Pinyin Reader — Chinese Reading Helper

📖 Read Chinese. Keep going.

Pinyin Reader adds Mandarin pinyin with tone marks above Chinese web text, so you can keep reading without looking up every character. Readings appear automatically on supported pages, including new text as a page updates.

✨ Make the readings yours

• See pinyin above simplified and traditional Chinese characters. • Choose Compact, Larger, or Largest pinyin without enlarging the Chinese characters. • Adjust line spacing for comfortable reading. • Hide familiar readings using HSK vocabulary levels. • Choose automatic detection, always apply, or off for each website. • Check the green ON toolbar badge to see when the extension is enabled.

🎓 Keep help where you need it

The HSK filter hides character readings encountered in legacy HSK 2.0 vocabulary through your selected level, including when those readings appear in other words. Different pronunciations remain visible until they also occur in the selected vocabulary.

This is a familiarity guide derived from the legacy six-level vocabulary list, not an official character-level syllabus or the newer HSK system.

🎁 Start free

Automatic pinyin, all three sizes, line spacing, website controls, and hiding readings through HSK 1–2 are free. App Pass unlocks hiding through HSK 3–6. A selected level includes all easier levels.

▶️ Get started

1. Install Pinyin Reader, then open or reload a Chinese web page.
2. Pinyin appears automatically on supported text.
3. Open the toolbar popup to choose your pinyin size, familiar-reading level, and website preferences.

🔒 Local readings

The fonts and reading rules are bundled with the extension. Page text stays on your device, and settings are stored locally. App Pass contacts joinapppass.com to check subscription access; a connection is needed for activation and subscription checks, not for displaying the bundled readings.

💡 Good to know

Readings are dictionary-based hints. Names, words with multiple pronunciations, and tone changes in connected speech may be inaccurate. The extension adds space to fit pinyin, so page layout can change. Existing ruby annotations, editors, form fields, code, navigation, and compact badges are protected.

Images, canvas text, PDFs, embedded frames, shadow roots, browser pages, and store pages are not processed. Characters outside the bundled font's coverage may not receive readings. Turn readings off globally or for a website whenever you prefer the original page.