Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts Guide
Comprehensive guide to fonts designed for dyslexic readers. Learn about OpenDyslexic, Lexie Readable, Comic Sans, and typographic features that significantly improve readability for people with dyslexia.
TL;DR - Key Takeaways
- • OpenDyslexic uses weighted bottoms to reduce letter rotation and confusion
- • Lexie Readable and Comic Sans have distinct letter shapes that prevent mirroring
- • Sans-serif fonts with generous spacing work better than serif fonts
- • Individual preference varies—some dyslexic readers prefer standard fonts
In this article
Dyslexia affects 5-10% of the population, making it one of the most common learning differences worldwide. For people with dyslexia, reading can be challenging due to difficulties distinguishing between similar letter shapes, letter rotation (seeing b as d or p as q), and tracking lines of text. Typography plays a crucial role in reducing these challenges, and selecting appropriate fonts can significantly improve reading speed, comprehension, and reduce cognitive fatigue for dyslexic readers.
While there is ongoing debate in the research community about whether specialized dyslexia fonts provide measurable benefits over well-designed standard fonts, many dyslexic readers report subjective improvements in comfort and reading stamina when using fonts specifically designed for their needs. The reality is that dyslexia manifests differently for each person, and what works well for one reader may not work for another.
This guide explores both specialized dyslexia fonts like OpenDyslexic and Lexie Readable, as well as standard fonts that many dyslexic readers find helpful. We'll examine the typographic features that make fonts more readable for people with dyslexia, discuss implementation strategies for websites and applications, and provide evidence-based recommendations for creating dyslexia-friendly typography systems.
The most important principle to remember is that providing font choice empowers users. Rather than forcing a single dyslexia font on all users, the best approach is offering multiple font options and allowing readers to select what works best for their individual needs and preferences.
Understanding Dyslexia and Typography Challenges
Dyslexia is a neurological condition that affects how the brain processes written language. It is not related to intelligence—many highly successful people have dyslexia—but it does create specific challenges when reading text. Understanding these challenges helps explain why certain typographic choices can reduce reading difficulty.
Letter Confusion and Mirroring
Many dyslexic readers experience confusion between visually similar letters. The letters b, d, p, and q are particularly problematic because they are essentially mirror images or rotations of each other. Similarly, letters like n and u, m and w, or a and e can be confused, especially in fonts where their shapes are very similar.
Problematic similar letters:
b d p q
n u m w
a e o c
Crowding and River Effects
Dense text with tight line spacing creates crowding that makes individual words harder to distinguish. Some dyslexic readers also perceive "rivers" of white space running through blocks of justified text, which disrupts reading flow and makes it difficult to track lines. Generous spacing between letters, words, and lines significantly reduces these visual challenges.
Letter Dancing and Movement
Some dyslexic readers report that letters appear to move, swap positions, or "dance" on the page. While this visual distortion is not universal among people with dyslexia, for those who experience it, fonts with distinct letter shapes and heavy baseline anchoring can help reduce the perception of movement.
Tracking and Line Navigation
Keeping track of which line you're reading can be challenging, particularly in long paragraphs with narrow line spacing. Dyslexic readers may skip lines or re-read the same line without realizing it. Increased line height (leading) and moderate line length (60-70 characters) help readers maintain their position in the text.
Specialized Dyslexia Fonts
Several fonts have been specifically designed with dyslexic readers in mind, incorporating features intended to reduce letter confusion and improve reading comfort.
OpenDyslexic
OpenDyslexic is the most well-known dyslexia font, created by Abelardo Gonzalez and released as an open-source typeface. The font's distinctive feature is its weighted bottom design—each letter has a heavier base, which theoretically helps prevent rotation and keeps letters "grounded" on the baseline.
Key Features:
- Heavy weighted bottom design to reduce letter rotation perception
- Unique letter shapes for b, d, p, q to minimize mirroring confusion
- Generous letter spacing built into the font metrics
- Distinctive ascenders and descenders for better word recognition
- Available in Regular, Bold, Italic, and Bold-Italic weights
Research Evidence:
Academic studies on OpenDyslexic show mixed results. Some research found no significant reading speed improvement compared to standard fonts like Arial, while user surveys indicate many dyslexic readers subjectively prefer it and report reduced reading fatigue. The lack of measurable improvement in controlled studies doesn't invalidate personal preference—comfort and reduced fatigue are valid benefits even if reading speed remains constant.
License
OpenDyslexic is free and open-source under a Creative Commons license, making it an excellent choice for commercial and non-commercial projects without licensing fees.
Lexie Readable
Lexie Readable was designed by K-Type specifically for readability, particularly for people with dyslexia. Unlike OpenDyslexic's weighted approach, Lexie Readable focuses on distinctive letter shapes and generous proportions to prevent character confusion.
Key Features:
- Unique letter forms that prevent mirroring (b vs d clearly different)
- Generous x-height for improved legibility at smaller sizes
- Clear distinction between similar letters like I, l, and 1
- No serifs or decorative elements that could cause visual clutter
- Slightly informal, friendly appearance that reduces reading stress
When to Use Lexie Readable:
Lexie Readable works particularly well for educational content, children's books, and reading applications where a friendly, approachable appearance complements the functional readability benefits. Its slightly informal character makes it less suitable for formal corporate documents but excellent for learning environments.
License
Lexie Readable is available for free for personal and educational use. Commercial use requires a license from K-Type foundry.
Dyslexie Font
Dyslexie Font is a commercial dyslexia font created by Dutch designer Christian Boer, who has dyslexia himself. The font incorporates slanted letters, varied letter heights, and weighted bases similar to OpenDyslexic.
Key Features:
- Slanted italic-like design to emphasize reading direction
- Varying letter heights create distinctive word shapes
- Heavy baseline to prevent letter rotation
- Larger openings in letters like a, e, and c
License
Dyslexie is a commercial font requiring purchase for use. Individual licenses and organizational licenses are available at different price points.
Read Regular (formerly Readable)
Read Regular is designed to be highly legible for all readers, including those with dyslexia. It focuses on clear, unambiguous letter shapes without the heavy stylization of some dyslexia-specific fonts.
Key Features:
- Highly distinct character shapes to prevent confusion
- Generous spacing and open counters
- Professional appearance suitable for body text
- Less stylized than OpenDyslexic, more versatile for various contexts
Standard Fonts Recommended for Dyslexic Readers
Many dyslexic readers find that well-designed standard fonts work just as well or better than specialized dyslexia fonts. Research from the British Dyslexia Association and other organizations has identified several commonly available fonts that perform well for dyslexic readers.
Comic Sans MS
Despite its reputation among designers as an unprofessional font, Comic Sans is frequently recommended for dyslexic readers. Its irregular, handwritten character gives each letter a unique shape, preventing mirroring issues. The letters have distinct differences between similar characters like b and d.
Recommendation: Appropriate for informal educational content, personal documents, and situations where readability trumps professional appearance.
Verdana
Verdana was designed for screen legibility with wide proportions and generous spacing. Its large x-height and clear letter shapes make it excellent for dyslexic readers, particularly on screens. The spacing between letters prevents crowding, a common issue for people with dyslexia.
Recommendation: Excellent for web content and digital reading. Works well at smaller sizes due to its generous proportions.
Arial
Arial is widely available and has clean, simple letter forms without serifs. While not specifically designed for dyslexia, its ubiquity and clarity make it a reliable choice. Arial works well when you need a professional appearance while maintaining good readability for dyslexic readers.
Recommendation: Safe default choice for professional documents and business content. Universal availability ensures consistency across devices.
Helvetica
Helvetica's clean, neutral design makes it readable for most people, including many dyslexic readers. However, some letters like I, l, and 1 can be similar in Helvetica, so it works better for body text than for content where these characters appear frequently (like code or data).
Recommendation: Good for professional print materials. Consider increasing letter spacing for improved dyslexia accessibility.
Calibri
Calibri has soft, rounded terminals and good letter spacing. It's the default font in Microsoft Office, making it familiar to many users. Its generous proportions and clear letter shapes work well for dyslexic readers without looking unconventional.
Recommendation: Excellent for Microsoft Office documents and corporate communications where familiarity matters.
Century Gothic
Century Gothic is a geometric sans-serif with nearly circular letter forms. Its distinctive shapes prevent letter confusion, and the generous spacing between letters reduces crowding. The geometric consistency creates a clean, modern appearance.
Recommendation: Works well for headers and short-form content. May be tiring in very long documents due to geometric uniformity.
Fonts to Avoid
Certain fonts create significant challenges for dyslexic readers:
- Decorative serif fonts - Serifs can create visual noise and letter confusion
- Condensed fonts - Tight letter spacing increases crowding
- Light font weights - Thin strokes are harder to distinguish and may appear to move
- Italics - Slanted text can be more difficult to read; use bold for emphasis instead
- All caps text - Word shapes are lost, making reading slower and more difficult
Key Typographic Features for Dyslexia-Friendly Design
Beyond font choice, specific typographic parameters significantly impact readability for dyslexic readers. These principles apply regardless of which font you select.
Letter Spacing (Tracking)
Increased letter spacing reduces crowding and makes individual letters easier to distinguish. Research suggests that letter spacing 35% wider than default improves reading speed for dyslexic readers. In CSS, this translates to approximately letter-spacing: 0.12em.
/* CSS for improved letter spacing */
.dyslexia-friendly {
letter-spacing: 0.12em;
}Word Spacing
Generous word spacing helps dyslexic readers distinguish word boundaries more easily. Increase word spacing to 3.5-4x the normal space size. In CSS: word-spacing: 0.16em.
/* CSS for improved word spacing */
.dyslexia-friendly {
word-spacing: 0.16em;
}Line Height (Leading)
Line height should be at least 1.5x the font size, with 1.5-2.0x being optimal for dyslexic readers. This prevents lines from visually crowding together and makes it easier to track which line you're reading. WCAG 2.1 recommends a minimum of 1.5 for paragraph text.
/* CSS for improved line height */
.dyslexia-friendly {
line-height: 1.8;
}Paragraph Spacing
Clear paragraph breaks help readers understand content structure and provide visual rest points. Use at least 1.5-2x the line height as spacing between paragraphs.
/* CSS for improved paragraph spacing */
.dyslexia-friendly p {
margin-bottom: 1.5em;
}Line Length
Optimal line length for dyslexic readers is 60-70 characters per line. Lines that are too long make it difficult to find the beginning of the next line, while lines that are too short disrupt reading rhythm with excessive line breaks. For responsive design, use max-width with ch units to control line length based on character count.
Text Alignment
Use left-aligned (ragged right) text rather than justified text. Justified text creates uneven spacing between words, which can form distracting "rivers" of white space. The irregular right margin of left-aligned text actually helps readers track their position and find the next line. Never use center or right alignment for body text.
Font Size
Minimum font size for body text should be 12-14pt (16-18.5px). Larger text is generally easier to read for dyslexic readers, but excessively large text reduces the amount of text visible at once and can actually slow reading. Allow users to adjust text size with browser zoom or custom controls.
/* CSS for appropriate font sizing */
body {
font-size: 16px;
}
/* Use relative units for scalability */
.content {
font-size: 1rem;
}Color, Contrast, and Background Considerations
While font choice and spacing are primary concerns, color and contrast also significantly impact readability for dyslexic readers.
Avoid Pure Black on Pure White
Maximum contrast (pure black #000000 on pure white #FFFFFF) can create visual stress and glare for many dyslexic readers. Instead, use slightly off-black text (#1a1a1a or #333333) on slightly off-white backgrounds (#fafafa or #f5f5f5). This reduces glare while maintaining excellent readability.
Avoid:
Pure black on pure white creates glare
Better:
Off-black on off-white reduces eye strain
Colored Overlays and Backgrounds
Some dyslexic readers benefit from colored backgrounds or overlays, though color preference is highly individual. Common helpful colors include:
- Cream or beige backgrounds reduce glare
- Light blue or light green backgrounds may reduce visual stress for some readers
- Pastel colors generally work better than bright, saturated colors
Provide options for users to select their preferred background color rather than imposing one color on all users. Individual responses to colored overlays vary significantly.
Dark Mode Considerations
Dark mode (light text on dark background) works well for some dyslexic readers, particularly those sensitive to bright backgrounds. However, ensure adequate contrast (light gray text on near-black backgrounds) rather than pure white text, which can create halation (bleeding/glow effect) on dark backgrounds.
Maintain WCAG Contrast Standards
While reducing extreme contrast helps some dyslexic readers, never sacrifice WCAG 2.1 contrast requirements (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text). These standards ensure readability for users with low vision and color blindness. Learn more in our contrast ratios guide.
Implementing Dyslexia-Friendly Typography
Practical implementation strategies for websites and applications.
Provide Font Choice Options
The most user-centered approach is offering multiple font options. Implement a font switcher that allows users to choose between standard fonts (Arial, Verdana), dyslexia-specific fonts (OpenDyslexic), and system fonts. Store the preference in localStorage or user account settings.
// JavaScript font switcher example
const fonts = {
'arial': 'Arial, sans-serif',
'verdana': 'Verdana, sans-serif',
'opendyslexic': 'OpenDyslexic, sans-serif',
'comic': 'Comic Sans MS, cursive'
};
function setFont(fontKey) {
document.body.style.fontFamily = fonts[fontKey];
localStorage.setItem('preferredFont', fontKey);
}
// Load saved preference
const saved = localStorage.getItem('preferredFont');
if (saved) setFont(saved);CSS Custom Properties for Spacing
Use CSS custom properties to create a dyslexia-friendly theme that users can toggle on/off.
:root {
--letter-spacing: normal;
--word-spacing: normal;
--line-height: 1.5;
}
.dyslexia-mode {
--letter-spacing: 0.12em;
--word-spacing: 0.16em;
--line-height: 1.8;
}
body {
letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing);
word-spacing: var(--word-spacing);
line-height: var(--line-height);
}Loading OpenDyslexic with Font-Face
Include OpenDyslexic as a web font option for users who prefer it.
@font-face {
font-family: 'OpenDyslexic';
src: url('/fonts/OpenDyslexic-Regular.woff2') format('woff2'),
url('/fonts/OpenDyslexic-Regular.woff') format('woff');
font-weight: normal;
font-style: normal;
font-display: swap;
}
@font-face {
font-family: 'OpenDyslexic';
src: url('/fonts/OpenDyslexic-Bold.woff2') format('woff2');
font-weight: bold;
font-style: normal;
font-display: swap;
}Respect User Preferences with prefers-reduced-motion
Many dyslexic users also have sensory sensitivities. Respect the prefers-reduced-motion media query to disable animations and transitions that could be distracting or disorienting.
Best Practices for Dyslexia-Friendly Design
Do: Provide User Control
Allow users to customize font choice, text size, spacing, and background color. What works for one dyslexic reader may not work for another. User control is more valuable than any single "correct" dyslexia font.
Do: Test with Actual Users
Conduct usability testing with dyslexic readers to understand which fonts and settings work best for your specific content and audience. Academic research provides general guidelines, but real-world testing reveals practical insights.
Do: Consider Reading Context
Different contexts have different requirements. Educational content for children might benefit from Comic Sans or Lexie Readable, while professional business content might use Verdana or Arial with increased spacing.
Don't: Force Dyslexia Fonts on All Users
Making OpenDyslexic the default font for all users is counterproductive. Many dyslexic readers prefer standard fonts, and non-dyslexic readers may find specialized fonts distracting or harder to read.
Don't: Rely Solely on Font Choice
Font selection is just one aspect of dyslexia-friendly design. Proper spacing, appropriate line length, clear hierarchy, and good content structure are equally important for accessibility.
Don't: Use All Caps or Excessive Italics
All capitals eliminate the distinctive word shapes that aid reading. Italics can be harder to read for dyslexic readers. Use bold for emphasis instead of italics, and use sentence case rather than all caps.
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Written & Verified by
Sarah Mitchell
Product Designer, Font Specialist
Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts FAQs
Common questions about fonts for dyslexic readers