---
title: Letterspell
description: "Letterspell is a simple tile-based spelling exercise that you can configure both in ***format*** and ***content***. You can use it to practise writing both single words (nouns, verbs or adjectives) and phrases. ## Configuring the format Each Letterspell question can…"
url: "https://cuespeak.com/docs/letterspell/"
updated: "2022-09-01"
category: Therapy Modules
---

# Letterspell

Letterspell is a simple tile-based spelling exercise that you can configure both in ***format*** and ***content***. You can use it to practise writing both single words (nouns, verbs or adjectives) and phrases.

## Configuring the format

Each Letterspell question can have up to 4 stimuli to prompt the user to write the target word/phrase. The 6 formats work by hiding or showing these 4 elements. The elements are:

- A **spoken question** (e.g. "Which part of the body does a dentist look after?") Some formats play this question automatically (formats LS2, LS4 & LS6) It can also played at any time by tapping the blue ? button on the toolbar.
- A **picture** to support understanding of the question (e.g. picture of a dentist).
- A **picture** repesenting the target (e.g. teeth)
- The **spoken word or phrase**(e.g. "teeth")

![](https://cuespeak.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Letterspell-screenshot-2-1024x768-1-600x450.jpeg)
Formats LS6 and LS7 - both pictures showing

The available formats are:

- LS1: Writing to **dictation** in the presence of the **target picture** (right hand picture only shows)
- LS2: **Picture naming** with facilitatory **question** (right hand picture only shows)
- LS3: Standard **picture naming** (no audio prompt, right hand picture only shows)
- LS4: Answering a **question**; hides the target picture, but shows the **picture on the left** (to aid understanding of the question)
- LS5: Writing to **dictation** (no pictures shown)
- LS6: Writing in answer to a **spoken question only** - both pictures hidden
- LS7: Writing in answer to a **spoken question**, with **both pictures** showing

## Configuring the content

**Configuring the content** works by including in your exercise only the questions that **match** the **criteria** you specify. As you configure, you will see the **number of questions** (displayed on the black bar at the top of the exercise settings screen) **falling** with each new specification. However, because this module contains over 1500 questions, it can be configured quite heavily and still retain substantial amounts of content.

In just a few seconds you can configure Letterspell to work on spelling anything from **common everyday words** through to complex, **high level vocabulary**, using the following settings:

***Target type:*** This refers to the **grammatical class** of the **target words**. Most targets in this module are **nouns**, but there is also a reasonable number of **verbs**. For most users it’s fine to **leave** this field **unconfigured**, since most people will want to work on **all**grammatical classes.

***Word frequency***: Allows you to select **more common** (“high frequency”) words and phrases or **less common** “low frequency” ones.

***Sets***: Allows you to select the **topic area** the questions will cover, such as news & current affairs, health or travel. You can also use it to select sets of **20 common words** to work on intensively – the same sets as in the **QA** module.

***Number of letters:*** This controls the number letters in the target word or phrase. NB you need to select ***all*** the numbers you want, e.g if you want words of ***up to*** 5 letters you need to select **1 2 3 4 and 5**.

***Number of phonemes***: If the user is to practise **saying** the word after spelling it, you might want to control the number of **sounds** (phonemes) the word has. NB you need to select ***all*** the numbers you want, e.g if you want words of ***up to*** 3 phonemes you need to select **1 2 and 3**.

![](https://cuespeak.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Soundspell-content-filters-1024x768-1-600x450.jpeg)
Letterspell: content configuration options

***I******nclude clusters***: Allows you to remove words beginning with ***consonant clusters*** such as **br**ead or **sn**ow. This will only be an issue for people focussing on **saying** the target words as well as spelling them.

***Initial & final sounds:*** This allows you to include only target words beginning with a specified **sound** (**phoneme**). You might want to do this if you want to focus work on **particular sounds** or temporarily **avoid** problematic ones. You can control both **word initial** sounds and **word final** sounds in this way. Be aware that this applies to sounds, **not to letters**. So for example if you select the sound **/s/** you will get words such as “cereal” or “ceiling” as well as those beginning with the letter S.

***Number of syllables:*** This allows you to specify the number of **syllables** the target words should have. You might want to restrict the selection to **single syllable** words, or you might want to focus particularly on **polysyllabic** words. You need to select **all** the numbers you want, e.g. If you want to work on words of 1, 2 and 3 syllables, you need to select all three of those numbers. If you want to work specifically on syllable structure, you might prefer to use the **Syllable Sorter** module.

***Number of words:*** This allows you to deice whether you want to work on spelling **single words** or **short phrases**. NB select **all** the numbers you want. If you select **2** you will get **only** 2 word phrases, no single words.

***Stre******ss position:***Some people with aphasia have particular difficulty saying words in which the **stressed syllable** is **not the first** syllable, e.g. “ba**na**na”. This will only be an issue for people wanting to say the words as well as spelling them.

***Question complexity: language***: Unlike most controls in this section, the question complexity filters allow you to adjust the complexity of the **question** rather than of the answer. This one controls the complexity of the**language** used in the question, both in terms of **syntax** and word **frequency**. It is a **subjective** measure only. NB You need to select ***all***the levels you want, e.g. if you select “moderate” this will exclude “easy” questions unless you also select “easy”.

***Question complexity: knowledge required***: This allows you to control the level of **general knowledge** required by the question. **Easier** questions cover very **familiar**, everyday material, while **harder**questions cover more **specialist knowledge** such as you might find in a **quiz**. In some cases questions have been rated as “difficult” on the basis of the **cognitive reasoning** they require as much as actual knowledge. NB You need to select ***all***the levels you want, e.g. if you select “moderate” this will exclude “easy” questions unless you also select “easy”.