1. A computer-based method comprising: presenting a plurality of grapheme-labeled regions on a computer-based touchscreen; receiving an indication that one or more of the grapheme-labeled regions has been touched by a pointing device; measuring an amount of time that the pointing device maintains contact with each one of the one or more grapheme-labeled regions that has been touched by the pointing device; producing, at an audio speaker, one or more phonemes, each phoneme based on a grapheme that appears on one of the respective grapheme-labeled regions that has been touched by the pointing device, wherein each grapheme presented represents a single phoneme; and setting an audible duration for a particular one of the phonemes produced at the audio speaker based on a measured amount of time that the pointing device maintains contact with a particular one of the grapheme-labeled regions.
4. The computer-based method of claim 1 wherein the particular one of the phonemes whose audible duration is set corresponds to a grapheme that appears on another one of the grapheme-labeled regions other than the particular one of the grapheme-labeled regions.