HSK Level Checker

The HSK Level Checker analyzes Chinese text and tells you the HSK level of each word and character. It supports both HSK 2.0 (the current exam standard used worldwide) and HSK 3.0 (the new syllabus rolling out from July 2026), including the unique recognition and writing level breakdown.

HSK 2.0 is the current exam standard with 6 levels, used in all official HSK exams worldwide until July 2026. HSK 3.0 is the new syllabus with 9 levels that adds a three-dimension structure: vocabulary level, recognition level, and writing level. A character may be required for recognition at an earlier level but writing at a later level.

In HSK 3.0, each character has separate levels for recognition and writing. Recognition means you need to read and understand the character at that level. Writing means you need to write it from memory. For example, a complex character might be recognition level 3 but writing level 5 — you learn to read it early but are only expected to write it at a higher level. This reflects real-world learning: reading ability typically develops before writing ability.

The HSK 3.0 standard introduces three dimensions for each character: vocabulary level (which HSK level the word belongs to), recognition level (when you should be able to read and identify the character), and writing level (when you should be able to write the character from memory). Our tool analyzes your text across all three dimensions and provides separate distribution charts for each.

The tool uses a greedy longest-match algorithm with a dictionary of 10,000+ HSK words to segment text into words and characters. HSK levels come from the official HSK 2.0 and HSK 3.0 syllabi published by the Chinese Ministry of Education. For best results, paste standard modern Chinese text.

Yes! Free users get 3 analyses per day with up to 15 Chinese characters per analysis. Pro users enjoy unlimited analyses with no character limit — ideal for analyzing full articles, textbook chapters, or exam papers.

Characters or words marked as beyond HSK are not included in any HSK level. They may be specialized vocabulary, literary terms, classical Chinese characters, or less common words. Identifying these is useful when studying for HSK exams — it helps you focus on what is actually tested.

Absolutely. Paste reading passages from your textbook or practice materials to identify which HSK levels the vocabulary belongs to. If many words are above your target level, you know which vocabulary to study. The HSK 2.0 tab shows the current exam levels, while the HSK 3.0 tab prepares you for the new standard.

This is a core design principle of HSK 3.0. Complex characters with many strokes may appear frequently in reading, so you learn to recognize them early. But writing them from memory requires more practice, so the writing requirement comes at a higher level. This mirrors natural language acquisition where passive vocabulary (reading) always exceeds active vocabulary (writing).