Software and Dictionaries for Learning Chinese

• Wenlin (http://www.wenlin.com) is a combination word processor and dictionary. It allows very simple entry of pinyin with correct tone markings, just by typing regular romanized script (English lettering) followed by a number indicating the tone. Example: “wo3” (meaning “I”) comes out as “wǒ”.
• Declan's Chinese FlashCards is a audio-based Chinese vocabulary flash-card program. The web site says that word files comprising over 4000 of the most frequently used Chinese words, each with a native speaker's voice recording of its pronunciation, are available for free download. http://www.declan-software.com/chinese/index.htm
• EuroAsia has a free "Chinese Tools" program, as well as two retail programs. They also have an online stroke order dictionary with about 3000 characters defined so far.
  Main Page: http://www.euroasiasoftware.com/english/chinese/software/index.html
  Dictionary: http://www.euroasiasoftware.com/english/chinese/dictionary/index.html
• Another online dictionary at http://www.zhongwen.com/zi.htm
• And, of course, the "main" page is interesting too. http://www.zhongwen.com/
• www.mandarintools.com has both an on-line and freeware downloadable (Java based) tool set that's pretty interesting. It is called "DimSum" and is found here: http://www.mandarintools.com/dimsum.html
• "wakan" is a freeware dictionary, text editor, vocabulary list utility, and translation tool at http://wakan.manga.cz/

How to Add Pinyin tone markings in Word

You can download a ZIP file which has both instructions, and a free macro file called "addtones". This macro file originally comes from http://www.mandarintools.com, but I've digitally signed this one, so that it can be used with "High Security" setting in Word.

( A "macro" file is a small set of instuctions, that you can run with a single click, inside of Word, etc. (This might also work in Excel, but I haven't tried it) )

I also included (as a technical reference), how to digitally sign files, if anyone is so inclined. It's not needed, if you don't want to do this, and can be ignored