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Dyslexia simulator: what reading can feel like

Most simulators make letters jump around. That is not what dyslexia usually is. Try decoding a secret script instead: it is much closer to the slow, effortful reading many dyslexic children live with every day.

This is closer to what dyslexia is really like. The sentence below uses symbols you have never learned. Use the key to work out each letter, then type the sentence. Notice how slow and tiring it is when letters do not turn into sounds automatically.

Key

◭ = a⊏ = b⊐ = d⋿ = eɕ = gϟ = hı = iɲ = n◯ = oɹ = rϛ = s⊤ = t∪ = u

Short answer

What does the Dyslexia Steps dyslexia simulator show?

The Dyslexia Steps dyslexia simulator is a free browser tool with two modes. The main mode asks you to read a short sentence written in unfamiliar symbols using a key, which recreates the slow, letter-by-letter decoding of a reader whose letter-sound links are not yet automatic. A second mode shows the common moving-letters effect and explains that dyslexia is mainly a difficulty with speech sounds and spelling, not with eyesight.

  • Dyslexia is mainly a difficulty linking written letters to speech sounds.
  • Most people with dyslexia see letters normally; moving letters are a metaphor.
  • The secret-script mode times you, so you can compare with fluent reading speed.
  • Free, no sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your browser.

Why this dyslexia simulator uses a secret script

Research over several decades points to the same core difficulty in dyslexia: linking letters and letter patterns to the speech sounds they stand for, and doing it fast enough that reading becomes automatic. When that link is slow, every word has to be worked out, and there is little attention left for meaning.

A script you have never learned puts you in exactly that position. You can see every symbol clearly, but you have to look each one up, hold the sounds in mind and blend them. That is why reading even a short sentence takes so long, and why it is tiring, which is what many dyslexic children describe.1,2,3

Do people with dyslexia see letters moving?

Most do not. Some people report that text seems to swim or blur, and visual discomfort can happen alongside dyslexia, but it is not what defines it. Confusing b and d is also common in all young readers and usually reflects letter-sound learning, not eyesight.

The moving-letters mode is included because many people search for it, and it does convey that reading is hard. Treat it as a metaphor. If a child complains that text moves or blurs, an eye examination is a sensible separate step.1

Using the dyslexia simulator with teachers and families

The secret-script mode works well in a staff meeting or with siblings and grandparents: give everyone a minute to read a sentence, then talk about how it felt. People are usually surprised by how slow they were and how little they remember of what they read.

It is also a good moment to say what does help: systematic teaching of letter-sound links and plenty of short, regular practice, rather than asking a child to try harder or read longer.4

Frequently asked questions

Is this dyslexia simulator accurate?

No simulator can recreate dyslexia exactly. The secret-script mode is a closer model of the decoding difficulty than moving letters, but a dyslexic reader's experience also involves spelling, memory and years of frustration that a one-minute tool cannot show.

What does dyslexia look like to the person reading?

Usually the letters look normal. What is hard is turning them into sounds and words quickly, so reading is slow, effortful and error-prone, and spelling is often harder still.

Can I use the simulator in a classroom?

Yes, it is free and runs in any browser. Project it and let pupils or staff try to read a sentence, then discuss how it felt.

How can I check if my child has signs of dyslexia?

Take the free dyslexia test for children, six short games in about 8 minutes, and share the result with your child's school.

Sources

  1. Snowling MJ, Hulme C, Nation K (2020). Defining and understanding dyslexia: past, present and future. Oxf Rev Educ, 46(4), 501-513.
  2. Peterson RL, Pennington BF (2012). Developmental dyslexia. Lancet, 379(9830), 1997-2007.
  3. Share DL (1995). Phonological recoding and self-teaching: sine qua non of reading acquisition. Cognition, 55(2), 151-218.
  4. Galuschka K, Ise E, Krick K, Schulte-Körne G (2014). Effectiveness of treatment approaches for children and adolescents with reading disabilities: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One, 9(2), e89900.

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