Parentese

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 and caregivers of a baby or toddler, from newborn to age 3. It is written for parents whose first language is not English, and anyone can use it. The phrases change to match who you are, whether you are a mom, dad, grandparent, aunt, or uncle.

Phrases for the moment you are in
• 14 daily routines: Feeding & Eating, Diaper & Dressing, Sleep & Bedtime, Bath & Grooming, Play & Exploration, Soothing & Emotions, Outdoor & Safety, Potty & Self-Care, Doctor & Medical, Daycare & Preschool, Dining & Restaurant, Car & Travel, First Aid & Safety, and Chores & Tidy Up.
• 4 age stages: 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 "Getting into the bathtub" or "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 can be read aloud by the English text-to-speech voice installed on your phone.
• Each phrase has a normal-speed button and a slow button (0.7x). The settings offer three speeds.
• Choose American or British English. British English changes the words, not only the accent: "diaper" becomes "nappy," and "pants" becomes "trousers."

Written for your family
• Choose who you are to your child: mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, or uncle.
• Add your child's name.
• The phrases are reworded to match. "Daddy has you" becomes "Grandma has you," and the pet name becomes your child's name.
• A short tutorial asks for both the first time you open the app. You can skip it.

Practice
• Quiz rounds of 10 questions. You can filter them by age stage and routine.
• After you answer, you see every option explained, not only the one you chose: on the English screens, the moment each phrase is for; in other languages, a translation of each.
• Review mode brings back the questions you got wrong.
• Flashcards, with the same age and routine filters.
• Save favorites, and search the phrase list.

In your language
• The app's screens are available in 11 languages: English (US), English (UK), Japanese, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, Vietnamese, French, German, and Portuguese.
• When the app is set to a language other than English, every phrase comes with a translation and a pronunciation tip in that language. The tips point to the stressed words.

A few short columns every day
• The columns change each day, on a rotating schedule.
• They cover bilingual parenting, books and songs, play, daily routines, how spoken English sounds, parent mindset, developmental milestones, and the science of how children learn language.
• The columns are general information, not medical advice. For questions about your child's health or development, talk to your pediatrician.

Good to know
• No account and no sign-in.
• Phrases, quizzes, flashcards, and columns are stored in the app, so they open without a connection.
• Audio uses the English voice installed on your phone. If that voice is not on your phone yet, your phone may need to download it once.