# Pleco Chinese Dictionary — Handwriting, OCR, flashcards

> Integrated Chinese dictionary, reader, and flashcard system with handwriting and OCR. (iPhone/iPad app by Pleco Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pleco-chinese-dictionary/id341922306 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Pleco Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/330462895)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 1,902 App Store ratings · 1,191 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: +9
- Requires: iOS 15.6 · 114 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2009-12-17
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pleco-chinese-dictionary/id341922306/reviews.md

## What is Pleco Chinese Dictionary?

Pleco is the ultimate Chinese learning companion: an integrated dictionary / document reader / flashcard system with fullscreen handwriting input and live OCR, from a company that's been making the world's best mobile Chinese learning apps since 2001.

Major features: ($ = paid add-on)

• Amazing dictionaries. We offer two free built-in dictionaries: the popular open-source CC-CEDICT, with over 110,000 frequently-updated entries, and our own PLC dictionary, with 125,000 entries, parts of speech, and over 25,000 example sentences (with Pinyin). More than two dozen other dictionaries are available as free and paid ($) add-ons, including licensed titles from well-known publishers like Oxford, Longman, FLTRP, Tuttle, SLPH, and Commercial Press.

• Powerful merged search: look up words by Chinese characters, Pinyin (spaces / tones optional), or English, with support for wildcards and full-text search. And no need to tediously flip between all of those dictionaries to find a word - just type in your search term and instantly get a combined, frequency-sorted result list.

• Links and cross-references: easily look up character components, break down words into individual characters, look up lists of words containing a particular character, and search across all dictionaries for example sentences containing a word.

• Gorgeous typography: see it for yourself in our screenshots - we think we're one of the best-looking Chinese dictionaries around. Alternate Kai/Song/Xing-style Chinese fonts are also available ($).

• PRC/HK/Taiwan-friendly: every part of Pleco supports both traditional and simplified, headword readings can be shown in Pinyin and Zhuyin, and some dictionaries even support Cantonese. (note: stroke order diagrams do support traditional characters, but use PRC order)

• Audio: Hear Mandarin and Cantonese for words and example sentences using iOS' free built-in text-to-speech system. We also offer add-ons ($) with native-speaker Mandarin recordings and higher-quality Mandarin TTS.

• Document Reader: bring in text from the clipboard and tap on words in it to instantly look them up. Upgrade ($) adds support for tap-lookups in text, HTML, DOC, DOCX, PDF, and EPUB files. We also offer graded readings ($).

• OCR: look up words simply by pointing your device's camera at them, or by tapping on them in a still image. ($)

• Fullscreen handwriting: use your device's whole screen instead of just a little box. Extremely accurate and highly tolerant of stroke order mistakes. (enhanced $)

• Flashcards: create a card from any dictionary entry with a single button tap, import premade word lists, use advanced memorization techniques like SRS, and study in a variety of modes including fill-in-the-blanks handwriting and tone drills. ($)

• Stroke Order Diagrams: animations showing you how to draw each character; 500 characters for free, 28,000 in paid ($) version.

• User dictionaries: create new dictionary entries right on your device as you encounter new words. ($)

• No ads.

We also offer famously excellent customer support and an active user community at http://www.plecoforums.com. And we're constantly working to make our products better; our sales and customer base have been growing for two decades across 4 different platforms. You can be confident that we'll still be fixing bugs and adding features for years to come.

Paid add-ons can be transferred to other devices that link to your iTunes account just like any other paid iTunes content; simply install our free app, open up the "Add-ons" screen, and tap on the "Restore Purchases" button to activate your purchase on each device.

Please contact us at support@pleco.com, via the form at http://www.pleco.com/contact.html, or using the in-app "Contact Support" command with any questions - we'll be delighted to hear from you.

## Key features

- Integrated dictionaries with over 110,000 entries
- Full-screen handwriting input
- Live OCR for word lookup
- Document reader for various file types
- Flashcard system with SRS
- Stroke order diagrams
- Mandarin and Cantonese audio

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mandarin Audio (male) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Document Reader | $9.99 | one-time |
| Enhanced Handwriting | $9.99 | one-time |
| Basic Bundle | $29.99 | one-time |
| Professional Bundle | $59.99 | one-time |
| Stroke Order Diagrams | $4.99 | one-time |
| Flashcard System | $9.99 | one-time |
| Optical Character Recognizer | $9.99 | one-time |
| A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese | $39.99 | one-time |
| Integrate Purchases | Free | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #134 in Top Free · Reference (US App Store)
- #192 in Top Grossing · Reference (US App Store)

## What do users think of Pleco Chinese Dictionary?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Extremely helpful and useful
- 👍 Comprehensive and detailed dictionary
- 🔍 Excellent search and lookup features
- 💡 Customizable and personalized experience
- 🎓 Essential tool for learning Chinese
- 🔊 Clear audio pronunciations

**Cons**

- 💰 Expensive add-ons and bundles
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and freezing issues
- 🔍 Cluttered interface and navigation
- 🌐 Lack of cloud sync and backup

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Handwriting recognition not always accurate
- Inconsistent performance on older devices
- Occasional issues with iCloud sync and backup

**Most requested features**

- Improved flashcard management and organization
- More language options beyond Mandarin and Cantonese
- Better integration with other learning apps and platforms
- Ability to filter and prioritize common/essential vocabulary

## Recent user reviews (10 of 1,191)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pleco-chinese-dictionary/id341922306/reviews.md

### 5/5 — The best!

*2026-08-18, version 3.2.83*

Pleco is solidly reliable and I’ve been using it for years.

### 5/5 — Indispensable app for learning Chinese

*2026-07-20, version 3.2.82*

This app is packed with features that I now find indispensable for learning Chinese. The dictionary alone has so many features, including the ability to search from a handwritten character to showing you the stole order to write it. The flash card system is really well written as well, allowing you to organize in great detail and manage additions and moves. It’s really smartly designed. The biggest weakness seems to be the optical character recognition; I’ve never managed to get this to work reliably from live images; you have to hold the phone really still and even then its touch and go. Apart from that, I can’t live without it 😅

### 5/5 — Pleco

*2026-07-14, version 3.2.82*

The handwriting search mode is very useful👍👍👍

### 4/5 — Peak

*2026-07-07, version 3.2.82*

I use this in school. Very 67. No ads. Wayyy awesomer than google translate. More accurate too. 很好很好👌

### 1/5 — Clunky

*2026-07-03, version 3.2.82*

I don't understand why this dictionary has such a high rating. The search functionality is total junk.  E.g., try searching for "Monday" with Outlier dictionary. You won't get anything despite that word being present in the dictionary.

### 5/5 — Best Dictionary App!!

*2026-06-12, version 3.2.82*

This app has been amazingly helpful! As a native English speaker trying to learn Mandarin this is so good and powerful. It gives so many more details and information compared to translate apps. I use it as my primary form of review for flashcards, and the other tools like the built in pronunciation and stroke order are so helpful. For sure best purchase I’ve made. Amazing app.

### 5/5 — The best Mandarin dictionary app!

*2026-06-02, version 3.2.82*

It is the best Mandarin app out there. The best!

### 5/5 — Amazing for learning

*2026-05-28, version 3.2.82*

Im learning Chinese and this app has been such a help!

### 5/5 — Download with confidence 👍

*2026-05-28, version 3.2.82*

When I studied and learnt Mandarin, late 80’s, there was no internet, so no apps.

If I’d had this app back then, it would be my *go to* reference, and made learning so much easier.

This app will :
✅ save countless hours
✅ make the whole process much faster
✅ vastly improve comprehension
✅ vastly improve understanding
✅ vastly improve character learning and meanings

Even now I use it to look up unfamiliar words or expressions; breakdown the characters and their meanings; PLUS I get to hear them, see the stroke order, see the radical and it’s meaning...all at the touch of a button.

Absolutely brilliant app that’s been researched and developed to perfection 👍👍👍👍👍

To the few who give bad reviews, try looking up a character using a traditional Chinese dictionary, a dictionary with paper pages.
What radical is it?
How many strokes?

This app makes characters a breeze.
All we had was “top to bottom, left to right, closing stroke last”.

Brilliant. I’d give it 10 stars if I could.

This is one of the most professionally designed apps available so kudos to the developers.
It’s brilliant, and far ahead of anything else.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

### 5/5 — Good

*2026-05-19, version 3.2.82*

App rất hữu ích

## Frequently asked questions about Pleco Chinese Dictionary

### What does Pleco Chinese Dictionary do?

Pleco is an all-in-one Chinese learning application that combines a powerful dictionary, a document reader, and a flashcard system. It allows users to look up words, read Chinese texts, and create study cards for memorization, supporting both simplified and traditional characters.

### What are the key features of Pleco?

Key features include extensive dictionaries with over 110,000 entries, full-screen handwriting input, live Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for instant word lookup, a document reader that supports various file formats, and a flashcard system with Spaced Repetition System (SRS) for effective memorization. It also offers stroke order diagrams and audio pronunciations.

### Is Pleco Chinese Dictionary free?

The core functionality of Pleco, including two built-in dictionaries and basic features, is free. However, many advanced features, such as additional dictionaries, enhanced document reader capabilities, native-speaker audio recordings, and advanced flashcard options, are available as paid add-ons.

### What devices is Pleco compatible with?

Pleco is designed for mobile devices. The description mentions features like using the device's camera for OCR and the device's screen for handwriting, indicating compatibility with smartphones and tablets that support these functions, likely iOS and Android.

### How can Pleco help me learn Chinese?

Pleco aids Chinese learning by providing instant access to definitions, pronunciations, and example sentences for a vast number of words. Its handwriting and OCR features help with character recognition, while the flashcard system and document reader support vocabulary acquisition and reading practice.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.2.83 — 2026-08-12

Fix for a crashing bug in forthcoming version of iPadOS.

### 3.2.82 — 2026-05-11

• Added vocabulary for the refreshed 2026 HSK 3.0 test to Import/Export / Install Premade Cards. Along with updating the vocabulary, we've also added shorter custom definitions for about 100 words where the default dictionary import might give you a card with the primary HSK meaning misleading or buried.

• Various bug fixes.

### 3.2.81 — 2026-03-30

Bug fixes + switch to iOS 26 SDK

### 3.2.80 — 2025-10-09

• Made some refinements to the "New OCR Interface" and "New OCR Algorithm" options in Settings / OCR, in preparation of soon making those the defaults for new users - we encourage everyone to give them a try, we're not planning to take away the old system but we think a lot of people will find this an improvement.

• Fixed some bugs and iOS 26 compatibility issues.

Also, be sure to check out the new 7th edition of Endymion Wilkinson's "Chinese History: A New Manual" in "Add-ons."

### 3.2.79 — 2025-09-12

• Added "New OCR algorithm" option in Settings / OCR if you've turned on "New OCR interface"; this should be a lot more accurate than our old one. (this is *not* the same as the new algorithm we've deployed on some other platforms)

• Fixed some bugs, including a crashing bug when attempting to do reader tap-lookups on PDFs with no embedded text data.

Also, be sure to check out the new 7th edition of Endymion Wilkinson's "Chinese History: A New Manual" in "Add-ons."

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## More apps by Pleco Inc.

- [Pleco Chinese (Legacy)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pleco-chinese-legacy/id6451271381)

All apps by Pleco Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/330462895

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*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 2026-08-27.*