Do dyslexia fonts help?
Expert reviewed by Guinevere Eden, PhD
At a glance
Lots of people prefer using “dyslexia fonts” over other fonts.
These fonts don’t improve reading.
But they do have features that may help reading feel more comfortable for some people.
With dyslexia, reading skills can improve with the right type of help. But the challenges don’t disappear. Can “dyslexia-friendly” fonts help? If you’ve heard of dyslexia fonts, you may wonder if they help people with dyslexia read better.
The short answer is no. Researchers have studied these typefaces. So far, they haven’t found evidence that the fonts help kids or adults read faster and with fewer mistakes. Still, there are reasons some people with dyslexia (and others) like to use these fonts.
Dyslexia fonts use thicker lines in parts of letters. The letters are slanted a bit. And letters that have sticks and tails (b, d, and p) vary in length. Some people with dyslexia like this and find it helpful. People without dyslexia might like those features, too.
There are many typefaces available, and lots of people have one that they prefer to others. They just find that font more comfortable.
Using a specific font isn’t a treatment for dyslexia. That’s because dyslexia is an issue with language, not vision. But there’s no reason not to try different typefaces, including “dyslexia fonts,” to find the one that’s easiest to read.
Key takeaways
Dyslexia fonts use thicker lines in parts of letters, among other differences.
Some people prefer these fonts. But they’re not proven to help with reading.
Dyslexia is a problem with language, not vision.
