Turn any Chinese spelling list into practice your child can do alone.
Ting Xie Mao is a Chinese dictation app for iPhone and iPad. Scan the week's 听写 worksheet for spoken prompts, handwriting checks, and daily review.
Thursday is 听写 day. Wednesday night is chaos.
You know the routine. Dig the word list out of the school bag. Read each word aloud — twice, three times. Check every stroke. Negotiate. Repeat until someone (possibly you) is in tears.
From school bag to test-ready in three steps.
Scan
Snap a photo of any spelling list — worksheet, textbook page, teacher's WhatsApp screenshot, even a storybook. On-device character recognition builds the list in seconds, with pinyin and definitions added automatically.
Practice
Flash cards with a twist: your child says the word, and voice recognition marks the card as known. Then guided writing teaches every character with correct stroke order — checked stroke by stroke.
Test
A real 听写 simulation: the app dictates, your child writes, handwriting recognition marks it instantly. Missed words replay and return in the next session — until they stick.
Nine reasons the cat earns its keep.
Scan anything printed.
Worksheet, textbook page, storybook — point the camera at printed Chinese and it becomes a practice list in seconds.
Track progress.
See how many words your child has learned, and follow progress across the entire word list.
It listens.
Say the word aloud and correct pronunciation advances the flash card. Reading becomes part of every review.
Real writing. Not typing.
Write by hand — checked by AI. We also check stroke correctness, not just recognition. Apple Pencil on iPad feels like paper; a finger works too. How handwriting practice works.
Every stroke. Every meaning.
Stroke order animated the school way, plus Chinese and Chinese–English dictionaries bundled offline.
Safe in iCloud.
Backup and sync across different Apple devices so you can pick up where you left off easily.
No internet? No worries.
Scanning, word playback, and handwriting checks work offline after setup. Offline requirements.
Reviews that knock.
Spaced repetition brings words back before they'd be forgotten, so each review helps the spelling stick.
Learner profiles
Multiple profiles make it easy for families with more than one child to track their progress and keep a different word list for each kid. Manage learner profiles.
No forms. No passwords. Your practice stays on your device.
Purchases restore with the Apple ID already on your device. Optional iCloud sync backs lists up to your own iCloud, never to us. Scanning and handwriting checks run on-device after setup. Voice answers may use Apple’s online recognition when needed.
From reading aloud to guided practice.
| Parent-led drilling | Ting Xie Mao | |
|---|---|---|
| Follows your school's exact list | ✓ | ✓ Scan any list |
| Practises by handwriting, like the real test | ✓ | ✓ Apple Pencil on iPad — just like paper (or finger) |
| Answer feedback | You do | Handwriting checks, optional stroke-order feedback, and spoken-answer matching |
| Who guides practice | Parent or caregiver | Spoken prompts and visual guidance |
| Daily spaced review | Parent plans when to revisit words | ✓ Automatic |
| Cost | Your time | Free sample lessons; paid Pro for your own lists |
Everything parents ask us.
Does it work with my child's school list?
Yes — that's the point. Scan any list from any school. Nothing is locked to preset content.
Do I need an iPad or Apple Pencil?
No — Ting Xie Mao works on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later, and writing with a finger works great. But if you have an iPad and Apple Pencil, practice feels exactly like writing on paper, the same way your child will write in the actual test. Any iPad that supports Apple Pencil works.
Simplified or traditional characters?
Both, with CC-CEDICT and Taiwan MOE dictionaries built in — works offline after setup.
Does my child need the internet?
After the handwriting model is downloaded, scanning, word playback, and handwriting checks work offline. Voice answers use Apple’s online recognition when on-device recognition is unavailable. iCloud sync, book and illustration downloads, purchases, public sharing, and app-version checks also need internet.
My child is in P1 and can't read the app yet. Can they still use it?
Every word is read aloud, and practice is guided visually. Start a sample lesson together to see how much help your child needs.
Do I need to create an account?
No Ting Xie Mao account, no forms, no passwords, and no Sign in with Apple. Purchases restore with the Apple ID already on your device. Optional iCloud sync keeps lists on that same Apple account — not on our servers.
Is Ting Xie Mao free?
Download the app and try sample lessons for free. Scanning your own worksheets and studying non-sample lists require Tingxie Pro, available as a monthly or yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. See current prices in the app.
This Thursday's 听写 can be different.
Scan the list tonight. Let the cat take the night shift.
Download on the App StoreiPhone & iPad · Free sample lessons · In-app purchases