Reader Assist

Reader Assist is a Chrome extension designed to help people who read online by splitting long words into syllables, providing a reading ruler, and allowing customization of font, size, and spacing. It changes how every web page looks in the browser, and it is free with no account required. The tool targets readers including those with dyslexia, ADHD, and learners who need a calmer reading environment, spanning students, parents, teachers, and adults at work.

Reader Assist operates by running in the browser once installed, with settings accessible from the extension icon in Chrome’s toolbar. It supports automatic language recognition for pages written in Latin, Cyrillic, or Greek letters and caches results for speed. Users can choose themes, fonts, and spacing, and switch the aids on or off as needed to adapt to different pages and contexts.

Reader Assist provides a set of features designed to ease reading: syllable marking with bolding on alternating syllables, a focus reading ruler that follows the pointer, and a reader view that removes ads and distractions to present an article in a single calm column. It offers OpenDyslexic and other fonts, adjustable text size and spacing, and options to customize colors and layout for comfortable reading across pages.

Reader Assist states that it is free to use, runs on Chrome, and can be deployed to Chromebooks or school devices. It emphasizes that there is no account to create and no data collection of names or browsing history, with some text sent to mark syllables and an FAQ addressing language support, compatibility with Chromebooks, and privacy details.

Use cases

• People with dyslexia or reading difficulties use syllable marking and font choices to ease word recognition.
• Language learners practice reading in real articles across languages.
• Students and children learn to break words into syllables while reading online.