Franklin SPQ109 Collins Pocket Speller

I had a really old one from the seventies and it quit working so I ordered this one as it was a very good price and looked a little like the one I had. It was a little smaller and at first I thought it was too small but with my close-up glasses I can see it very well and it works great. I love it. I am now used to the size and I like it better than the old one. It is easy to use, hold, and fits in my small purse easily. The games are great too. Be sure to keep the instruction paper that comes with it as it was very helpful for closing the demo.

I liked the item.

Only reason I rate this at 4 is because I haven’t fully investigated its capabilities. This is a truly useful gadget! Our 17 year old daughter has dyslexia, as we just discovered, and she isn’t always able to look up spellings. She’s very sensitive about “looking normal” and this is a great way for her to discretely look up spellings. She’s enjoyed the spelling games as well. It’s simple and compact, exactly what she needed.

This item is a useful device to spell many common English words, not all. The key pad is small and takes patience to use correctly. The screen cover is difficult to open. The speller offers a tutorial which I have bypassed but may offer some suggestions for ease of use. If you have trouble spelling some common English words (i before e etc.) like I do then this is an inexpensive help. Who knew that when traffic becomes trafficking one has to add that stupid "K"?

As a tutor, I use these for all of my dyslexic students. It has the flexibility I need for them to spell their words correctly, providing the ability to enter "?" for an unknown letter, providing a selection of words that are spelled "close" to the sounds they guessed at, and providing a definition for homophones so they can pick the correct spelling for their usage. The slim-line design makes this easy for them to carry and something they are comfortable with using at school around their peers that may not require them. The only downfall is that I wish it had a calculator-style slide cover instead of a hinged cover. The hinging is fragile and there's no way to protect the device after the top has broken off. If, instead, it had a cover that you could slide off, flip over and slide back on, then it would take up less desk space and be less susceptible to damage.

I wondered why a lot of American words weren't in it. I finally realized the vocabulary is British English not American English. I would return it except the window for returns ended yesterday. Definitely would not recommend for solving American crossword puzzles. It should state in the description that its British vocabulary.

I got this for my daughter who has trouble spelling. This device does a very good job of guessing the word that she enters for correction. It is not perfect every time, but it is right often enough that we can trust it. The speller has features in addition to spelling alone - a crossword solver, a calculator, and some kind of game, I think. Those aren't important for us, however. We just wanted a speller. Good price and is dependable. Takes button cell batteries. Nice compact size, roughly 3" x 4" x .5" thick. Weight is 2.6 ounces.

Great for kids who have trouble spelling words...helps them to learn better especially if they are a sight learner. Type in word how it sounds then it shows correct spelling and also words they may have meant or can use. Also has games like spelling bee and hangman. Small and lightweight yet very good quality. Great helpful item!