Speak & Spell

Speak & Spell looked like a giant calculator with a handle, and not many kids I know were lucky enough to have one bought for them. My parents obviously though it could help me and I was fooled into believing that education could be made fun. I was gutted when a friend dropped mine!

Speak & Spell was another electronic toy made by Texas Instruments and was a more refined version of Mattel's See & Say toy. Speak & Spell was the first in a series of toys like this, followed by Speak & Read and Speak & Math. I believe Texas also released a compact version of the Speak & Spell in the early-80s.

What I find bizarre is that the opening noise the Speak & Spell made when you turned it on has been picked up by a number of musicians and samples in their songs, such as Pet shop Boys. Depeche Mode even named their debut album Speak & Spell in honour of the toy! Speak & Spell also featured in the film ET as a communicator.

Comments

It was first launched in '78, and was originally about the size of a portable typewriter, although as compact technology improved it became reduced to hand-held size.
I remember controversy arising when it arrived in the UK because of it's use of American English (i.e. spelling 'color' without the 'u', etc.) so a new lot of ROM cartridges had to be made specially for the British market.
Speak & Spell was made famous in the film 'E.T.', when the little alien uses one to teach himself to speak English. I think they were finally discontinued in '92.
Roxxy21-Feb-2013, 08:01:34 AM

my mum said i wouldnt go anywhere without it!! steevie
missbo22-May-2008, 04:18:36 PM

Oh the hilarity at asking my brother to come over and pressing the following buttons: 'U' 'R' 'A' 'P' 'P'. Never failed to make us laugh. I remember accusing my friend at school of being a liar when she said she had one that was for Maths... Sorry, Leanne!
storyteller28-Feb-2008, 05:49:12 PM

Oh, the very deep and real love I have for my speak and spell! I found it again recently and God bless him, he still works. Total and utter joy. I also still have my less loved Speak and Math which I hated, but stll cannot bear to get rid of!
benjipops11-Feb-2008, 11:59:46 PM

Oh you were well lucky if you had one of these in those days! I was real envious of my mate who had one.
cozmicgirl2429-Jul-2007, 02:11:30 AM

I loved my speak and spell. I played with it everyday. I am so thankful to the makers of this product and to my mom for buying it for it. I think it was a tremendous help with my spelling. Math on the other hand is a different situation. Sure wish mom had got the speak and math too.
spellergirl05-Jun-2007, 04:54:48 PM

I played on my brother's one which he never used (turned out later he was dyslexic) and i loved it :) I loved the way it got angry with you if you consistently spelt something wrong :D I noticed they had one on E.T. and it had round buttons instead of a flat keypad.
Wayne06-Mar-2007, 03:10:21 PM

I always wanted one of these but I guess my folks thought I was already good at spelling so it was a waste of time. I was dead jealous of my friends who had them, though. My husband recently unearthed his from his parents' attic and it still works. I spent far too long playing with it and have decided to keep it. For our 2 year old son, you understand...
Cath13-Aug-2006, 11:18:47 AM

I used to play on my friends Speak and Spell but never had one of my own. I always wanted one and asked every Christmas and Birthday but still never got it. If i did, My speelin mite bee beter tfan it is!
Mark Ashby28-Feb-2006, 10:19:36 PM

I remember I used to stay up when I was supposed to be in bed. I would sit there in the dark, and play on it endlessly
Neil10-Oct-2005, 11:24:13 PM

My sister had one and I used to tease her by not letting her play with it! then one day apparently I dropped it in the bath! can't remember that! I recently brought one from a Car Boot Sale and its Perfect!!! Still works! "Please Spell Because, B..E..C..A..U..S..E That is correct" do do do do.
Amanda Adams10-Feb-2005, 09:54:27 AM

I used to sit in the back of the girl across the road's Dads Jag and make it spell rude words B.O.O.B.S ... actually used to do that on the calculater too.
Chykie22-Jun-2004, 08:39:23 PM

I remember that the Speak and Spell couldn't pronounce "B"s very well. It used to say "Spell Riven" so I'd type in R.I.V.E.N. And it'd say "Wrong, try again, Riven" After 2 tries, it'd say "The correct spelling of Riven is, R.I.B.B.O.N. : Riven." Apart from the lack of lips, (necessary to form "B"s,) the S and S was ace.
ToonlistGuy12-May-2004, 10:04:57 PM

Can't tell you how many times I spelled i cup on my Speak and Spell as a child. Still makes me laugh to this day!
krakboi11-May-2004, 02:22:18 AM