Say Hello to the New Characters!

Annie Apple lives in an apple orchard in Letterland, but she also likes to travel around the world. When she visits other countries, she listens to people's accents. She noticed that in some accents, the 'a' in her name 'Annie' did not have the same sound as 'Apple'. This made her sad as her Sound Trick did not work as it should! So, Annie asked if she could change her name! Everyone in Letterland agreed. Her new name is Abbie. The Sound Trick works well everywhere, and she is a happy apple again!

Why we made this change:
To improve purity of short 'a' sound at the start of the name, as nasals can influence the vowel sound in some accents.

Impy Ink has been in Letterland for a very long time. As you know, eventually ink pens run out! But don't worry, his friend Izzy Ink knows all the same tricks! She is an incredible little ink pot. Impy is happy to pass on his important job to Izzy Ink!

Why we made this change:
To improve purity of short 'i' sound at the start of the name, as nasals can influence the vowel sound in some accents.

One hot day at the docks, Oscar Orange rolled out of his letter shape. A clever octopus spotted an opportunity to pop up in the letter shape and make the 'o' sound! Oscar Orange was shocked. "That's my letter!" he said. But he was so impressed with the octopus that he offered him his job! Oddly enough, the octopus was called Oscar too! So now you can spot Oscar Octopus saying 'o' in words!

Why we made this change:
To improve purity of short 'o' sound in the character name. In some accents 'orange' does not have a pure short 'o' sound and is more like an r-controlled sound.

When Oscar Orange gave Oscar Octopus the opportunity to make his sound in Letterland, his Bothersome Little Brother wanted to do the same. He always wants to be the same as his big brother. So, now the little brother you will see in Letterland is Oscar's Lovely Brother.

Why we made this change:
Continuity of story logic to accompany new character - Oscar Octopus.

Mr. O, the Old Man has decided to retire from his post. But he is old and wise, so knows he needs someone to replace him, who knows the ocean. Then he remembered his good friend Ms. O, the Ocean Expert who knows so much about the ocean and the coastline. She knows how to protect the ocean wildlife, including the otters and octopuses in Letterland. Mr. O is overjoyed she will take over from him in this new role.

Why we made this change:
Improving gender balance in key Letterland roles.

Mr. U, the Uniform Man used to be in charge of the umbrellas but has handed over his job to his daughter Ms. U, the University Student. Not only does she understand how to care for the umbrellas, she is also a student of music and will bring lots of lovely new music to Letterland. She happily looks after the umbrellas in Letterland, as they are so useful for keeping her musical instruments dry! Ms. U can play the flute, the tuba, and also the ukulele!

Why we made this change:
Improving gender balance in key Letterland roles.

You might have known Jumping Jim in Letterland. Jim got so good at jumping and juggling, that one day he decided to jump off on a journey around the world, showcasing his skills! He invited his good friend Juggling Jen to take his place in Letterland. Juggling Jen is also good at jumping and juggling, but she's good with just about every job too! She's a jet pilot, a journalist, and a jockey to name but a few jobs Jen can do!

Why we made this change:
Improving gender balance in key Letterland roles.

Talking Tess no longer just fixes telephones and TV's in Letterland. She has learned so much over the years, that now she has been promoted to Head of Technology. She still loves to talk all the time as she travels around with her touchscreen tablet!

Why we made this change:
Positive role model for a modern era.

Over the years Quarrelsome Queen has become much less quarrelsome. Her hobby of writing quiz questions and her quest for knowledge have really helped. She's quite quiet and she would like to be called "Quizzing Queen" from now on. But don't disturb her too much – she can still quarrel when she wants to!

Why we made this change:
More positive role model.