An apparatus for handwriting recognition has a touch-sensitive display screen providing a handwriting input area capable of detecting a handwritten user input. The apparatus also has a processing device configured to interpret the handwritten user input as a symbol from a plurality of predefined symbols. The handwriting input area includes a writing start area, and the processing device is configured to provide a visual indication of the writing start area on the display screen. The processing device is configured to interpret the user input as a symbol only if the user input starts within the writing start area.