# 香港小學默書通 Dictation Buddy — Photo to dictation practice > Photo-to-dictation practice app for primary school students. (iPhone/iPad app by Yuen Fai Leung.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictation-buddy/id6802243540 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Yuen Fai Leung](https://appshunter.io/developer/6802243542) - Category: Education, Reference - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 17 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-09-03 - Data updated: 2026-09-26 - Monetization: ad-supported - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictation-buddy/id6802243540/reviews.md ## What is 香港小學默書通 Dictation Buddy? Every week the teacher writes the dictation scope in your child's handbook, and every evening a parent reads it out loud, word by word. Dictation Buddy turns that into three minutes of prep. Photograph the list. The words and sentences become a dictation paper that reads itself aloud in Cantonese, Mandarin or English. Your child writes on paper — the real medium — and you mark it by hand. Results are kept for the whole term, so you always know which words still need work. SNAP THE LIST • Point at the handbook or worksheet; words and sentences are recognised automatically • Passage crosses a page? Photograph page by page — the text is stitched back together • Fix any recognition error against the photo, or just type the list instead • Words and sentences are sorted apart automatically; title, subject and the dictation date written on the sheet are filled in for you PRACTICE MODE — for the child, alone • One giant button: play, hear it again, done — next • No text on screen, so there is nothing to peek at • Missed words queue into a retry round until everything is right • Compared only against their own previous run — no grades, no ranking MOCK DICTATION — the night before • Runs by your school's rules: each word read N times, each sentence N times, fixed writing time, no replay once it starts • Countdown pacing, question after question, exactly like the real thing • You mark against the paper, and the score appears in the teacher's own red pen, circled by hand • Corrections: three practice squares per missed word — rewrite it in the exercise book and tap a square each time, replaying the audio as you go PROGRESS • Every word shows its last two results, so weak characters are obvious at a glance • The home screen suggests tonight's step: practise, or run a mock • Log the real school score when the book comes back; the term average keeps itself • Optional 8pm reminder the night before a dictation VOICES • Chinese: Cantonese or Mandarin, high-quality cloud voices • English: read aloud on device, so mixed Chinese/English lists work • Separate speech rates for practice and mock; punctuation can be spoken or skipped PRIVACY No account, no sign-in. Word lists, photos and results are stored on your device. Text recognition and Chinese speech need a network connection: the photo and the dictation text are sent to our processing service. The text-recognition provider does not use this content to train models or publish it, but may retain it. Your child's handwriting is never recognised or auto-marked. A parent always marks by hand. Note: the app's interface is in Traditional Chinese. Requires iOS 17 or later; universal for iPhone and iPad. A network connection is needed for text recognition and Chinese speech. ## Key features - Photograph homework lists for automatic text recognition - Audio playback in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English - Practice mode with no text on screen - Mock dictation simulating school tests - Progress tracking of word accuracy - Optional reminders for practice ## Recent user reviews (1 of 1) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictation-buddy/id6802243540/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Great App for Dictation! *2026-09-17* 中文辨識準確度很高，大部分標點符號都可以讀到。唯 開/閂引號和專名號無法讀出。整體上很不錯👍 **Developer response:** 多謝支持，會繼續努力🙏🏻 ## Frequently asked questions about 香港小學默書通 Dictation Buddy ### How does Dictation Buddy work? You photograph your child's dictation list, and the app converts it into audio practice. It supports Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, with options for mock dictations and progress tracking. ### What languages does Dictation Buddy support? Dictation Buddy supports Cantonese and Mandarin for Chinese, and English. The app utilizes high-quality cloud voices for Chinese and on-device playback for English. ### Can my child practice without seeing the text? Yes, the 'Practice Mode' is designed for children to practice without text on screen, encouraging them to rely on listening and writing skills. Missed words are queued for retry. ### How does Dictation Buddy track progress? The app shows the last two results for each word, making weak characters obvious. It also logs real school scores and calculates the term average to help identify areas needing more work. ### Does Dictation Buddy have ads? Yes, Dictation Buddy contains advertisements. As it is a free app, ads are displayed to support its development and maintenance. ### What devices is Dictation Buddy compatible with? Dictation Buddy is a universal app, compatible with both iPhone and iPad. It requires iOS 17 or later. ### Is there a subscription or cost for Dictation Buddy? Dictation Buddy is free to download and use. The app is supported by advertisements. ### What is the update frequency for Dictation Buddy? The latest version is 1.0.6, last updated on September 20, 2026. While specific update frequency isn't detailed, this indicates ongoing development. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.0.6 — 2026-09-20 This update adds flashcards. • New: pick any words from a dictation and study them as flashcards — one at a time, large on screen and read aloud. Leave it on auto to turn the cards for you, anywhere from 1 to 10 seconds each. • Chinese now appears in a kai typeface drawn to the Hong Kong Education Bureau's standard character forms — the shapes children are taught to write. • Quotation marks are now read aloud during dictation, so they can be written down like any other punctuation. • Mock dictation is now called simply dictation throughout the app. ### 1.0.5 — 2026-09-15 This update fixes a few problems in recognition and mock dictation. • Fixed: a dictation could be named after its own first sentence, or the date on the sheet — it now uses the heading on the page • Fixed: some words and sentences could go missing from a longer passage • Fixed: the mock dictation progress ring could jump during a run ### 1.0.4 — 2026-09-12 This update gives the whole app a handwritten feel. • Scores are now real red pen — the kind a teacher circles by hand • Mock scores are written in pencil, so a real school mark is never mistaken for a practice one • Fixed: word lists that could not be scrolled on some screens ### 1.0.3 — 2026-09-08 Fixes a display issue on the home screen, plus general stability improvements. ### 1.0.2 — 2026-09-08 Fixes a display issue on the home screen, plus general stability improvements. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-26.*