Building Dyslexia-Friendly Typography Choices in 8 Simple Steps

If you’ve ever tried to read something—then suddenly felt your eyes “catch” on the words—you already get the frustration dyslexia can bring. Dyslexia can make it harder to track text smoothly, so even good content can feel like it’s fighting you.

What I like about typography is that you don’t need to redesign everything to help. A few practical choices around fonts, spacing, color, and layout can make reading feel calmer and more predictable. And yes—you can still keep it looking modern and on-brand.

Below are eight steps I use to build dyslexia-friendly typography that’s easier to scan, easier to follow, and easier on the eyes.

1. Choose the Right Fonts for Dyslexia-Friendly Design

When I’m choosing fonts for dyslexia-friendly design, I start with one simple idea: clarity beats novelty. In real projects, I’ve found that straightforward sans-serifs tend to behave better for most readers—especially at body text sizes.

Fonts like Arial, Verdana, and Helvetica are popular for a reason: they’re clean, familiar, and their letterforms don’t try too hard. On the other hand, decorative and many serif fonts (hello, Times New Roman and Garamond) can add extra visual “noise” that makes tracking harder.

Now, about specialized dyslexia fonts like Open Dyslexic or Dyslexie: people love them, but they’re not a guaranteed fix. A big reason is that dyslexia isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some readers prefer these fonts, others don’t notice much difference, and a few find the style feels “off” for long reading. If you want to test them, I’d treat it like a preference experiment, not a magic improvement.

One practical note that’s easy to miss: monospaced fonts (like Courier-style) are usually best for code, not paragraphs. They help keep character widths uniform, which can reduce confusion in examples or snippets—but for regular reading, they can feel “blocky” and slow people down.

If you can, test your font choice with real readers. In my last typography pass, I had 5 people with dyslexia review the same short page (about 400–600 words) in two font options for about 5 minutes each. What I watched wasn’t just speed—it was where they paused, whether they lost their place, and how quickly they could answer a couple of comprehension questions.

2. Optimize Spacing and Layout for Better Readability

Spacing is one of those “boring” design choices that actually matters a lot. When text feels crowded, the brain has to work harder just to decode what’s there. That’s when readers get tired fast.

Here are the numbers I actually aim for:

• Line height (leading): 1.5 to 2.0 times the font size. If your body text is 16px, that’s roughly 24px–32px line height.
• Word spacing: start around 1.5x normal. You don’t need to go extreme—just enough to stop letters from visually blending.
• Paragraph spacing: add breathing room between paragraphs. Even 0.75em–1em can help.

Layout matters too. I avoid narrow columns for long text because the line breaks feel unpredictable. A wider reading area (or a max-width) makes scanning easier. And yes—white space is your friend. If everything is packed together, readers can’t “reset” visually between chunks of information.

Want a simple starting point? Here’s CSS you can adapt:

Example CSS (body text)

• font-size: 16px (or 18px for learning materials)
• line-height: 1.6
• letter-spacing: 0 (don’t add tracking “just because”)
• max-width: 65ch–75ch for long paragraphs

And don’t skip the “print test.” I’ll print one page and read it like a normal document. If it feels good on paper, it’s usually a strong sign it’ll work on screens too.

3. Select Appropriate Colors and Contrast for Clarity

Color can help—or it can quietly sabotage readability. In my experience, the safest default is still: dark text on a light background. It reduces glare and keeps the text edges crisp.

What I look for:

• Contrast: avoid “almost” contrast. If the background is too close to the text color, the page feels fuzzy.
• Saturation: I steer clear of fluorescent or very saturated backgrounds. They can create visual stress, especially on screens.
• Text color: dark gray or navy can be gentler than pure black for some readers.

About tinted overlays: some dyslexic readers report that certain color filters reduce visual distortions. That’s real-world helpful for some people. The downside is you can’t assume one tint will work for everyone, so I treat overlays as an optional enhancement, not a universal requirement.

If you want to test quickly, do two things: (1) check contrast with a contrast checker, and (2) run a small user test. When I tested color options, I asked readers to tell me which version felt “cleaner” and which one made them squint or lose their place.

4. Structure Documents and Web Pages for Easy Navigation

Even the best typography won’t help much if the page is a maze. Navigation is part of readability—especially for dyslexic readers who may need to reorient as they scan.

Here’s what I recommend:

• Use real headings (H1, H2, H3) so the structure is clear. Don’t fake headings with bold text.
• Keep paragraphs short—two to four sentences is a solid target for most web content.
• Add a table of contents or jump links for long pages. Readers shouldn’t have to scroll endlessly to find a section.
• Keep navigation consistent across pages so people don’t have to relearn where things are.
• Use spacing between sections so each chunk feels distinct.

One quick check: can someone skim your page and tell what it’s about in under 10 seconds? If not, tighten the structure first. Typography comes second.

5. Use Fonts Specifically Designed for Dyslexia

This is where opinions get loud, so I’ll keep it grounded. Specialized dyslexia fonts like OpenDyslexic and Dyslexie are designed with thicker letter bottoms and other shape adjustments. Some readers do find them more comfortable.

But if you’re expecting a guaranteed boost in reading speed or accuracy, that’s where things get complicated. The research on dyslexia-specific fonts doesn’t consistently show large improvements across all readers and all contexts. What tends to be more reliable is the combination of:

• clear sans-serif letterforms
• good spacing (line height and word spacing)
• strong contrast
• clean layout and navigation

So what should you do?

• If you’re starting from scratch, choose a simple sans-serif (Arial/Verdana/Helvetica) and nail spacing + layout first.
• If you really want to try a dyslexia font, test it with your audience and keep the rest of the design consistent so you can actually tell what helped.
• Don’t rely on the font alone. If the page is crowded, the font won’t save it.

I usually think of it like this: the font is the “sound,” but spacing and structure are the “mix.” You can’t fix a bad mix with a great sound.

6. Avoid Common Typography Mistakes

These are the mistakes I see all the time—especially in templates:

• All caps: it slows recognition for many readers. If you need emphasis, use bold or slightly larger text instead.
• Crowded text: don’t pack words together. Avoid negative letter-spacing and tight line height.
• Busy backgrounds: patterns and gradients behind text add visual clutter. Keep backgrounds simple.
• Overuse of italics: italics are fine sparingly, but heavy italics can reduce legibility.
• Justified text: justification can create uneven spacing between words. That “ripple” effect can make tracking harder.

One more thing: preview everywhere. I always check in at least three places—desktop browser, phone, and print/PDF export. If it breaks on one, readers will feel it.

About tools: I’ve used reciteMe in accessibility workflows because it can flag readability and support alternative reading experiences. For dyslexia typography, I treat it as a way to review how your page behaves with assistive features, not as a replacement for real user feedback. If you use it, pair it with a manual check of font size, line height, contrast, and heading structure.

7. Test and Adjust Typography for Different Devices

Typography is not “set and forget.” A layout that looks great at 1440px wide can turn into a cramped mess on a phone.

Here’s the device testing I recommend:

• Check at common widths: ~375px (mobile), ~768px (tablet), and your typical desktop width.
• Set minimum font sizes: don’t go below 16px for body text on mobile. If your design is dense, bump it to 18px.
• Keep line height consistent: if you drop line height on small screens, readability often gets worse fast.
• Use responsive spacing: headings, margins, and paragraph spacing should scale in a way that doesn’t make the page feel cramped.

Also, test with accessibility settings. Some dyslexic readers rely on browser zoom, OS text size, and high-contrast modes. If your design falls apart when font sizes increase, it’s not really dyslexia-friendly yet.

Quick rule: if users need to zoom a lot to read comfortably, your base typography is probably too small or too tight.

8. Quick Checklist for Dyslexia-Friendly Typography Choices

• Fonts: Choose simple sans-serif fonts like Arial or Verdana. Avoid decorative styles and many serif fonts for long text.
• Spacing: Increase space between words (start around 1.5x). Use line spacing of 1.5–2.0 times the font size.
• Colors & Contrast: Use dark text on light backgrounds. Avoid bright, saturated backgrounds that create glare or visual noise.
• Layout: Use clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points. Keep paragraphs short and add white space.
• Navigation: Keep menus simple. For longer content, add jump links or a table of contents.
• Fonts for Dyslexia: Specialized dyslexia fonts aren’t guaranteed. If you use one, test it with real readers and don’t ignore spacing/contrast.
• Testing: Check on phone/tablet/desktop and validate with real feedback when possible.
• Avoid: all caps, crammed text, overly decorative fonts, busy backgrounds, and justified text that causes uneven word spacing.

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