Short answer: No font fixes dyslexia. In a study of elementary school students with dyslexia, the OpenDyslexic font gave no gain in reading speed or accuracy over Arial or Times New Roman. The guidelines point instead to a clear, plain font and short paragraphs aligned to the left. They also ask for no italics or text in capitals, and for the option to change contrast or listen to the page.
Do dyslexia fonts help?
Fonts such as OpenDyslexic were made to make letters easier to tell apart. A study in the Annals of Dyslexia tested that claim with elementary students identified as having dyslexia.
It compared OpenDyslexic with Arial and Times New Roman on three tasks: naming letters, reading words and reading nonsense words. There was no improvement in reading rate or accuracy, for any student or for the group, and none of the students said they preferred the new font.
That study tested one font with young readers, but it gives no reason to switch your site to a special font. Our best fonts for websites guide covers choosing a clear font and loading it fast.
What makes text easier to read
| Area | Do | Don’t |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Align text to the left and keep a consistent layout | Use large blocks of heavy text |
| Emphasis | Use images and diagrams to support the text | Underline words, use italics or write in capitals |
| Content | Keep it short, clear and simple | Put too much information in one place |
| Formats | Offer other formats, such as audio and video | Rely on accurate spelling |
| Display | Let users change the contrast between background and text | Force users to remember things from previous pages |
From the UK government’s poster on designing for users with dyslexia, read November 5, 2026.
Most of the list is about how the text is set and written, not about the typeface. Short, simple sentences help everyone; our Flesch reading ease guide covers how to measure them.
Let people adjust the page
Many people change how a page looks. The W3C lists adaptive strategies such as increasing text size. Its note on content for people with cognitive and learning disabilities asks sites to allow preferences for font style, font size, line heights, margins and contrast.
The same note adds that the default version should still be readable and use clear fonts. Spacing has its own test in WCAG; our line spacing guide covers it.
Give the text another format
For some readers, listening is easier than reading a long page. The UK poster suggests producing materials in other formats, such as audio and video, and our text to speech guide covers how to add an audio version to a page.
How to make your text easier to read
- Pick one clear, plain font and use it at a comfortable size.
- Align the text to the left and avoid justified paragraphs.
- Write short paragraphs and short, simple sentences.
- Use bold for emphasis instead of italics, underlining or capitals.
- Support long explanations with images, diagrams or tables.
- Let people switch the contrast, for example with a dark theme.
- Offer an audio version of your longer pages.
How our own guides read
On November 5, 2026, we read our guides as a new visitor, in English and Spanish, on a computer and on a phone. The body text is a plain sans-serif font, Satoshi, at about 19 pixels on a computer and 17 on a phone. It is aligned to the left, with no italic or justified paragraphs.
The four guide pages we checked, two guides in both languages, each had a button that says “Play the audio version” and a button that switches to the dark theme. We pressed the switch on every one, and the page changed to the dark theme.
Before you publish
- The body text uses one clear, plain font.
- Paragraphs are aligned to the left, not justified.
- No paragraph is set in italics or capitals.
- Long blocks of text are broken into short paragraphs.
- Visitors can change the contrast.
- Long pages have an audio version.
RememberChoose a clear font, write plainly and let people adjust the page. A special font did not help in the study we cite.
Pages that are easy to read are part of our web design service.
Quick answers about dyslexia-friendly fonts
What is a dyslexia font?
A typeface designed with the aim of making reading easier for people with dyslexia, such as OpenDyslexic. A study in the Annals of Dyslexia compared it with Arial and Times New Roman with elementary school students with dyslexia.
Do dyslexia fonts help people read?
Not in the study we cite. Elementary school students with dyslexia read no faster and no more accurately in OpenDyslexic than in Arial or Times New Roman, and none of them said they preferred it.
What is the best font for people with dyslexia?
There isn’t one. Choose a clear, plain font and set it up well: left aligned, in short paragraphs, without italics, underlined words or text in capitals, and let people adjust size, spacing and contrast.
Should I avoid italics and capital letters?
Yes, in running text. The UK government’s poster on designing for users with dyslexia lists underlining words, italics and writing in capitals among the things to avoid, together with large blocks of heavy text.
How can people with dyslexia adjust a website?
The W3C suggests letting people choose font style, font size, line heights, margins and contrast, while the default stays readable with clear fonts. The UK government’s poster also suggests offering other formats, such as audio.
Sources
Read on November 5, 2026. Annals of Dyslexia: The effect of a specialized dyslexia font, OpenDyslexic, on reading rate and accuracy. UK government, Accessibility in government blog: Dos and don’ts on designing for accessibility. W3C: Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities and Web Accessibility Initiative, Tools and Techniques. Our case: our own guides, read in a browser on November 5, 2026.