Scenario
You have been sent a long email, policy, report or web page. There is a lot to read, and you need to understand the main points. You may be short on time, between meetings, travelling, or feeling tired.
Reading on screen can also be hard if the text is small, the document is very long, or the language is complicated.
Listening to the text can make it easier to understand. It can also help you check your own work, spot mistakes, and keep going when reading feels difficult.
What is getting in the way?
Reading on screen can be difficult for many reasons. Common barriers include:
- visual impairment or reduced visual comfort
- dyslexia or other differences in how people process text
- migraines, eye strain or fatigue
- stress, distraction or information overload
- small text, dense paragraphs or unfamiliar language.
If you are proofreading, listening to the text can also help you spot mistakes that are easy to miss when you have read the same words many times.
Tools that can help
Depending on what you’re reading, these built-in tools can help:
- Microsoft Read Aloud and Immersive Reader
- Read aloud reads documents and web pages out loud and highlights as it goes
- Immersive Reader changes layout, spacing and reads text aloud
- Screen readers – can read aloud anything on your screen and help you to get tasks done
- Microsoft Narrator – a built-in Windows screen reader that reads out what is on your screen. It allows you to navigate your computer, apps, and documents using audio instead of relying on sight.
You do not need to try everything. Start with one small change and see what helps.
