PaperSurvey supports handwriting recognition in 39 languages, covering major world languages and writing systems.

Supported languages

European languages

• Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, French
• German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian
• Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian
• Russian, Spanish, Turkish

Asian languages

• Arabic, Armenian, Burmese (Myanmar), Chinese
• Farsi (Persian), Indonesian, Japanese
• Khmer (Cambodian), Korean, Tagalog (Filipino)
• Thai, Tibetan, Urdu, Vietnamese

South Asian languages

• Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali

African languages

• Amharic, Swahili

Language-specific considerations

Script types supported

• Latin script - Best accuracy (English, Spanish, French, etc.)
• Cyrillic script - High accuracy (Russian)
• Arabic script - RTL automatically enabled (Arabic, Farsi, Urdu)
• Asian scripts - Complex character support (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
• Indic scripts - Full support (Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Marathi)

Setting the language

1. Go to Survey Settings
2. Select the primary language
3. The system optimizes recognition for that language
4. RTL layout is automatically applied for Arabic, Farsi, and Urdu
5. You can change language per survey

Best practices by language type

Latin-based languages

• Standard handwriting guidelines apply
• Ensure clear letter separation
• Avoid cursive for better accuracy

Non-Latin scripts

• Arabic/Farsi/Urdu - RTL formatting is automatic
• Chinese/Japanese - Allow larger writing spaces
• Indic languages - Provide adequate line height

Mixed language surveys

• Set primary language in settings
• The system can detect multiple languages
• Best results with one language per question

Accuracy considerations

High accuracy languages

Languages with Latin scripts typically achieve 95%+ accuracy:

• English, Spanish, French, German
• Italian, Portuguese, Dutch

Moderate accuracy languages

Complex scripts may require more verification:

• Arabic, Chinese, Japanese
• Hindi, Thai, Korean

Factors affecting accuracy

• Handwriting quality - Clear printing works best
• Script complexity - Simpler scripts recognize better
• Regional variations - Standard forms preferred

Tips for multilingual surveys

Design considerations

• Adjust field sizes for different scripts
• RTL languages automatically format correctly
• Test with native speakers

Instructions for respondents

• Provide language-specific examples
• Encourage print writing over cursive
• Show proper character formation

Processing tips

• Group surveys by language when possible
• Review accuracy rates by language
• Adjust verification rules accordingly

Common questions

Q: Can I mix languages in one survey? A: Yes, but set the primary language for best results.

Q: Which English variant is used? A: The system recognizes all English variants (US, UK, etc.).

Q: Are accented characters supported? A: Yes, all diacritical marks are recognized.

Q: What about regional scripts? A: Major regional variants are supported within each language.

Troubleshooting character display issues

Seeing square boxes □□□ instead of characters?

If you see square boxes instead of proper characters:

• This indicates a font rendering issue
• Contact support@papersurvey.io for assistance
• We'll help configure the correct font for your language

Temporary workaround for mixed languages

If characters aren't displaying correctly, you can use language tags:

• [latin]Your English text here[/latin] - For Latin script languages
• [arabic]النص العربي هنا[/arabic] - For Arabic script

These tags help the system select the appropriate font for each text section.

Not seeing your language?

If your required language isn't listed:

• Contact support for potential alternatives
• Consider using a similar supported language
• Request addition for future updates

Our language support continues to expand based on customer needs. The recognition technology adapts to various handwriting styles within each supported language.