Pleco for Taiwanese Mandarin: Is It Set Up for Taiwan?

The short answer

Yes as a dictionary, no as a teacher. Pleco supports Traditional characters everywhere in the app, can show readings in Zhuyin instead of Pinyin, and — with one free add-on dictionary set as your default — shows Taiwan's pronunciations first in most cases. Two honest caveats: its stroke order diagrams follow mainland order, and Pleco is a reference tool, so it won't teach you to speak on its own.

Does Pleco support Traditional Chinese?

Yes, fully. Pleco's own App Store listing describes it as "PRC/HK/Taiwan-friendly" and says every part of the app supports both Traditional and Simplified characters. That covers search, definitions, handwriting lookup, the camera-based character recognition that lets you point your phone at a sign or menu, and flashcards. If you're reading in Taiwan, you won't be fighting the app to see the characters you actually encounter.

Does Pleco show Zhuyin?

Yes. According to Pleco's listing, headword readings can be shown in Zhuyin (Bopomofo) as well as Pinyin, so you can study with the phonetic system Taiwan's schools use rather than the mainland's. That's a genuine plus few dictionary apps match — if you're still learning the symbols themselves, our guide to learning Zhuyin starts from zero.

How do you get Taiwan pronunciations in Pleco?

Set the free Cross-Straits dictionary as your default. Many words are pronounced differently in Taiwan — a different tone, or no neutral tone where the mainland uses one — and out of the box, Pleco doesn't put those Taiwan readings first. On Pleco's own forum, its developer advises downloading the free Cross-Straits dictionary and dragging it to the top in Settings / Manage Dictionaries, which "should give you Taiwan pronunciation first in most cases." He has also said a separate, prioritized Taiwan pronunciation option is built into Pleco 4.0, in beta on iOS as of 2024, and that MOEDict — another add-on dictionary Pleco offers — carries only Taiwan pronunciations.

The caveat: stroke order follows the mainland

Pleco's App Store listing says its stroke order diagrams support Traditional characters "but use PRC order" — the mainland's standard. Taiwan's Ministry of Education sets its own stroke order, and for some characters the two differ, so if you're learning to handwrite for school or a test in Taiwan, don't treat Pleco's animations as the final word. Pleco's developer has said Taiwan-optimized stroke order diagrams are in the works, but might not be ready until a later 4.x update. For handwriting practice built around Taiwan's forms, see our look at Skritter for Traditional Chinese.

The real gap: Pleco is a dictionary, not a course

Pleco describes itself as a Chinese "learning companion" — a dictionary, document reader, and flashcard system — not a course, and that's worth taking at face value. It tells you what a word means, how it's written, and how it's pronounced, and its paid flashcard add-on can drill vocabulary with spaced repetition and tone practice. What it doesn't do is decide what you should learn next, teach you how sentences fit together, or give you anyone to talk to. A learner with only Pleco can look up anything and still be unable to order a bubble tea out loud.

Is Pleco free?

The core app is free, including two full dictionaries — the open-source CC-CEDICT, with over 110,000 entries, and Pleco's own PLC dictionary, with 125,000 — plus handwriting lookup. Extras are paid add-ons that you buy once rather than subscribe to: on the US App Store, the Basic Bundle is listed at $29.99 and the Professional Bundle at $59.99, with individual add-ons such as the flashcard system at $9.99.

What this means if Taiwan is your goal

Install Pleco, add the free Cross-Straits dictionary, move it to the top, and switch readings to Zhuyin if that's the system you're learning — you'll have one of the best Taiwan-friendly references available, for free. Then pair it with something that actually teaches: a structured path through Taiwan's Mandarin with regular speaking practice, so that the words you look up in Pleco turn into things you can say. Our guide to typing Traditional Chinese covers the other half of setting up your phone for Taiwan.

Frequently asked questions

Does Pleco support Traditional Chinese?

Yes. Pleco's App Store listing says every part of the app supports both Traditional and Simplified characters, including search, handwriting lookup, and flashcards.

Does Pleco show Zhuyin?

Yes. Pleco can show headword readings in Zhuyin (Bopomofo) as well as Pinyin.

How do I get Taiwan pronunciations in Pleco?

Pleco's developer recommends downloading the free Cross-Straits dictionary and dragging it to the top in Settings / Manage Dictionaries, which shows Taiwan pronunciation first in most cases. A dedicated Taiwan pronunciation option is part of Pleco 4.0, in beta on iOS as of 2024.

Is Pleco free?

Yes, the core app and two full dictionaries are free. Paid add-ons are one-time purchases; on the US App Store the Basic Bundle is $29.99 and the Professional Bundle is $59.99.

Can Pleco teach you Taiwanese Mandarin?

Not on its own. Pleco is a dictionary and flashcard tool, so it has no lessons or speaking practice; it works best alongside a course. Its stroke order diagrams also follow mainland order.