Frequently Asked Questions

Tiny Words is one of the best vocabulary apps for toddlers. It teaches children aged 1-4 interesting words they won't hear every day, like "narwhal," "xylophone," and "volcano." The app is ad-free and was built by a dad specifically for his 2-year-old.

The best ways to help toddlers learn vocabulary are: 1) Talk to them constantly and narrate daily activities, 2) Read books together every day, 3) Use educational apps like Tiny Words for interactive learning, 4) Introduce interesting words beyond basics like "cat" and "dog," and 5) Repeat new words in different contexts over several days.

Quality screen time can support vocabulary development when used appropriately. Interactive educational apps like Tiny Words are more beneficial than passive video watching. The key is: choose ad-free educational content, keep sessions to 10-15 minutes, watch together and repeat words, and connect app learning to real-world experiences.

Most 2-year-olds know between 50-300 words, with the average around 200 words by age 2. By age 3, vocabulary typically grows to 200-1,000 words. There's a wide range of normal, and what matters most is steady progress over time.

The best educational apps for 2-year-olds include Tiny Words (vocabulary learning), Khan Academy Kids (comprehensive learning), Endless Alphabet (letter recognition), and PBS Kids Games. Look for apps that are interactive, ad-free, and designed for toddler attention spans.

The best learning app for toddlers is one that is short, ad-free, and built around a single clear goal rather than endless content. Tiny Words focuses on vocabulary — one new word a day, a question to ask together, and a 2-3 minute session. Khan Academy Kids is a strong all-rounder if you want broader coverage. Avoid anything with autoplay, rewards loops, or in-app ads.

Yes, but keep expectations realistic. At 12-18 months most babies learn best from real-world interaction, not screens. If you do use an app, pick one with simple first words, clear pronunciation, and very short sessions. Tiny Words works for 1-year-olds when used with a parent — you say the word, they listen, and you connect it to something real in the room.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends under 1 hour of high-quality screen time per day for children ages 2-5, always co-viewed with a parent or caregiver. For vocabulary learning specifically, shorter is better — 5 to 15 minutes of focused, interactive screen time beats 45 minutes of passive watching. Tiny Words sessions are designed to finish in 2-3 minutes for this reason.

Tiny Words is a vocabulary app, not a phonics or reading app. It builds the word knowledge that reading later depends on. Research consistently shows vocabulary size is one of the strongest predictors of reading comprehension. If you want your child to read earlier, teaching them a lot of words first is one of the most effective things you can do.

The best learning activities for toddlers are short, hands-on, and repeat often. Reading the same book many times, narrating daily routines ("we are cutting the avocado"), playing simple sorting games (socks by color), singing, and introducing one new interesting word a day all build the vocabulary and attention that later learning depends on. Apps like Tiny Words can supplement this, but they should never replace talking and reading together.

Tiny Words is designed for toddlers aged 1-4 years old. The interface is simple enough for young children to use with parental guidance, and the vocabulary is appropriate for early language development.

Yes, you can try Tiny Words free — your child learns their first 5 words with no account and no commitment. To keep going beyond that, Tiny Words Pro unlocks the full library and adds multi-device cloud sync.

Tiny Words introduces children to vocabulary they won't encounter in everyday life. Through colorful images, audio pronunciation, and repetition, children learn words like 'narwhal', 'xylophone', and 'volcano' in a fun, engaging way.

Not fully right now. Tiny Words currently works best with an internet connection, especially for syncing progress and loading fresh content. Offline support may improve in future updates.

Tiny Words tracks every word your child learns. You can view their word history, see their learning streak, and share achievement cards showing their progress. It's a great way to celebrate their vocabulary growth.

Most vocabulary apps teach basic words kids already know. Tiny Words focuses on interesting, unusual words that expand their world: animals they've never seen, instruments they've never heard, and concepts that spark curiosity.

Tiny Words is designed to resist becoming a screen-time trap. The app shows one “Today’s Pick” at a time — there’s no endless scroll, no autoplay rewards, and no algorithm pushing “just one more.” Most parent-and-child sessions land around two to three minutes because the experience is deliberately small. You and your child set the pace, not the app.

Flashcard apps drill familiar words with repetition. Tiny Words is the opposite: one vivid, unusual word a day, paired with real pronunciation and a conversation prompt you and your child can talk through together. The goal is curiosity, not memorization — words worth repeating, not words to be tested on.

That's completely fine. The free 5 words have no time limit — you can come back to them whenever your child is curious, without any subscription commitment. If they're not drawn in right away, step away and return later. Kids learn best when it's their idea, and your streak won't judge you for missing a few days.

YouTube Kids and most edu apps are designed for long, passive sessions — more time in app means more ad revenue or more engagement metrics. Tiny Words is designed for short, active sessions. Two minutes. One word. You and your child, talking about it together. It's the anti-YouTube-Kids: quiet, focused, and over quickly.

No ads, no ad networks, no behavioral profiling, ever. We do use anonymous product analytics (PostHog, EU-hosted) to understand which features parents find useful — it never includes your child’s name or the specific words they’ve learned. Child profiles (name, age, learned words) live on your device by default; cloud sync is optional and tied to your parent account, not your child’s. Full details are in our privacy policy.

No. Tiny Words has zero ads. We believe children deserve a distraction-free learning environment. The app is supported by optional premium subscriptions.

Yes! You can add multiple child profiles to a single account. Each child has their own progress tracking and word history.

Create a free account and your progress syncs automatically. You can also use sync codes to connect devices without creating an account.

Tiny Words was built by Chris Bongers, a software engineer and dad. He created it for his 2-year-old son Quinn, who loved learning new words. When Quinn became obsessed with the app, Chris decided to share it with other families.