Text-to-speech (TTS) lets you listen to what is on the screen. For many dyslexic readers, hearing text while seeing each word highlighted improves comprehension — especially on dense articles, exam briefs, or email.
When read-aloud helps most
- Proofreading — you catch mistakes your eyes skip
- Long paragraphs — listening gives your visual system a rest
- Unfamiliar vocabulary — hearing pronunciation can lock in meaning
- Fatigue — switch between reading and listening on the same page
TTS is not cheating; it is a standard assistive technology used in schools, universities, and workplaces.
What good browser TTS looks like
Basic screen readers focus on navigation. Reading tools for study should:
- Work on selected text (a paragraph, not the whole page at once)
- Highlight the current word as it speaks
- Let you pause, resume, and change speed
- Use a shortcut so you do not hunt through menus
In Dyslexly, select text → press Alt+Shift+R to start, Alt+Shift+S to stop.
Combine TTS with visual supports
Listening works better when the page is already comfortable:
- Dyslexia-friendly font and spacing
- Colour overlay for visual stress
- Line focus so you follow along visually while audio plays
Privacy note
Dyslexly uses your browser’s built-in speech engine for read-aloud on selections. It does not send page content to our servers for TTS. (Licence validation is a separate, key-only request.)
Getting started
- Install Dyslexly.
- Open any article and select a paragraph.
- Press Alt+Shift+R.
- Adjust speed in the popup if you need slower pacing.
Read-aloud is part of Dyslexly Pro. Free tier includes font and spacing so you can test the visual side first.
For schools: Site licences cover TTS and overlays for every student who needs them.