Frequently asked questions (常见问题 chángjiàn wèntí)

  • What is KoiSpeak?

    KoiSpeak is an English ⇄ Chinese dictionary and learning platform, fast lookup with pinyin, HSK grammar notes, stroke order, and handwriting recognition on every character. See the About page for details.

  • Is it really free?

    Yes. All core lookup, grammar, handwriting, and radical features are free and require no sign-up. The more advanced features — OCR, the FSRS-based vocabulary notebook, Anki/CSV export — already exist today: OCR and the notebook work on both Free (with daily limits) and Pro (higher limits); Anki/CSV export is a Pro-only benefit. See the pricing page for full limits.

  • Are there ads?

    Free accounts show banner ads. Upgrade to Pro for a completely ad-free experience, no banners, no popups, no third-party tracking cookies.

  • Why do some characters have no meaning listed?

    Some rare Han characters (CJK Ext B/C/D, archaic glyphs) are absent from both CC-CEDICT and Unihan kDefinition. These show a "Rare character, not in everyday use" banner on the detail page, along with Unicode info (radical, stroke count). We do not add guessed meanings because the error risk is high.

  • What do the pinyin tone colors mean?

    KoiSpeak tints each pinyin tone its own color (KoiSpeak's own palette, not Pleco) so you can recognize tones faster as you read:

    • mā: Tone 1, high and level (阴平)
    • má: Tone 2, rising (阳平)
    • mǎ: Tone 3, dipping then rising (上声)
    • mà: Tone 4, sharp falling (去声)
    • ma: Neutral, unmarked (轻声)

    Color is only a hint, the tone mark on the letter is always shown, so you never have to rely on color to read the tone.

  • Is there a mobile app?

    Not yet. KoiSpeak is a responsive web app, you can use it on your phone through the browser. You can "Add to Home Screen" so the icon sits next to your other apps.

  • How do OCR / the FSRS notebook / Anki export work?

    All three are live today. OCR recognizes Chinese characters from a photo or upload: free for guests with a daily quota, a higher quota when signed in, and the highest quota on Pro. The vocabulary notebook uses FSRS-based spaced repetition to help you review efficiently, free for up to 500 words, unlimited on Pro. Anki/CSV export is a Pro benefit. See the pricing page for each plan's full limits.

  • How do I use handwriting?

    On the home page, click the ✏️ icon in the search box to open the drawing pad. Draw a Chinese character with your mouse, finger, or stylus. KoiSpeak recognizes it within half a second and offers a list of suggestions, click a result to fill it into the search box. You can also use the dedicated page at /draw.

  • Report a bug or suggest a meaning?
FAQ | KoiSpeak