Your baby is on the changing table, looking up at you. You want to speak English with your child, but you don't know what to say.
Parentese gives you everyday English phrases for that moment, and for meals, bath time, bedtime, and car rides. Your phone's English voice can read each one aloud, at normal speed or slowly.
It is for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of a baby or toddler, from newborn to age 3. It is written for bilingual families, especially parents whose first language is not English, but anyone can use it.
The name comes from "parentese," the word linguists use for the way adults talk to babies.
Phrases for the moment you are in
• 14 daily routines: Feeding & Eating, Diaper & Dressing, Sleep & Bedtime, Bath & Brushing Teeth, Play & Exploration, Soothing & Emotions, Walks & Playgrounds, Potty & Handwashing, Doctor & Medical, Daycare & Preschool, Restaurants & Cafes, Car & Travel, Safety Indoors & Out, and Chores & Tidying Up.
• 4 age groups: 0–6 Months, 6–12 Months, 1–2 Years, and 2–3 Years.
• Within each routine, every phrase belongs to a specific moment, such as "When waking in the night."
• Each phrase comes with a short tip on how to talk to your child at that moment.
Hear it before you say it
• Every phrase has two play buttons, Normal Speed and 0.7x Slow, and is read by your phone's English text-to-speech voice. Settings offers three speeds for flashcards and the quiz.
• Phrases are in American English with a US voice. Set the app's language to English (UK) for British words and a UK voice: "diaper" becomes "nappy," and "pants" becomes "trousers."
Written for your family
• Choose who you are to your child (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, or Uncle) and add your child's name. When you first open the app, a short tutorial asks for both. You can skip it.
• Phrases where you refer to yourself change to match. Pick Grandma, and "Daddy's got you now" becomes "Grandma's got you now." Your child's name replaces pet names like "sweetie."
Practice
• Quiz rounds of 10 questions, with age group and routine filters.
• After you answer, every option is explained, not only the one you chose: on the English screens, when to say each one; in other languages, what each one means.
• Review Mode brings back the questions you got wrong.
• Flashcards, with the same filters.
• Save favorites and search the phrase library.
Daily reminder
• Turn it on in Settings > Reminder and pick a time (7:00 PM by default). Your phone may ask you to allow notifications.
• Each day at about that time, a notification shows one English phrase: the Phrase of the Day, or one from a routine you choose. It leaves out your child's name.
In your language
• The app's screens come in 11 languages: English (US), English (UK), Japanese, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, French, German, and Portuguese.
• In every language except English, each phrase comes with a translation and a tip on which words to stress, both in that language.
A few short articles every day
• A fresh selection appears on the Home screen. The articles cover bilingual parenting, books and songs, play, daily routines, how spoken English sounds (stress, the L and R sounds), parent mindset, language milestones, and the science of how children learn language.
• They are general information, not medical advice. For questions about your child's health or development, talk to your pediatrician.
Good to know
• No account or sign-in needed.
• Phrases, quizzes, flashcards, and articles are stored in the app, so they open without a connection.
• If your phone doesn't have an English voice yet, it may need a one-time download.
• The app shows ads, which need an internet connection.
• In Settings, you can choose which of your phone's English voices reads the phrases, and hear a sample of each. Only voices that work without a connection are listed: UK ones with English (UK), US ones otherwise.
Recent changes:
• New: a daily reminder. In Settings > Reminder, choose a time and a routine, and Parentese sends you one English phrase at that time. Tap it to open that routine's phrases (with no routine chosen, it is Home's phrase of the day).
• When you open a routine from Home or from the reminder, its chip now scrolls into view in the filter row.
• New: Settings > English voice lets you choose from the English voices installed on your phone. Choose one to hear it read today's phrase.
Show more
Show less
