Rapid visual reader
Some people find reading one word at a time easier, others find it harder. It depends on the person and the text. Try it by pasting your own text into the "Text to read" field below the controls.
Text you paste here is not sent anywhere. This reader runs entirely in your browser.
Paste or type text here. Changing it takes you back to the start.
Keyboard shortcuts and notes
Keyboard shortcuts
These work anywhere on the page except in the text box and the speed slider.
- Space play or pause
- ← and → back or forward one word
- Shift + ← back to the start of the sentence (press again to go back another sentence)
- Home restart from the beginning
How timing works
The speed sets the base time for each word. Words ending a clause (comma, semicolon, colon, dash) get extra time, sentence endings get double time, and paragraph breaks pause a little longer. Long words also get a bit more time. Because of these pauses, your actual reading speed will be a little below the number shown.
Pause after each sentence
When this is ticked, the reader stops on the last word of each sentence and waits. Press play or Space to read the next sentence. Paragraph breaks also count as a stopping point. Common abbreviations such as Mr., Mrs., Dr. and e.g., plus single initials such as J., are not treated as sentence endings.
Before you use it
At the top speed, the word changes around 12 times a second. If fast changing text is uncomfortable, start slow and pause at any time.
About this reader
The reader uses a technique called Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP). Instead of your eyes moving along a line of text, each word appears in the same spot on screen, one after another.
Each word has one highlighted letter, called the Optimal Recognition Position (ORP). It sits slightly left of the middle of the word, and the whole word shifts so that this letter always lands in exactly the same place, marked by small ticks above and below. The highlighted letter isn't there to be read. It's a fixation point, something for your eyes to rest on, so they don't need to move.