Empower your words.
Free reading tools for people with dyslexia: text-to-speech that follows along as it reads, focus aids, and a community that treats dyslexia as a different way of thinking.
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Languages and voices come from your device. Add more in your system's speech settings.
of people may have dyslexia, depending on how it is defined.
University of Michigan Dyslexia Help, IDA, Yale
adults worldwide lacked basic literacy skills in 2022.
UN General Assembly report, citing UNESCO
children were out of school in 2023.
UN General Assembly report
“The most interesting people you'll find are ones that don't fit into your average cardboard box. They'll make what they need, they'll make their own boxes.”Steve Silberman
Reading tools, one page each
Latest articles
Why Vocalise exists
I'm an advocate for neurodivergent people, especially those with dyslexia. Reading and writing can be hard work, so I wanted a tool that reads passages aloud in a natural voice and that anyone can use, with or without a diagnosis.
One in five people are neurodivergent. Dyslexia can make literacy and organisation harder, and it is also linked with strengths in reasoning, visual thinking and creativity.
About Vocalise
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning differences, yet schools often overlook it. Vocalise is a web platform that removes reading barriers and helps people see dyslexia as an advantage rather than a deficit.
Mission
Give people of all ages tools that read, focus and summarise text, so reading is never the barrier to learning.
Dyslexia-friendly design
Lexend or Atkinson Hyperlegible fonts (switch with “Aa” above), generous spacing, left-aligned text and no italics.
Partners
Speaker series with Dubai Autism Center and dyslexia-specialist centres. Details on the events page.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognise, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Audre Lorde
Exercises and tools
Each tool opens on its own page. Pick one and try it with your own text.
Text-to-speech
Type or paste text, or upload a .txt file. Words highlight as they are spoken.
Voices come from your device and browser. Newer “natural” or “enhanced” voices in your system settings sound far less robotic.
Speed reader
Shows one word at a time at your chosen pace. Typical dyslexic reading speed is about 50–150 words per minute; many other readers manage around 250.
Colour overlay
Some readers find text easier on a tinted background. Choose a colour, size and spacing that feels comfortable.
Reading ruler
A highlighted band follows your mouse or finger, so you only see one line at a time.
Sequence memory
Watch the colours light up, then repeat the order. Builds working memory and sequencing.
Summariser
Paste a long text and get the most important sentences. It selects sentences from your text rather than rewriting them, and works in many languages.
Reading exercises
Short activities for comprehension, word skills and sound awareness. Use Listen on any passage.
Study notes
Record a lecture or photograph notes, then turn them into organised study notes.
Write and dictate
Speak instead of typing, check your writing, plan with a mind map and keep notes. Dictation uses your browser's built-in speech recognition (Chrome, Edge or Safari), which may send audio to the browser maker's servers. Text appears after you pause.
Community toolkit
For teachers, parents and volunteers in places without access to specialist assessment. Most of this needs no electricity or internet. It can't diagnose dyslexia, but it can help a child get support sooner.
Signs to watch for
If a child shows several of these over many months, despite good teaching, extra support is worth trying.
- Reading is slow and tiring, and they guess at words.
- They struggle to learn letter sounds or to rhyme.
- Spelling is inconsistent, even for words they know.
- They understand well when you read to them or when they talk, but struggle on paper.
- They avoid reading aloud, or are anxious about it.
- Instructions with several steps get mixed up.
- Others in the family had similar reading or spelling struggles.
Only a trained specialist can diagnose dyslexia. Vision, hearing and missed schooling can cause similar signs, so rule those out where possible.
Activities with no technology
Sound games
Clap the syllables in names. Play “I spy” with the first sound. Make up rhymes. Swap sounds in words (cat to bat).
Touch and trace
Trace letters in sand or on a tray while saying their sounds. Build words with bottle caps or cards.
Repeated reading
Read the same short passage together several times a week. An adult reads first, then the child reads along.
Reading buddies
Pair confident older students with younger readers for 10 minutes a day.
In a busy classroom
Make reading easier to see
Use large, spaced print and short lines. Put a coloured plastic sheet over the page if the child finds it more comfortable. Use a ruler or card to keep their place.
Let learners show what they know
Allow spoken answers, drawings and extra time. Don't mark down spelling when you are testing ideas. Seat the child near the front.
Give instructions in steps
Say them aloud and write them on the board. Check understanding by asking the child to explain the task back.
Protect confidence
Praise effort and strengths such as storytelling, drawing or building. Never make a child read aloud in front of others without warning.
For parents and carers
At home
Read or tell stories aloud every day. Talk about words and sounds. Keep homework to short blocks. Tell the teacher what you notice.
Getting more help
Ask the school, a local clinic or a community organisation whether an assessment is available, or whether a specialist visits. Keep notes of what you see to share.
General guidance written for Vocalise, not a medical document. Adapt it to your language and context, ideally with local teachers.
Partner with Vocalise
Our goal is to bring free dyslexia support to schools and communities where it is rarely recognised, including rural areas. We can't do that alone.
Schools and NGOs
Pilot the tools with real learners, tell us what breaks, and help us adapt materials to local languages and curricula.
Specialist centres
Co-host webinars and speaker series, and offer referral routes for families who want a formal assessment.
Volunteers and translators
Help translate guides and test text-to-speech voices in local languages.
We aim to give partners free access to every tool, plus teacher guides and printable worksheets. Tell us about your community and what it needs.
Screening questionnaire
This is not a diagnosis. It is a general reflection tool, not a validated clinical test. Only a qualified educational psychologist or specialist assessor can diagnose dyslexia.
Learning about dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects how the brain processes written language. It can make reading, spelling and writing harder. It can also affect memory for sequences and organisation. It is not related to intelligence.
By the numbers
Estimates differ because researchers define and test dyslexia in different ways. Where we give a range, that is why.
of people in the US have dyslexia in NIH-funded research, with some estimates as high as 17%.
University of Michigan Dyslexia Help
of the population has a language-based learning difficulty. Dyslexia is the most common.
International Dyslexia Association
is the figure the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity uses, about 1 in 5 people.
Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity
adults, about 1 in 7 worldwide, lacked basic literacy skills in 2022. 63% were women.
UN General Assembly report A/79/155, citing UNESCO
children were out of school in 2023, up 6 million since 2021.
UN General Assembly report A/79/155
Low literacy has many causes, and most of it is not dyslexia. The last two figures show the scale of unmet learning needs, especially where schools are far away or under-resourced.
Signs at different ages
Before school
Late talking, trouble learning nursery rhymes, mixing up similar-sounding words, difficulty learning letter names.
Primary school
Slow, effortful reading, guessing at words, inconsistent spelling, reversing or skipping letters, dreading reading aloud.
Teens and adults
Tiring reading, trouble with note-taking and written exams, avoiding reading aloud, difficulty learning another language.
Dyslexia can be identified in school-age children, and children at risk can be spotted as early as preschool (University of Michigan Dyslexia Help).
Strengths
Many people with dyslexia are strong at big-picture thinking, storytelling, spatial and visual reasoning, problem solving and creativity.
What helps
In the classroom
Extra time, audio versions of texts, clear sans-serif fonts, left-aligned text, short paragraphs, pastel backgrounds. Give instructions both spoken and written.
At home
Read aloud together, praise effort, keep homework to short blocks with breaks, and ask the school about an assessment if you have concerns.
At work
Ask for text-to-speech software, written instructions in plain language, and extra time for reading-heavy tasks. Use a calendar with reminders for deadlines.
Myths and facts
“Dyslexia means low intelligence.”
False. Dyslexia and intelligence are not connected.
“Dyslexia is rare.”
False. Estimates put it between about 5% and 20% of people, depending on the definition used.
“People with dyslexia cannot read.”
False. Reading is harder and slower, and with good teaching and tools people learn to read well.
“It's just seeing letters backwards.”
False. Dyslexia is mainly about how the brain connects sounds to written letters.
Sources
University of Michigan Dyslexia Help (dyslexiahelp.umich.edu), International Dyslexia Association (dyslexiaida.org), Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity (dyslexia.yale.edu), UN General Assembly report A/79/155 (digitallibrary.un.org), UNESCO (unesco.org/en/literacy). Figures checked in October 2026. Please read the originals before quoting them.
“The most interesting people you'll find are ones that don't fit into your average cardboard box.” Steve Silberman
Events and speaker series
Run with Dubai Autism Center and dyslexia specialist centres.
Articles
Tips, advice and personal stories. Members will be able to submit their own.
Welcome
My organiser
Upcoming
Focus time
Contact us
Questions, partnerships, or want to write an article? Send a message.