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Dyslexia test for adults

Fifteen questions about reading and spelling, then two short tasks. About 6 minutes, private, and explained in plain language.

Six quick reading-skill games

There are no wrong answers. The games show how your child hears sounds, matches letters, reads new words, names colours, spots letters and remembers.

About 8 minutes · free · no sign-up

Who is taking the test?

Everything runs in your browser. Answers are not sent anywhere.

Dyslexia Steps offers screening and practice, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional, such as an educational psychologist or a speech and language professional, can diagnose dyslexia.

Short answer

What does the Dyslexia Steps dyslexia test for adults measure?

The Dyslexia Steps adult dyslexia test is a free online self-check that combines a 15-question reading-history questionnaire with two short tasks: choosing which made-up spelling sounds like a real word, and naming a grid of colours aloud against the clock. It shows whether several signs common in adult dyslexia are present. It is a screening, not a diagnosis.

  • Takes about 6 minutes and needs no account.
  • Questions cover reading at school and reading today.
  • Adults with dyslexia are often accurate but slow readers, so the tasks also measure speed.
  • A specialist assessment is the only way to diagnose dyslexia.

The six games in the free dyslexia test

  1. 1 / 6

    Odd Sound Out

    Hearing rhymes and first sounds in spoken words (phonological awareness).

  2. 2 / 6

    First Letter

    Matching a spoken sound to the letter that spells it (letter-sound knowledge).

  3. 3 / 6

    Alien Words

    Reading made-up words by sounding them out (decoding).

  4. 4 / 6

    Colour Race

    Naming a grid of colours aloud as fast as possible (rapid naming).

  5. 5 / 6

    Mirror Letters

    Telling apart look-alike letters such as b, d, p and q (visual discrimination).

  6. 6 / 6

    Number Echo

    Remembering spoken numbers in order (short-term memory).

What the adult dyslexia test checks

Many adults with dyslexia have learned to read accurately, so a simple reading test can miss it. What often remains is slow reading, effortful spelling and a history of difficulty at school. The test looks at all three.

The questionnaire asks how often everyday reading and spelling difficulties apply to you, now and when you were at school. Self-reported reading history has been used in research to identify adults with a history of reading difficulty.

The first task shows pairs of made-up spellings and asks which one sounds like a real word when you say it; this relies on sounding words out rather than recognising them. The second task is rapid naming: saying a grid of colours aloud as fast as you can.1,2,3

How to read the adult dyslexia test result

You see three bars, one for the questionnaire and one for each task, marked Strong, On track or Needs practice. If your answers point to many difficulties, or both tasks are slow or inaccurate, the result says there are several signs worth following up.

The result does not tell you that you have dyslexia, and a result without signs does not rule it out. If reading or spelling causes you real difficulty at work or in study, that is reason enough to ask for an assessment.

Getting a dyslexia assessment as an adult

Adults are usually assessed by an educational or occupational psychologist, or by a qualified specialist assessor. The assessment looks at your history, reading, spelling, processing speed and memory, and rules out other explanations.

In many countries a formal assessment can unlock support in higher education or reasonable adjustments at work, such as extra time or assistive software. Ask your college, university or employer what they recognise.4

Dyslexia tests for adults and for their children

Dyslexia often runs in families, and many adults first recognise it in themselves when a child starts to struggle with reading. If you are here because of your child, take the free dyslexia test for children: six short games in about 8 minutes.

Daily reading practice in your browser

Games in seven worlds, a daily plan built from the test, spaced review, and a parent area with progress, a daily time limit and several child profiles on one subscription. Works on a computer, tablet or phone.

  • Games in seven worlds: Sound Island, Letter Forest, Word Workshop, Speed Track, Story Harbour, Eagle Eye and Memory Cave
  • A daily plan that starts from the focus skill and adapts as your child improves
  • Spaced review of the letters and words that are still shaky
  • Several child profiles on one subscription, with a parent area and daily time limit
See the program

Frequently asked questions

Can an adult be tested for dyslexia online?

Online you can take a screening like this one, which shows whether common signs are present. A diagnosis needs a full assessment by a qualified professional.

Is the adult dyslexia test free?

Yes, it is free, needs no account and your answers stay in your browser.

Can you have dyslexia if you read well?

Yes. Many adults with dyslexia read accurately but slowly and with effort, and spelling often stays difficult. That is why the test measures speed as well as accuracy.

Why is there no practice program for adults?

The Dyslexia Steps program is designed for children aged 5 to 12. For adults, assistive tools and study or workplace adjustments are usually more useful than phonics games.

Sources

  1. Lefly DL, Pennington BF (2000). Reliability and validity of the Adult Reading History Questionnaire. J Learn Disabil, 33(3), 286-96.
  2. Share DL (1995). Phonological recoding and self-teaching: sine qua non of reading acquisition. Cognition, 55(2), 151-218.
  3. Norton ES, Wolf M (2012). Rapid automatized naming (RAN) and reading fluency: implications for understanding and treatment of reading disabilities. Annu Rev Psychol, 63, 427-52.
  4. Snowling MJ, Hulme C, Nation K (2020). Defining and understanding dyslexia: past, present and future. Oxf Rev Educ, 46(4), 501-513.

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