# Scribe Cantonese — Learn Cantonese Vocabulary

> Learn common Hong Kong Cantonese vocabulary through sound-based association and interactive games. (iPhone/iPad app by Guiix Pty Ltd.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribe-cantonese/id646297167 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Guiix Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/550872102)
- Category: Education, Travel
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 21 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 59 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2013-05-13
- Data updated: 2026-06-06
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribe-cantonese/id646297167/reviews.md

## What is Scribe Cantonese?

Scribe Cantonese has been intentionally designed to teach mastery of Chinese Cantonese vocabulary - you learn many common Hong Kong Cantonese words. Using a unique study method, words are remembered with related-sounding words, so that in real-life situations you are able to contextually select the correct word, even if you missed the tone.  Study Cantonese this way, and your mind's ability to select the correct word in context increases 10 fold. Just think about it: for every similar sound, you will know the 2 or 3 possible popular words it could be. 

Scribe Cantonese quietly saturates your mind with all the correct linkages to learn Cantonese to a better-than-native level. This is the fastest known method to the learn Cantonese language, by focusing on learning through Cantonese games.


Scribe Cantonese also includes numerous games using the same study deck, so no matter what game you feel like playing, your study picks up where you left off. You can study Cantonese YOUR way. And your dreams of China, Hong Kong and Macau can come closer.

Features:

- 1800 of the most common Cantonese words. 
- Full native audio spoken for every single word. Speak Cantonese within weeks, instead of years, with a daily commitment to study Cantonese words.
- 6 Cantonese games: Cantonese flashcards, Cantonese multiple choice, Cantonese tiles, listening flashcards, listening multiple choice, matchup.
- Tone markers + tone colors.
- Spaced-Repetition System that.. is simply incredible. When you get down into the deeper levels with thousands of words to remember, you'll be amazed at how accurately the right word comes along. 
- Study Cantonese completely offline - no internet bandwidth used. Learn and study Cantonese anywhere - on the train, bus, on the way to work, sitting waiting, in coffee shops, on bed before dreaming Cantonese in your sleep.
- Your choice of yale or jyutping romanisation, along with the native hanzi reading (for help with remembering the hanzi, you can use our hanzi app: Scribe Origins).
- Ruby text places the reading above the hanzi character, just like in manga and anime readings.
- Synchronise your progress across devices, if you want to learn Cantonese on your iPhone and iPad.
- Example usage sentences and common Cantonese phrases for the most popular Cantonese words.
- Most users who have gone through the entire first level unequivocally say that Scribe Cantonese is currently the fastest way to learn Cantonese language, both listening and reading skills.

Scribe Cantonese is part of the Scribe Origins series of learning apps.

Optional Subscription:
Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, & identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user & auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. 
Terms & conditions: https://scribeorigins.com/disclaimer.html 
Privacy policy: https://scribeorigins.com/privacy.html

## Key features

- Sound-based vocabulary learning
- 1800 common Cantonese words
- 6 interactive Cantonese games
- Native audio pronunciation
- Spaced-Repetition System
- Offline study mode
- Progress synchronization

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All | $1.49 | per month |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Study Megapack | $6.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 21)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribe-cantonese/id646297167/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Amazing, totally underrated app

*2020-08-06, version 3.0.2*

This app is fantastic!! Clearly the developer invested a lot of time developing it. It is absolutely what I have always wished for in a Chinese learning app - it helps with the pronunciation, the meaning of a character and it’s origin story - depicting very clearly which radicals the character comes from and what they mean. And it gives you the feature to add your own notes to each character. Furthermore, it uses a similar space repetition technique as Anki. The setting offer much room for personalisation. Many thanks to the developers!!

### 5/5 — Just what I’ve been looking for!

*2020-04-24, version 3.0.2*

A great app. No nonsense. Really enjoying the app. Thank you. Works very well.

### 5/5 — Absolutely amazing app

*2017-11-05*

I have been studying cantonese for over 20 years. I have never really been able to master the writing part of learning traditional Chinese characters until this app. This app is truly incredibly & amazing. Not only does it help you learn the characters… But it also shows you what each part of the character means. For example if you touch on the character at the very bottom of the page, it will take you to another page and blow up the character into its different components. Totally amazing.  It makes it much easier to memorize, learn, and understand the character if you know what you’re actually writing on each part of the character. For example the word to say 講 (gong) is comprised of 言 (speech), 井 (thirty), 冂 (hood), and 土 (soil).  Now when I write this character, I actually KNOW what I’m writing and not a bunch of strange symbols.

### 5/5 — Best app for vocabulary.

*2016-10-12*

I've been struggling with Cantonese. "Forget about reading and writing" people say, "just be great at speaking". 

That might work for Spanish, Russian etc. but Cantonese has TOO MANY WORDS THAT SOUND THE SAME to my nooby ears. I needed to see the word. I found apps that showed me the script (not easy to find them for Canto learners) Next, I'm like, "huh? what's these squiggles??!"

These 'squiggles' contain a wealth of cultural information, I found, using this app. You can break the characters down into their smaller parts to see the concepts that went into building them. "Wrong" for instance. Something gold left in the reeds. To "cull" - hand, claw, tree - fruit picking, I guess.

Once something is understood it is remembered, and this app has a multitude of ways to get you to remember. Are you a visual, aural or kinesthetic thinker? Doesn't matter, the app has it covered. Then there is the timed repetition where, if you take off the word cap in the settings, a word will be reshown to you just as you are about to forget it. That is still considered cutting edge.

The best thing of all though is the way words easily confused due to very similar sounds are presented together so you can sort out which is which once and for all. I think I've tried every app in the store and I haven't seen that before. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! You just saved me years of struggle.

As a vocab building app, this is as good as it gets. If I were to make some suggestions it would be to having the primitives closer than two clicks away from the word being tested, make the tone colors customizable, and have the option for a female voice throughout.

### 2/5 — Hard to use

*2015-09-23*

It takes too much effort to figure out how the app works.

### 4/5 — Very good app

*2015-07-26*

Very good app, learning is fast and progressive and a recommendation is to ensure all animations works on all characters!

### 5/5 — good

*2014-10-06*

good

### 3/5 — Could be better

*2013-11-24*

What would be nice is to have audio with the example sentences.

### 3/5 — Could use user input

*2013-11-17*

This app is a very good flash card app. Unfortunately, it needs to be able to accommodate the user's needs better. I want to focus on the words I am learning, not an alphabetical study of the words included in the app. For instance, I have been studying Chinese for several years, but I have yet to use the word 罷. On the other hand, studying Cantonese, I need to practice tones in the words I would use often for example 你哋. Do I have to wait till I get to the n's to practice this?

### 4/5 — Great app!

*2013-10-18, version 2.0*

A few very low usage words but overall a great app. The different games are an excellent way to remember.

## Frequently asked questions about Scribe Cantonese

### How does Scribe Cantonese teach vocabulary?

Scribe Cantonese uses a unique study method that links words by their similar sounds. This helps users contextually select the correct word even if they miss the tone, significantly improving recall in real-life situations.

### What types of games are available in Scribe Cantonese?

The app features six Cantonese games designed to reinforce vocabulary learning: flashcards, multiple choice, tiles, listening flashcards, listening multiple choice, and matchup. These games utilize the same study deck, allowing seamless progress tracking.

### Can I study Cantonese offline with Scribe Cantonese?

Yes, Scribe Cantonese can be studied completely offline, using no internet bandwidth. This allows users to learn anywhere, such as on public transport or during commutes.

### Does Scribe Cantonese offer audio for pronunciation?

Yes, Scribe Cantonese provides full native audio spoken for every single word. This feature aims to help users speak Cantonese within weeks, rather than years, with consistent daily study.

### What romanization options does Scribe Cantonese support?

Users can choose between Yale or Jyutping romanisation for learning Cantonese. The app also displays native hanzi characters, with ruby text placed above for easier reading, similar to manga and anime.

### How does the Spaced-Repetition System in Scribe Cantonese work?

The Spaced-Repetition System (SRS) in Scribe Cantonese is designed for effective memorization. It accurately presents words at optimal intervals, which is particularly beneficial when learning thousands of words.

### What is the subscription plan for Scribe Cantonese?

Scribe Cantonese offers an optional subscription plan called 'Unlock All' for $1.49 per month. This subscription automatically renews unless turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends.

### Is Scribe Cantonese suitable for beginners?

Yes, Scribe Cantonese is designed for learning common Hong Kong Cantonese words and phrases. Its interactive games and sound-based learning method make it accessible for beginners looking to build vocabulary.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.5.0 — 2021-09-21

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 3.4.0 — 2021-04-24

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 3.2.5 — 2021-04-22

Several improvements behind the scenes.

### 3.2.3 — 2021-04-20

Much needed update.

### 3.0.2 — 2016-07-28

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

Minor little fixes. Thank you to those of you who sent in feedback! Much much appreciated.

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## More apps by Guiix Pty Ltd

- [StudyChat Japanese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studychat-japanese/id550873910)
- [StudyChat Cantonese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studychat-cantonese/id554501483)
- [StudyChat English](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studychat-english/id557784904)
- [StudyChat Chinese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studychat-chinese/id558700729)
- [Scribe Origins](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribe-origins/id616678052)
- [Scribe Chinese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribe-chinese/id639164915)

All apps by Guiix Pty Ltd: https://appshunter.io/developer/550872102

## Related topics

[lychee spoken cantonese](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/lychee-spoken-cantonese) · [cantonese writing](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/cantonese-writing)

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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 2026-06-06.*