Words won't sit still

For when the letters swim or the pen cannot keep up with the thought.

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Guides for this shelf

Coloured overlays and reading rulers: what they are, the evidence and how to chooseColoured overlays and reading rulers are cheap tinted sheets or strips you lay over text, and the evidence on them is mixed.
E-readers for dyslexia: OpenDyslexic, spacing and which Kindle to buyAmong e-readers for dyslexia, the Kindle Paperwhite (under £200) is the safest all-rounder: you can switch Kindle books to the OpenDyslexic font and change size, line spacing and margins on a glare-free 7-inch screen.
Free text-to-speech tools: Immersive Reader, Speechify and what's already on your phoneFor web pages on a laptop, the best free text-to-speech tool is Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge: press F9 for read aloud, line focus and wider spacing.
Reading pens for dyslexia: what they do, exam rules and which to buyReading pens for dyslexia scan a printed line and read it aloud, offline.

On the shelf: 19 finds

Tool

Duo Window Eye Level Reading Rulers
By Crossbow Education
Coloured reading rulers that tint the page and mark your line. Try a few colours to find the one that feels easier.

from £5.99See it at Crossbow Education
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Tool

C-Pen Reader 2
By C-Pen (Scanning Pens Ltd), sold by TTS
Run it along a line of printed text and it reads the words aloud. Works offline, no phone or wifi needed.

£359.99See it at TTS
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Tool

Crossbow Education A4 Coloured Overlay
By Crossbow Education, sold by Dyslexic.com
A tinted A4 sheet you lay over the page. Ten colours to try, with a matt side that cuts glare.

£5.25See it at Dyslexic.com
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App

Speechify Text to Speech
By Speechify
Paste in a web page or PDF and it reads it back to you. The free tier covers the basics; scanning photos of text is paid.

FreeSee it at Speechify
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Free

Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge
By Microsoft
Built into Microsoft Edge: press F9 for read aloud, line focus, wider spacing and calmer page colours.

FreeSee it at Microsoft
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App

Otter.ai Meeting and Lecture Notes
By Otter.ai
Records lectures and meetings and types them up as people talk, so you can listen now and read back later.

FreeSee it at Otter.ai
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Book

This Is Dyslexia
By Kate Griggs (Vermilion), sold by Bookshop.org
The Made By Dyslexia founder on what dyslexic thinking is good at, and how to back the dyslexic people around you.

£12.99See it at Bookshop.org
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App

Everand
By Everand (Scribd), sold by Everand
Audiobooks, ebooks and podcasts in one app, so you can switch between reading and listening. From £10.99 a month.

£10.99a monthSee it at Everand
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Tool

Kindle Scribe (10.2-inch, 16 GB)
By Amazon, sold by Amazon
A large Kindle with a pen, so you can scribble notes straight onto books and documents as you read.

See priceat AmazonSee it at Amazon
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Tool

Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB, newest generation)
By Amazon, sold by Amazon
You can change the font, text size and line spacing on any book, including a dyslexia-friendly font, and the screen is glare-free.

See priceat AmazonSee it at Amazon
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BookND-founded

Xtraordinary People
By Kate Griggs (DK Children), sold by Bookshop.org
A short book for ages 5 to 7 by Kate Griggs, founder of Made By Dyslexia, showing dyslexic thinking as a strength.

£7.99See it at Bookshop.org
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Book

Dyslexia is My Superpower (Most of the Time)
By Margaret Rooke (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), sold by Bookshop.org
More than 100 dyslexic children and young adults share the tips and tactics that got them through school and beyond.

£15.99See it at Bookshop.org
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Book

Mission Dyslexia: Find Your Superpower and Be Your Brilliant Self
By Julie McNeill, illustrated by Rossie Stone (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), sold by Bookshop.org
Three characters, Creatia, Persisto and Willforce, help children spot the strengths dyslexia brings, with illustrations by Rossie Stone.

£16.99See it at Bookshop.org
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Book

Animal Farm (Barrington Stoke Edition)
By George Orwell (Barrington Stoke), sold by Bookshop.org
Orwell's Animal Farm in a dyslexia-friendly edition from Barrington Stoke. Handy for set texts when the standard edition is hard going.

£8.99See it at Bookshop.org
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Tool

C-Pen Exam Reader 2
By C-Pen (Scanning Pens Ltd), sold by TTS
Reads printed exam questions aloud, offline. No dictionary or storage, which is what JCQ's exam reading pen rules require.

£358.80See it at TTS
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Free

Seeing AI
By Microsoft, sold by App Store
Point your phone camera at a letter, label or page and it reads the words aloud. Free from Microsoft.

FreeSee it at App Store
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App

Read&Write
By Everway (formerly Texthelp), sold by Everway
A toolbar that reads text aloud, types what you say and predicts words, on Windows, Mac, Chrome, iPad and Android.

£250See it at Everway
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Tool

Kobo Clara BW
By Rakuten Kobo, sold by Rakuten Kobo
An e-reader for people who buy ebooks outside Amazon, with the OpenDyslexic font among its reading settings.

£149.99See it at Rakuten Kobo
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Tool

Kindle Scribe Without Front Light (11-inch, 16 GB, 2025)
By Amazon, sold by Amazon
The newest 11-inch Kindle Scribe, pen included. This cheapest version has no front light, so it needs a lit room.

See priceat AmazonSee it at Amazon
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