Pleco is the dictionary nearly every Chinese learner keeps, and it earns that place: fast, deep, reliable. But it has a particular feel, strictly utilitarian, a tool you reach for rather than one you enjoy. So the question is fair: is Pleco only a utility, or can you actually enjoy practising writing in it? Honestly, it is a utility, and writing practice can be fun, just not really there.

Pleco is a reference, by design

Pleco is built to answer questions: what does this mean, how is it pronounced, how is it written. It does that superbly. It even has handwriting input (for looking characters up by drawing them) and a paid stroke-order add-on, see is Pleco’s stroke-order add-on worth it. But these are functional features bolted onto a reference, not a designed, engaging practice experience. Using them feels like using a tool, because that is what Pleco is.

There is nothing wrong with that. A great utility is supposed to be efficient, not delightful. But efficiency is not the same as enjoyment, and practice you do not enjoy is practice you skip.

Writing practice can actually be fun

Here is the part worth knowing: writing practice can be genuinely enjoyable, when the loop is right. Producing a character from memory and seeing whether you got it is a small, real reward, the healthy satisfaction we describe in dopamine-driven Hanzi learning. The reveal-and-check of blind drawing has a quiet thrill, and a calm, focused session can even reach a flow state.

A utility does not build that loop, because it was not designed to. A tool built around from-memory practice does, which is the difference between practice that feels like a chore and practice you look forward to.

Keep Pleco; add enjoyment

You do not have to give up Pleco; it is excellent at its job. The move is to keep it for reference and add a tool that makes practice engaging:

  • Pleco for lookups and reference, fast and reliable.
  • A dedicated writing tool for practice that is both effective and enjoyable, with a satisfying recall loop.

Reference and practice are different roles, best served by different apps, the same pairing we recommend in importing Pleco flashcards.

Where Hanzi Write Practice fits

Hanzi Write Practice keeps Pleco’s reference role intact and adds the enjoyable, effective practice it lacks. You draw each character from memory on a grid, get the small satisfaction of the reveal, and check stroke order, pinyin, and meaning, with spaced repetition. It is designed so the practice itself is rewarding, not just functional.

Pleco is a brilliant utility; let it be that. For writing practice you actually enjoy and that actually works, use a tool built for it.

Join early access and make writing practice something you look forward to.