Spelling Games Enter Own Words: Free Tools Compared
Key takeaways
- Spelling.Live, Spelling Shed and Spellzone all let you type in a custom weekly word list for free, though most require an account to save lists between sessions.
- A weekly list for Years 1-3 runs 10-15 words, so any tool holding 20 or more words per list covers the whole school year.
- Parent-typed list entry beats teacher-dashboard tools for Years 1-3, because it works even when the list arrives as a photo of a whiteboard.
- Type the list on a laptop rather than a phone, since autocorrect can mangle words your child then practises wrong all week.
- Spelling Nest mirrors the school spelling week for £3/month or £20/year but has no free tier, while printable look-cover-write-check sheets remain the zero-sign-up fallback.
Several free online spelling games let you type in this week's word list and practise it straight away, including Spelling.Live, Spelling Shed, Spellzone, and Spelling Nest. This guide compares how each handles custom list entry, word limits, practice modes, and sign-up requirements, so Thursday-night practice takes ten minutes instead of an argument.
Which free spelling games let you enter your own words?
Six tools are covered here: Spelling.Live, Spelling Shed, Spellzone, Squeebles, Sir Linkalot, and our own Spelling Nest (why we built it). Each gets the same three tests: can you type in this week's spelling list yourself, how many words fit per list, and what practice modes the free tier actually gives you before anything is paywalled.
The comparison draws on each tool's own site documentation for custom word list entry and free-tier limits, starting with Spellzone's site. Where a tool's limits are unclear or undocumented, that is said plainly rather than guessed.
One caveat: Squeebles and Sir Linkalot are apps with their own pricing structures, so the free-tier test treats them differently from the browser-based tools.
How do you add a custom word list to each game?
Typing and pasting lists
Every tool worth using starts the same way: you type the words in. Spelling.Live and Spelling Shed both give you a text box where you enter this week's spellings one per line, then save the list under a name your child will recognise. Spellzone works the same way, though it also offers pre-built lists organised by rule if you want a shortcut on a busy week. The practical advice for any of them: type the list on a laptop, not a phone, because autocorrect will mangle "necessary" into something your child then practises wrong all week.
The entry step matters more than it looks, because it is the one part of Thursday-night practice you do yourself. You are copying the words straight off the sheet that came home in the book bag, so the faster and less fussy the input, the more likely the list actually gets entered before test day. Look for three things: can you paste a whole list at once rather than tapping words in one at a time, can you give the list a name like "Week 6 - -tion words" so you can find it again, and can you fix a typo after saving? If a tool makes you re-enter the entire list to correct one word, that friction will show up on the weeks when you are tired and the Friday test is looming. It is also worth checking what happens to the words you type, since some services store lists on your account: Spelling Nest explains its data handling plainly at https://spellingnest.co.uk/privacy.html, which is the level of clarity you want before typing your child's name anywhere.
Teacher-set lists vs parent-typed lists
A few tools split entry by role. Spelling Shed is built around teacher dashboards, where the class teacher assigns a list and pupils log in to see it, which suits schools but leaves parents dependent on the teacher using the platform. Parent-typed tools like Spelling Nest and Spelling.Live flip this: you enter the words yourself, no school account needed, so the tool works even when the list arrives as a photo of a whiteboard. For Years 1-3, where the parent is usually the one supervising practice anyway, parent-typed entry is the lower-friction path.
How many words can each free tool hold per list?
A weekly list for Years 1-3 runs 10-15 words, so any tool that holds 20 or more per list covers the whole school year with room to spare. The table below shows what each option allows; where a vendor does not publish a number, the limit is marked as illustrative rather than confirmed.
| Tool | Words per custom list | Confirmed? |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling Nest | Weekly-list sized, split into daily sets | Vendor's own pages (teachers' setup) |
| Spelling.Live | Multi-word lists for live play | Vendor site |
| Spelling Shed | Custom lists on paid tiers | Vendor site |
| Spellzone | Long lists across paid courses | Vendor site |
| Squeebles | Custom lists via parent settings | Sir Linkalot and Squeebles describe custom-list features on their vendor pages |
| Sir Linkalot | Fixed bundled content, not open list entry | Vendor pages |
For this age group, the practical question is not the ceiling but whether the tool chunks a list into short daily sessions. Fifteen words in one sitting is a Thursday-night fight; the same fifteen spread across ten minutes a day is not.
Which games turn your list into multiple practice modes?
One entered list is only worth the practice it generates, so variety matters on a Thursday night when the first mode has gone stale. Spelling Nest turns your weekly words into several activities: letter tiles for building each word, a listen-and-spell mode where the word is spoken and your child types it, and a look-cover-write-check drill that mirrors how the list is tested in class. Streaks and a "mastered" marker track which words still need work before test day (FAQ).
Spelling Shed generates multiple game styles from a list you enter, and Spellzone builds teaching content and activities around your words, though Spellzone's lists sit inside its own structured courses rather than being purely freeform. Spelling.Live focuses on a narrower set of practice modes built around the list you type in.
Squeebles takes a different approach: custom word entry exists, but practice centres on its own spelling activity rather than a spread of modes. If your child bores of one activity after three minutes, a tool that swaps between tiles, dictation, and cover-and-check will carry you through the week better than a single fixed game.
What are the limits and sign-up requirements of each option?
Free tiers vary more in their ceilings than in their features. Spelling Nest is paid outright at £3/month or £20/year per family, so there is no free-tier cap on list length or practice modes to work around, but it does require a UK billing address (pricing and billing details). The free tools in this guide carry the usual constraints: an account to save lists across sessions, and per-list word caps that matter most if your child's teacher sends home longer lists.
Ads, accounts and privacy
Ask three questions before handing over any login details. First, does the tool show ads, and are they visible to a five-year-old mid-practice? Second, is an email account required, or can you practise as a guest and retype the list each week? Third, what data is collected — a UK-facing product should be clear about this under UK GDPR.
Spelling Nest requires an account because lists and streaks sync between home sessions, and it bills in pounds rather than dollars. If you would rather avoid any account at all, a printable sheet remains the zero-sign-up fallback, at the cost of the streak your child may need to stay motivated.
When is a custom-list game better than a printable look-cover-write-check sheet?
Paper wins when the words are few and the child is willing. A printed sheet costs nothing, needs no device, and the physical act of writing is what the Friday test actually asks for. For a child who already resents screens-as-schoolwork, a sheet can be the calmer choice.
A custom-list game earns its ten minutes when motivation is the bottleneck. The same list typed once becomes listen-and-spell, letter tiles, and a test mode, so practice varies without you preparing anything. A streak counter and instant marking also remove you from the role of examiner, which Thursday nights often need.
The honest split: paper for handwriting and a quiet child, a game for the child who cries at the sight of the list. Many families alternate, using the screen midweek and a written run-through the night before the test. If the game keeps the practice happening on the bad weeks, it has done its job.
How do these tools handle shared lists between home and school?
Most free options have no teacher-to-parent sharing. Spelling Shed is built around school accounts, so a teacher can assign this week's words to a class, but if your child's school uses paper lists, none of the other tools here receive the words automatically. Spelling Nest, Spelling.Live, Spellzone, Squeebles and Sir Linkalot all expect someone to type the list in.
That is less work than it sounds. A Year 2 list of 10 words takes under two minutes to enter, and the statutory word lists in the English programmes of study are published online, so you can copy tricky words straight from the source.
The practical fix: ask the teacher for the list on Monday, type it once, and practise ten minutes a night before Friday's test.
Where does Spelling Nest fall short on its own checklist?
Run Spelling Nest through the same three tests used above, and it holds up on workflow. It is built around the weekly spelling list: you type in this week's words once, your child practises in short ten-minute sessions through the week, and the streak and "mastered" markers track readiness for the Friday test. Custom list entry is typing words in directly, nothing fancier.
What it lacks is a free tier. Beyond the trial, it is £3/month or £20/year, while Spelling.Live and printable look-cover-write-check sheets cost nothing. Game variety is also narrower: letter tiles and listen-and-spell, rather than the range some free tools offer.
The honest verdict: if you want one app that mirrors the school spelling week, that is the trade. If you only need occasional practice, stick with the free options.
FAQ
Is there a free spelling game where I can type in my child's weekly words?
Yes. Spelling.Live and Spelling Shed both give you a text box where you type this week's words one per line, then save the list under a name you will recognise. Spellzone also accepts custom lists, though its free content sits inside structured courses. Spelling Nest handles custom entry too, but it is paid at £3/month or £20/year rather than free.
Can I use the same word list on a phone and a tablet?
Only if the tool saves lists to an account. Spelling Nest syncs lists and streaks between sessions because it requires an account, so a list typed on a laptop shows up on a tablet. Guest modes on free tools usually mean retyping the list on each device. Either way, type the original list on a laptop, since autocorrect mangles fewer words.
Do these spelling games need an account or collect my child's data?
Most free options need an email account to save lists across sessions, though some allow guest practice if you retype the list weekly. Before entering your child's name anywhere, check what data is collected; a UK-facing product should state this clearly under UK GDPR. Spelling Nest requires an account for syncing but publishes its data handling plainly. Avoiding accounts entirely? A printable sheet is the zero-sign-up fallback.
What's the quickest way to practise 10 spellings the night before the Friday test?
Ask for the list on Monday and type it once, so Thursday night is practice only. Then run a listen-and-spell or look-cover-write-check mode for ten minutes; a Year 2 list of 10 words takes under two minutes to enter. If you are down to paper, a printed look-cover-write-check sheet with a written run-through is the fastest option that also rehearses handwriting for the test itself.