Pleco Chinese Dictionary for iPhone

Pleco — a complete mobile toolkit for studying Chinese

Pleco is a single app that combines a dictionary, reading tools, and flashcard functionality into one convenient package. Developed by Pleco Inc., it has been refined over many years to support learners at all levels, from absolute beginners to those seeking advanced reference tools.

Primary capabilities

• Real-time OCR that recognizes characters from photos and screenshots for instant lookup
• Full-screen handwriting entry that makes writing characters easy on touchscreens
• A built-in spaced-repetition flashcard system to reinforce vocabulary over time
• A document reader for working through texts with tap-to-lookup convenience
• A comprehensive integrated dictionary engine for quick, authoritative definitions

Reference libraries and add-ons

Pleco includes two free core dictionaries — the widely used open CC-CEDICT and Pleco’s own PLC — and also offers a large selection of optional dictionaries and resources. Many additional titles are available as free or paid expansions, including licensed works from major publishers:

• Commercial Press
• Tuttle
• FLTRP (Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press)
• Longman
• SLPH
• Oxford

Search, presentation, and pronunciation features

The app provides advanced lookup and display options to make studying smoother and clearer:

• Merged search across multiple dictionaries with helpful cross-references and links
• Clear, attractive typography and stroke-order diagrams for character study
• Support for both simplified and traditional Chinese scripts
• Headword readings available in both Pinyin and Zhuyin (Bopomofo)

If you want, I can summarize the pricing model for add-on dictionaries or suggest how to set up flashcards for efficient study.