A physical phonics learning system includes a set of consonant letter block elements and a set of vowel hub elements. Each consonant letter block element bears at least one consonant character, and each vowel hub element bears at least one vowel character and has a geometry different from the consonant letter block elements. The elements include fully encapsulated spherical magnetic members disposed within fully enclosed internal cavities. The cavities permit rotation of the spherical magnetic members while preventing user access to the magnetic members during normal use. The spherical magnetic members self-align with magnetic members of adjacent elements to provide removable, direct, polarity-independent magnetic coupling without requiring a board, rail, frame, or ferromagnetic support surface. The elements may be manually arranged, connected, separated, and rearranged to form consonant-vowel-consonant word configurations, vowel-substitution word configurations, and other phonics learning arrangements.