts, students know exactly what sound to say, without having to memorize exceptions, silent letters, or spelling rules.
And because standard spelling stays the same, students recognize the shape of each word, so they can transition naturally to reading standard English texts.
Benefits for Students
Fonetic English:
Improves reading fluency by making pronunciation clear and repeatable
Boosts comprehension and vocabulary through faster decoding of sight words
Reduces frustration—students no longer struggle with irregular spelling
Builds confidence by helping students master new words more quickly
Supports non-native speakers with tools to distinguish and pronounce English sounds
Reduces stress—learning to read becomes easier and more predictable
Helps struggling readers, including those with dyslexia
Allows students to work at their own pace, independently or in class
Encourages reading for pleasure with tailored reading materials, including AI-generated stories based on student interests
Benefits for Teachers
Fonetic English helps teachers:
- Accelerate reading progress and reduce time spent reteaching decoding
- Improve student comprehension and classroom behavior through better fluency
- Generate lessons quickly, with content adaptable to different reading levels
- Provide instant translation and pronunciation support for multilingual classes
- Assist struggling readers with a tool modeled on the benefits of phonetic languages
- Teach English phonemes explicitly, in a way that's tailored to students’ native language
- Adopt the system easily—Fonetic English can be learned and taught in minutes
- Track student progress, class trends, and group outcomes through built-in reports
- Automate administration to save time
- Customize learning paths for individual students
Benefits for Parents
Fonetic English also supports learning at home—so parents become engaged partners in their child’s progress:
Easy to understand—parents can support their child with no training
Keeps spelling intact—students learn to read real English, not an artificial system
Reduces frustration—children no longer have to memorize exceptions
Builds confidence—words make sense, and success comes quickly
Supports all learners, including those with dyslexia
Daily reports keep parents informed and involved
Works in multilingual homes, with word-by-word translation and pronunciation tools
Getting Started
There are 2 onboarding documents that explain how to use Fonetic English to teach
native English speakers click here, and
English as a second language students click here
Further detailed information is in the comprehensive FAQ’s on the website under the FAQ tab.
Join the Fonetic English Pilot Program
We’re currently selecting a small number of schools and education providers in different countries to participate in early pilot programs. These partners will receive favorable licensing terms and direct support from our team.
If you're a teacher, principal, curriculum coordinator, or education leader and would like to explore how Fonetic English can support your students, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact us at schools@foneticenglish.com
Together, let’s make English easier for every learner.
