Dictation HelperDictation practice for Hong Kong primary school
Dictation Helper is a free dictation practice tool built for Hong Kong primary school families. Type in the word list your child brought home from school (or snap a photo of it, or open a shared link), and the app reads each word aloud in Cantonese, Mandarin or English while your child writes it down on paper — exactly the way a dictation test runs at school.
When the reading is done, you check the answers question by question. Anything spelled wrong drops into the Mistakes book, and one tap sets up a re-test of just those words. A child can run the whole thing on a phone or tablet alone, so no parent has to sit there reading a word list for an hour.
Free, no install, no sign-up — just open the page. Every word list and score stays in your own browser and is never uploaded to a server.
Open Dictation Helper (free) Browse ready-made word lists (P.1–P.6)Frequently asked questions
Does it read Cantonese dictation aloud?
Yes. Cantonese, Mandarin and English are all supported — you pick the language when you create a dictation. Cantonese uses the Cantonese voice built into your phone, so words come out in real Cantonese rather than with a Mandarin accent.
Do I need to download an app? Is it free?
No download, and it is completely free. Open maksyu.com in a browser and it works right away. If you want it to behave like an app, use your browser’s "Add to Home Screen" option — after that it works offline too.
How do I get my school’s word list in?
Three ways: type the words in; use Photo import to take a picture of the word sheet and let the app recognise the characters; or open a link another parent shared. Photo recognition runs locally on your own device — the picture is never uploaded.
Can it handle English spelling dictation?
Yes. An English dictation can read the word alone, or read the Chinese meaning together with the word ("蘋果 — apple"), which works well for spelling practice. The site also has ready-made English word lists and phonics word families for P.1 to P.6.
Are there ready-made word lists?
Yes — Chinese vocabulary lists and English spelling lists for P.1 through P.6, grouped by grade and topic, importable in one tap. Note that these are general reference lists organised by grade difficulty, not the prescribed list of any particular school or textbook.
Is my child’s data uploaded anywhere?
No. Word lists, scores and the Mistakes book live only in your own browser — there is no account, no server and no cloud sync. They disappear if you change device or clear browser data, so back up any list that matters using a share link.
The ready-made lists on this site are general vocabulary references organised by grade difficulty — they are not the prescribed list of any school or textbook. For your child's actual school list, type it in, photograph it, or import a shared link.