SpellingCity vs Vocabulary A-Z: What Actually Changed
It's the same platform wearing a new badge - but the price, the owner, and who it's sold to all changed. The before-and-after, item by item.
STSpellingJoy Team
•Last Updated: July 2, 2026
This isn't a comparison of two products - it's a before-and-after of one. Vocabulary A-Z is SpellingCity: the platform passed from SpellingCity to VocabularySpellingCity, was acquired by Learning A-Z (Cambium Learning Group), and emerged from its 2023-2024 rebrand with a new name. What actually changed is everything around the product - owner, price, domain, and the kind of customer it wants. Here's the honest ledger of what moved and what didn't.
The Ledger: What Changed
Name: SpellingCity → VocabularySpellingCity → Vocabulary A-Z, aligning it with Learning A-Z siblings like Raz-Kids and Reading A-Z
Ownership: from an independent consumer product to a line item in Cambium Learning Group's Learning A-Z catalog
Pricing: from roughly $35/year that a parent could impulse-buy to a classroom license around $108/year (up to 36 students), commonly cited at $108-125 - procurement pricing, not pocket-money pricing
Domain and links: spellingcity.com now redirects, and the years of deep links teachers shared - specific games, lists, assignments - broke, which is the single biggest reason people believe the site died
Logins: school accounts moved through the Learning A-Z transition; old personal-subscription logins generally stopped being a way in, since individual consumer plans are no longer the model
The Ledger: What Stayed the Same
The educational machinery survived the rebrand. The word-list-driven design, the activity library with favorites like HangMouse and Word Unscramble, the vocabulary emphasis that prompted the middle name change - all of it continued into Vocabulary A-Z rather than being rebuilt or retired. If you sat a student from 2019 in front of a licensed Vocabulary A-Z classroom today, they'd recognize what they were looking at. That's precisely what makes the situation frustrating: the product you remember still exists; the price of admission is what tripled. Which is why the rankings below list Vocabulary A-Z first - it genuinely is the thing itself - and then the two sensible paths for everyone the new pricing left behind.
† Pricing note: Prices are checked against each vendor's official website or help center at the time of writing, but vendors change plans and prices at any time. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site before purchasing. How we review and verify →
1
Vocabulary A-Z
The platform in question
Vocabulary A-Z (formerly VocabularySpellingCity) offers vocabulary and spelling games for K-5 students with classroom management features for teachers. $108/year covers up to 36 students.
Best for:Anyone comparing the before and after - this is SpellingCity, continued under the new namePrice:$108/yr (classroom)†Grades:K-5Platforms:Web, iOS, Android
Pros
35+ learning games
Strong classroom integration
Teacher dashboard
Cons
Rebranded from VocabularySpellingCity
Classroom-focused pricing
Our pick
2
SpellingJoy
The free exit ramp
SpellingJoy is a 100% free spelling practice platform for K-6 students. Unlimited spelling games, unlimited tests, 134+ word lists, custom list creation, and progress tracking - all completely free with no subscriptions and no hidden costs.
Best for:Users who liked old SpellingCity pricing more than they like the new licensePrice:100% Free†Grades:K-6Platforms:Web
Pros
100% free - unlimited games, tests, and lists
No subscription or hidden costs ever
K-6 curriculum with 134+ word lists
Cons
Web-only (no native mobile apps yet)
Classroom features coming soon
3
Spelling Shed
The budget middle path
Spelling Shed is a UK-based spelling app with gamification features including competitive leagues and rewards. Home subscription $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr for up to 5 students.
Best for:Paying something for gamified practice without paying Vocabulary A-Z ratesPrice:$29.99/yr (home)†Grades:Ages 5-11Platforms:Web, iOS, Android
Pros
Strong gamification features
Competitive leagues
Cross-platform
Cons
UK curriculum focus
British accent audio
Frequently asked questions
Is Vocabulary A-Z the same as SpellingCity?
At its core, yes. Vocabulary A-Z is the continuation of SpellingCity (later VocabularySpellingCity) after Learning A-Z, a Cambium Learning Group company, acquired it and rebranded it across 2023-2024. The platform survived; the name, ownership, domain behavior, and pricing model are what changed.
What is the difference between SpellingCity and Vocabulary A-Z?
Four practical differences: the name (SpellingCity to VocabularySpellingCity to Vocabulary A-Z), the owner (independent product to Learning A-Z under Cambium), the price (about $35/year for families and teachers versus a classroom license around $108/year, commonly cited at $108-125), and the buyer it targets (parents and individual teachers versus schools with purchase orders).
Did Vocabulary A-Z keep SpellingCity’s games and activities?
The activity library - including favorites like HangMouse and Word Unscramble - carried into the Learning A-Z era rather than being scrapped. The difference is access: activities that many users once reached on a cheap personal subscription now sit behind the classroom license, so for non-subscribers the games effectively went away.
Do old SpellingCity logins still work on Vocabulary A-Z?
School accounts were generally handled through the Learning A-Z transition, so teachers in licensed schools should check with their administrator. Personal logins from the old ~$35/year subscription era typically no longer grant access, because Vocabulary A-Z is not sold as an individual consumer subscription.
Why does Vocabulary A-Z cost more than SpellingCity did?
Because the customer changed. SpellingCity priced for households; Learning A-Z prices for institutions, where ~$108/year per classroom (up to 36 students) is normal procurement math. The product did not triple in features - the billing target moved from a parent’s credit card to a school budget line.
Should I switch to Vocabulary A-Z or use a free alternative?
If your school already licenses Vocabulary A-Z, use it - it is the platform you knew. If you would be paying personally, a free alternative makes more sense: SpellingJoy covers the everyday SpellingCity workflow (custom lists, text-to-speech, auto-graded tests, tracking, printables) at $0 with no student limits.
Our Verdict
Verdict: same engine, new dealership, triple the sticker. Vocabulary A-Z kept SpellingCity's substance - lists, activities, vocabulary focus - while changing its name, owner, domain, and above all its buyer, from families to school systems.
So the choice is really about your budget line. School-funded classroom? Vocabulary A-Z is the authentic continuation and there's no re-learning curve. Paying yourself? SpellingJoy is the free exit ramp that covers the daily workflow, with Spelling Shed as the budget-paid middle path.
One sentence to remember: SpellingCity didn't lose its features in the rebrand - it lost its price.
ST
About the Author
SpellingJoy Team
The SpellingJoy team is dedicated to creating free, high-quality spelling resources for K-6 students and their families. We test every app we review and provide honest assessments to help parents make informed decisions.
