A Taiwan Mandarin vocabulary app has to do two jobs: show words in Traditional characters with zhuyin, and bring them back for review. Many tools handle the script, but only some use Taiwan's words and readings. This page compares seven apps on where the words come from, how you save them, and how they return. For courses and the full list of Taiwan Mandarin apps, see our best apps to learn Taiwan Mandarin.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Taiwan Mandarin. You learn from Taiwan Mandarin you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Taiwan Mandarin lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
The read-aloud lessons show each word in a sentence, in Traditional characters with zhuyin. Paste a passage into the chat and Poppy will explain it.
Taiwan Mandarin lessons show Traditional characters with zhuyin.- The Chinese grammar notes cover 522 topics in English.
- Words you save from a lesson come back in new lessons.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter in the free Taiwanese Mandarin Zhuyin course, with a picture to help you remember each one.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
TaiwanCards
TaiwanCards uses Taiwan dictionary entries and examples, with Traditional characters, zhuyin and pinyin. The site says it is free to use and has no ads.
- Paste an article or a word list, and the words go into your decks.
- Five skills are scheduled separately: recognition, recall, reading, tones and handwriting.
- Word audio comes from Taiwan's Ministry of Education recordings.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Web
StayTW
StayTW is built on Taiwan's word list for learners and its graded readings. Its monthly plan has a 7-day trial.
- Lesson words you miss go into review, and you can add your own word list.
- Words, sentences and articles have Taiwan-accent audio, according to the developer.
- Words show Traditional characters, zhuyin, pinyin and English.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileWeb
Pleco
Pleco is a dictionary first. Its flashcards use spaced repetition and can drill handwriting and tones. Traditional script does not mean every entry has Taiwan wording or audio.
- Traditional characters, with pinyin or zhuyin.
- Add a dictionary entry as a card with one tap.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Skritter
Skritter is for learners who want to recall how a word is written. It shows Traditional characters with zhuyin.
- Practice writing each character, plus its meaning and reading.
- TOCFL and HSK decks, and your own word lists.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (2)
- AnkiMake cards in Traditional characters with zhuyin, and add a sentence or audio if you want. Review follows SM-2 or FSRS scheduling. Anki on a computer is free, and AnkiMobile on iPhone costs $24.99 in the US App Store. Check that a shared deck uses Taiwan's words and not mainland ones.
- QuizletMake a set of Taiwan Mandarin words and meanings, or use a set another learner shared, then study it as flashcards.
| App | Where words come from | How you save them | How they come back | Script and audio | Free part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Lessons Poppy writes for you | Save a word in a lesson | In new lessons | Traditional characters, zhuyin, read-aloud audio | Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free to read |
| TaiwanCards | Taiwan dictionary and pasted text | Paste an article or list | Five skills, FSRS-6 | Traditional only, zhuyin, pinyin, Ministry of Education audio | Free to use |
| StayTW | Taiwan word list and readings | Missed words, your list | Spaced repetition | Traditional only, zhuyin, pinyin, Taiwan-accent audio | Daily lessons free |
| Pleco | Dictionaries and word lists | One-tap card | Paid flashcard add-on | Traditional or Simplified, pinyin or zhuyin | Two dictionaries free |
| Skritter | TOCFL, HSK and your lists | Choose or build a list | Spaced repetition with writing | Traditional or Simplified, pinyin or zhuyin | Paid, 7-day trial |
| Anki | Cards you make | Write a card or import a deck | SM-2 or FSRS | What you put on the card | Computer and web free, iPhone paid |
| Quizlet | Sets you make or share | Make or pick a set | Flashcards, Learn and Test modes | What the set's author wrote | Free to download, Plus is paid |
Which Taiwan Mandarin vocabulary app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Taiwan Mandarin, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. If you want review built on Taiwan's own word list, try StayTW's free daily lessons.
Does Traditional script mean the words are Taiwan Mandarin?
No. Pleco and Skritter show Traditional characters, but that does not make every word or recording Taiwan's. TaiwanCards and StayTW are built on Taiwan's word list and audio. In Anki and Quizlet, the author of the deck or set decides.
Which apps show zhuyin?
TaiwanCards, StayTW, Pleco and Skritter all list zhuyin, and Bubblegum lessons show it too. In Quizlet and Anki, zhuyin appears only if the card or set includes it. For setting up cards, see Anki alternatives.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bubblegum: Taiwan Mandarin and English language pair
- Bubblegum: Taiwan Mandarin course
- TaiwanCards
- StayTW: iPhone App Store listing
- Pleco: iPhone App Store listing
- Skritter: iPhone App Store listing
- Skritter
- Anki: manual
- AnkiMobile: iPhone App Store listing
- Quizlet: studying with flashcards
- StayTW
- Pleco
- Skritter
