One stroke changes everything

Look-Alike Characters

Q: How does the Look-Alike Characters game work?

The game shows a pinyin reading and an English meaning — for example rén (person) — and offers the characters from that confusable group as options, such as 人 and 入. Tap the correct one before the countdown bar empties. A correct tap scores 100 points plus a speed bonus, multiplied by your combo; a wrong tap or a timeout costs one of your three lives. After every answer the game reveals the one visual detail that tells the group apart.

Q: Why are the wrong answers always look-alike characters?

Random distractors are easy to eliminate by shape, which teaches nothing. Every option in this game comes from the same confusable group, so the only way to answer is to notice the actual difference — the longer stroke in 士 versus 土, the dot on 鸟 that 乌 lacks, or how far the middle vertical pokes out in 田, 由, 甲 and 申.

Q: What are the difficulty levels?

Beginner covers 15 groups you meet in HSK 1-2 (人/入, 大/太/犬, 土/士, 午/牛). Intermediate covers 10 groups in HSK 3-4 territory (己/已/巳, 未/末, 乌/鸟, 田/由/甲/申). Ruthless Mode covers 5 groups that even native speakers double-check, including 戊/戌/戍/戒 and 汆/氽. Mixed draws from all 30 groups and ramps up as you clear rounds.

Q: What is the difference between 人 and 入?

人 (rén, person) and 入 (rù, to enter) are mirror twins. In 人 the left-falling stroke sits on top at the apex; in 入 the right-falling stroke caps over the left one. Memory trick: a person (人) leads with their left leg, and to enter (入) a doorway you duck under the roof on the right.

Q: How do you tell 己, 已 and 巳 apart?

Look at the gap on the upper left: 己 (jǐ, self) is fully open, 已 (yǐ, already) is half closed, and 巳 (sì, the 6th earthly branch) is completely sealed. Chinese schoolchildren learn the rhyme 开口己，半口已，闭口巳 — open-mouth jǐ, half-mouth yǐ, closed-mouth sì.

Q: Is the game free and does it need an account?

It is completely free with no sign-up. Scores, best results and per-group accuracy are stored in your browser on this device only. Submitting a score to the leaderboard is optional and uses a nickname, never a real name or email.

Is it 人 or 入? 土 or 士? You get the pinyin and the meaning — tap the right character before the clock runs out. Every wrong option is a real look-alike, so guessing by shape will not save you.

The Guide Learning Center

How to Play

Read the prompt — a pinyin reading and its meaning, e.g. tǔ — earth, soil.
Tap the matching character from its look-alike group (土 or 士?). Keys 1–4 work too.
Beat the bar — a wrong tap or a timeout costs one of your 3 ❤. Every 4 correct in a row raises your multiplier (up to x5), and faster answers earn a speed bonus.
Learn the tell — after every answer you get the one visual detail that separates the group, plus a button to hear each character.
Clear rounds — 10 questions per round, and each round shaves half a second off the clock.

Missed groups collect in the sidebar with their memory tricks, so a run doubles as a study list.

Lives

0 Score

x1 Combo

1 Round

Can you spot the difference?

You get the pinyin and the meaning. Tap the right character out of its look-alike group before the bar empties.

Round 1 complete!

Score so far: 0

Next round: 7.5s per character

Game over! New best!

Round 1 Best combo 0 Accuracy 0%

Want the full write-up? Read the 30-group guide →

Paused

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer · Space pause

The Three Questions That Crack Any Look-Alike

When two characters feel identical, ask these in order — one of them is always the answer.

1. Which stroke is longer?

Stroke length carries meaning in Chinese. In 土 (tǔ, earth) the bottom horizontal is longer — the ground is wide. In 士 (shì, scholar) the top one is — the scholar's hat.

土士 · 未末

2. Is there a dot?

Dots are never decorative. 鸟 has one — the bird's eye; a crow 乌 is too black to show it. 兔 has one — the rabbit's tail.

大太犬 · 乌鸟 · 王玉

3. Does a stroke poke through?

A stroke that breaks the boundary makes a new character. 牛's vertical pierces the top — the horn; at noon 午 there is none.

午牛 · 天夫 · 田由甲申

All 30 Groups by Level

Beginner — 15 groups (HSK 1–2)

人/入 · 八/人 · 大/太/犬 · 天/夫 · 土/士 · 日/曰 · 木/本 · 十/千/干/于 · 王/玉 · 白/百 · 目/自 · 儿/几 · 力/刀 · 午/牛 · 万/方

Intermediate — 10 groups (HSK 3–4)

己/已/巳 · 未/末 · 田/由/甲/申 · 贝/见 · 乌/鸟 · 免/兔 · 爪/瓜 · 石/右 · 手/毛 · 处/外

Ruthless Mode — 5 groups (natives double-check)

戊/戌/戍/戒 · 汆/氽 · 崇/祟 · 亳/毫 · 赢/羸

Every group's pinyin, meaning and memory trick is written up in Look-Alike Chinese Characters That Trip Everyone Up — read it once, then come back and drill it here.

Why Drill Confusable Characters Side by Side?

Hard distractors teach

A quiz where the wrong answers look nothing alike lets you pass on vague shape memory. Forcing a choice between 己, 已 and 巳 makes you encode the detail that actually distinguishes them — which is the thing you will need when reading.

Speed builds fluency

Reading gives you no time to deliberate. The countdown converts careful comparison into instant recognition — the same reason the Tone Pair Arcade puts a timer on tone patterns.

Then write them

Recognition is half the job. Look-alikes are usually written differently too, so lock the difference in with Character Writing Practice or printable 田字格 sheets.

This Round

Correct

Missed

Streak 🔥

Accuracy 0%

Your Weakest Groups

Play a round to see which pairs trip you up

Study List (This Game)

Your Best (this device)

Related Resources

Look-Alike Characters — the 30-group guide Stroke Order Animator Character Writing Practice Character Radical Quiz Tone Pair Arcade Pinyin Learning Center