Standard sans Control
Whatever your system already uses. No download, no setup.
Your text
Spacing
Applied to all four typefaces at once, so the only thing that differs between the panels is the typeface itself.
The indigo bar above each sample shows where the line breaks.
OpenDyslexic
Weighted bottoms, meant to stop letters flipping. By Abbie Gonzalez.
Lexend
Built around reading proficiency rather than letter shape alone.
Atkinson Hyperlegible
Designed for low vision by the Braille Institute. Pulls apart I, l and 1.
What the research actually says
Dyslexia-specific typefaces are marketed with more confidence than the evidence supports. Controlled studies have generally failed to show that they improve reading speed or accuracy against a plain sans-serif, while adjustments to spacing and line length have produced more consistent results.
That is worth knowing before you swap a typeface and call the job done. It is also why the spacing controls here apply to all four panels at once: if the text got easier to read, you should be able to tell whether it was the typeface or the spacing that did it.
None of which means preference does not count. A reader who finds one typeface more comfortable will read more of it, and that is a real result even when a stopwatch cannot see it. The point of comparing is to find out what works for you, not to be handed a winner.
Start with these four things
- Line height of at least 1.5. The single change with the best return, and the one most sites get wrong.
- Line length of 60 to 75 characters. Long lines make it hard to find the start of the next one.
- Letter spacing around 0.12em. The value WCAG 1.4.12 expects your layout to survive.
- Left aligned, never justified. Justification opens rivers of white space that pull the eye down instead of across.
Questions
Does OpenDyslexic actually help?
The evidence is mixed, and mostly not in its favour on speed and accuracy. Plenty of readers still prefer it, and preference is not nothing. Compare it here on your own text rather than taking anyone's word for it, including ours.
Which font should I use on my site?
For body text, a well spaced standard sans is usually the safer default. It is already installed, so it costs nothing to download and never flashes an unstyled fallback. Spend the effort on line height, line length and letter spacing first. If you do want a designed-for-legibility face, Atkinson Hyperlegible is a strong pick and free to embed.
What is WCAG 1.4.12 text spacing?
A WCAG 2.1 success criterion. Your content has to stay readable and functional when a reader forces line height to 1.5, letter spacing to 0.12em, word spacing to 0.16em and paragraph spacing to 2em. The preset button applies those values so you can check whether your layout holds up.
Are these fonts free to use commercially?
Yes. All three are under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, which allows commercial use and embedding. Keep the licence and copyright notice with the files when you redistribute them.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. It all runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, logged or stored. The only time your text leaves this page is if you copy the share link, which packs short text into the URL itself.
Font credits
OpenDyslexic (c) Abbie Gonzalez. Lexend (c) The Lexend Project Authors. Atkinson Hyperlegible (c) Braille Institute of America, Inc. All three are licensed under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 and are used here unmodified.
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