Hi, searched forum but can't find explanation,
why is there extra strokes in zhi / 直, the one extra vertical and horizontal beside and below?

In pleco there is no extra strokes.

In nciku they are there too but not when you check the 'stroke order', like here in skritter.

http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E7%9B%B4/1319611

Confused.

It has to do with the font your computer is choosing to use when rendering Chinese text. For example the character "zhi" you typed looks normal on my computer, exactly the same as Nciku and Pleco stroke order show it.

Basically Pleco is rendering the fonts itself. Some of the fonts on the Nciku page will be browser rendered so look wrong, but the stroke order is a flash app that has a font built in so it still looks correct.

You'll need to install a better Chinese font so everything looks correct. You can find more information about this here:

http://www.skritter.com/faq#fonts

Ah of course, thanks josh!