How to Speed Read With Dyslexia

"Speed reading" and "dyslexia" aren't words you usually see together. If reading at normal speed is already a challenge, why would you try to go faster? That seems counterproductive — maybe even cruel.

But here's something most people don't realize: RSVP reading eliminates several of the specific problems that make reading difficult for dyslexic readers. It doesn't cure dyslexia. But it removes some of the physical obstacles that dyslexia creates, leaving your brain to focus on what it's actually good at — understanding ideas.

Why traditional reading is hard with dyslexia

Dyslexia is primarily a language-processing difference — it affects how your brain connects sounds to letters. But it also creates very real visual reading challenges. When a dyslexic reader looks at a page of traditional text, they're dealing with several simultaneous problems.

Eye tracking. Moving your eyes smoothly from word to word across a line, then jumping accurately to the start of the next line. Dyslexic readers often lose their place, re-read lines accidentally, or skip lines entirely.

Visual crowding. Letters and words packed close together interfere with each other during processing. The word you're trying to read gets "contaminated" by the words on either side of it.

Regression confusion. Everyone's eyes jump backward during reading, but dyslexic readers often can't find the right spot when they regress, leading to re-reading the wrong part or getting lost entirely.

What RSVP eliminates

RSVP solves the first three problems by design. There's only one word on screen at a time, displayed at a fixed point. Your eyes don't move. There are no surrounding words to create crowding. There are no lines to track. You can't accidentally skip or re-read a line because there aren't any lines.

This is why some dyslexic readers report that RSVP feels dramatically easier than traditional reading — not just slightly easier. The physical mechanics that their brain struggles with are simply absent. What remains is the core decoding task: recognizing individual words and understanding their meaning. And that's the part that fonts and colors can further assist with.

The optimal setup for dyslexic RSVP reading

Step 1: Choose your font

Try each option and go with what feels most comfortable. Based on the research and user feedback, here's the order we'd suggest trying:

Lexend first — its expanded spacing and clean letterforms were designed to improve reading proficiency, and its spacing benefits are supported by the strongest evidence. OpenDyslexic second — its weighted bottoms and unique letterforms specifically target dyslexic visual processing, and a Concordia University study found it improved comprehension for adult dyslexic readers. Comic Sans third — its wide spacing and irregular letterforms are recommended by the BDA, and many dyslexic readers swear by it.

Step 2: Choose your color theme

Avoid the default dark mode if you're reading in a well-lit room. Instead, try one of the research-backed warm themes. Our top recommendation is Peach — it was the strongest performer for dyslexic readers in the Rello and Bigham study. Yellow Tint is our second pick, backed by Wu and Yuan as well as the PMC physiological study. Turquoise is worth trying if warm tones don't feel right — the 2021 PMC study found it beneficial specifically for dyslexic children.

The BDA also recommends avoiding pure white backgrounds, which can appear dazzling. Our Cream theme directly follows their guidance.

Step 3: Set your speed

Start at 200-250 WPM — lower than the typical starting recommendation. Dyslexic readers often read traditionally at 150-200 WPM, so 250 in RSVP already represents a speed-up thanks to the eliminated eye tracking overhead. Get comfortable with the rhythm before pushing faster.

Increase in 25 WPM increments. Stay at each level until it feels natural, then bump up. Many dyslexic RSVP users settle comfortably around 300-400 WPM — which may not sound impressive compared to the "1000 WPM!!" claims of speed-reading gurus, but it can represent a 50-100% improvement over their traditional reading speed. That's transformative.

Step 4: Use 1 word per flash

Multi-word display creates a mini version of the crowding problem within each flash. Stick to 1 word at a time to maximize the anti-crowding benefit of RSVP.

What RSVP can't do

RSVP doesn't address the phonological processing differences at the core of dyslexia. If you struggle to decode an unfamiliar word, that word will be just as hard to decode in RSVP as on a page. RSVP also doesn't allow you to go back and re-read a confusing passage (though you can use the skip-back controls to rewind).

RSVP is best thought of as a tool that removes the visual obstacles so you can focus your energy on the cognitive task of understanding. It works alongside other strategies, not as a replacement for them.