About 17% of the global population struggles with dyslexia, which makes reading challenging as letters and words may appear jumbled or distorted. Choosing the right font can help improve readability and reduce mental strain. Key font features for dyslexia-friendly design include:

• Sans-serif styles: Clean, simple shapes without decorative strokes.
• Weighted bottoms: Helps stabilize letters like "b", "d", "p", and "q."
• Open apertures: Wider openings in letters like "c" and "e" for better clarity.
• Clear character differentiation: Ensures similar-looking characters are easy to tell apart.

The article highlights 10 fonts that prioritize readability for dyslexic readers, including Arial, Helvetica, Comic Sans, and Lexend. Each font is evaluated based on structure, spacing, and performance across digital and print formats. While there’s no single best font for everyone, these options stand out for their accessibility and usability.

Quick Comparison

Key takeaway: Fonts with clean, open designs and adequate spacing can make reading easier for dyslexic individuals. Experiment with these options to find what works best for your audience.

1. Arial

Sans-serif Structure

Arial’s clean, sans-serif design eliminates decorative strokes, which can often clutter text and make reading harder for individuals with dyslexia. This simplicity helps readers differentiate between similar-looking letters. As Sojin Rank, Director of Brand & Design at AudioEye, puts it:

For dyslexic readers, the cleaner silhouette of a sans-serif letter reduces the chance of misidentifying similar characters.

This straightforward design minimizes the risk of letters blending together, a common issue for dyslexic readers, while its distinct letter shapes further enhance clarity.

Open and Distinct Letterforms

Arial’s rounded letterforms feature open counters, making characters like "C", "O", "e", and "o" easier to identify. However, the slightly narrow openings in some letters may require increasing the font size for optimal readability. These open shapes allow readers to distinguish characters quickly and with less effort.

Consistent Spacing

Arial’s even letter spacing prevents characters from appearing cramped, which is crucial for readability. The British Dyslexia Association highlights the importance of fonts like Arial and Comic Sans for their less crowded appearance. In fact, a 2016 study published in the journal Dyslexia found that when Arial’s spacing was adjusted to match that of specialized fonts, it performed equally well in terms of reading speed.

Readability Across Digital and Print Formats

One of Arial’s greatest strengths is its universal availability. It’s supported on nearly all modern devices, making it a reliable option for websites, printed materials, and educational tools. A study conducted in Spain with 48 dyslexic participants revealed that sans-serif fonts like Arial and Helvetica outperformed specialized fonts in both readability and reading speed. This widespread accessibility ensures that users can rely on Arial for consistent readability across various platforms without needing to install additional fonts.

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2. Helvetica

Sans-serif Structure

Helvetica’s clean, sans-serif design eliminates unnecessary decorative strokes, resulting in simple, uncluttered letter shapes. This streamlined appearance is especially helpful for dyslexic readers. Unlike serif fonts like Times New Roman or Georgia, which feature small projections that can make letters appear cramped, Helvetica offers a sense of openness by creating more perceived space between characters.

Open and Distinct Letterforms

One of Helvetica’s standout features is its wide openings in letters such as "c", "e", "a", and "s." These open shapes help prevent characters from blending together, reducing visual clutter. This design choice supports better readability. A 2025 study out of Spain even found that Helvetica ranked among the best fonts for readability, surpassing the specialized OpenDyslexic font in both reading speed and comprehension tests.

Consistent Spacing

Helvetica ensures consistent spacing between characters, which prevents letters from visually clumping together. Additionally, its uniform stroke weight avoids dramatic contrasts between thick and thin lines, making it easier for readers to quickly recognize individual characters. To maximize readability, aim for line spacing of at least 1.5× and increase letter spacing by 30%. This balanced approach to spacing works well across various mediums.

Readability Across Digital and Print Formats

Whether for digital screens or printed materials, Helvetica is a reliable choice. For online content, ensure text is at least 16px to maintain clarity and distinguishable letter shapes. For printed documents, stick to a font size between 12 and 14 points. It’s worth noting that italics are not ideal for dyslexic readers when using Helvetica, as slanted text can disrupt familiarity and slow recognition. Instead, use bold text to emphasize key points.

3. Comic Sans

Sans-serif Structure

Comic Sans simplifies its design by removing decorative strokes, creating a cleaner, more streamlined look. This feature reduces visual distractions, making it easier for dyslexic readers to differentiate between letters. According to the British Dyslexia Association, "letters can appear less crowded [in Comic Sans] than with other fonts". This added spacing between characters helps alleviate the visual crowding that can slow down reading.

This straightforward structure sets the foundation for Comic Sans’ easily recognizable character details.

Open and Distinct Letterforms

The font’s handwritten, uneven design ensures that each letter stands out. Characters like "b", "d", "p", and "q" are deliberately not mirror images of one another, which helps avoid common letter-reversal challenges experienced by 5% to 10% of the population. For instance, the slanted vertical strokes in the "m" clearly distinguish it from the "n". Vincent Connare, who designed Comic Sans in 1994, shared his perspective:

Comic Sans was NOT designed as a typeface but as a solution to a problem with the often overlooked part of a computer program’s interface.

Originally created for Microsoft Bob‘s child-friendly interface, its rounded and open shapes help prevent letters from appearing flipped on the page.

Readability Across Digital and Print Formats

Comic Sans is effective across both digital screens and print, making it a popular choice for informal educational materials and personal documents. For the best readability, stick to a font size between 12 and 14 points. Avoid italics, as they can reduce clarity, and use bold for emphasis instead. While Comic Sans has been a staple Microsoft system font for years and is widely accessible, it often faces criticism for being seen as unprofessional. However, as Extensis highlights:

What might at first appear to be childlike or informal could in fact be someone else’s only option to make it legible.

For professional settings, you might consider Comic Neue, which retains the open, rounded shapes of Comic Sans but offers more polished proportions.

4. Verdana

Sans-serif Structure

Verdana, created by Matthew Carter in 1996 for digital screens, was designed to combat visual clutter and character confusion. Its sans-serif style features a large x-height and open counters (the spaces inside letters like "a", "e", and "g"), ensuring clarity across different screen resolutions. Compared to fonts like Arial and Trebuchet, Verdana stands out for its readability, particularly for those with visual or cognitive difficulties. This thoughtful design helps each letter remain distinct, which is explored further below.

Open and Distinct Letterforms

One of Verdana’s key strengths is how it differentiates similar-looking characters. Microsoft Learn highlights this design approach:

Commonly confused characters, such as the lowercase i j l, the uppercase I J L and the numeral 1 have been carefully drawn for maximum distinctiveness – an important characteristic of fonts designed for on-screen use.

This deliberate attention to detail ensures that characters are easily distinguishable, reducing the visual strain often experienced by dyslexic readers.

Consistent Spacing

Verdana also excels in its use of spacing. Its wide letter tracking prevents characters from appearing cramped, while consistent word spacing enhances readability. Unlike tighter fonts like Tahoma, Verdana’s spacing ensures text feels open and easy to follow. For optimal results, pair Verdana with left-aligned text to avoid the distracting "rivers" of white space that can appear in justified text.

Readability Across Digital and Print Formats

Although Verdana was initially crafted for screens, it performs just as well in print. Hinting expert Tom Rickner explains:

My hope now is that these faces will be enjoyed beyond just the computer screen. Although the screen size bitmaps were the most crucial in the production of these fonts [their] uses should not be limited to on screen typography.

As a widely available system font, Verdana ensures a consistent reading experience across devices, whether you’re viewing content on a website, a mobile app, or in printed material.

10 Best Fonts for Dyslexia

5. Century Gothic

Century Gothic takes a geometric approach to creating a design that’s easier to read, especially for individuals with dyslexia. Its focus on simplicity and clarity makes it a strong candidate for accessible typography.

Sans-serif Structure

Century Gothic is a geometric sans-serif typeface, meaning it avoids the decorative serifs found in other fonts. Graphic designer Laura Keung highlights the advantage of this:

For people with dyslexia, serifs tend to melt the shapes of the letters. In this case, sans serif fonts… are preferred because each character can stand on its own.

By eliminating serifs, Century Gothic reduces visual distractions, allowing each letter to maintain its unique shape. This is particularly important when you consider that around 20% of people in the U.S. show signs of dyslexia.

Open and Distinct Letterforms

One of the standout features of Century Gothic is its rounded, open letterforms. Letters like c, e, a, and s are designed with wide apertures, which prevent them from blending into one another. This predictability in letter shapes is further enhanced by its consistent stroke widths.

The British Dyslexia Association endorses fonts like Century Gothic for their clean, rounded designs that steer clear of sharp, harsh lines. These features align with principles that improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Readability Across Digital and Print Formats

Century Gothic is widely available by default, making it a reliable choice for both digital and print materials. Its geometric structure holds up well on screens and printed pages alike. For optimal readability, use dark text on cream or pastel backgrounds to minimize glare. Avoid italics, and ensure headers are 20%–30% larger than body text. Body text is best at 12–14 points, with bold headers helping to establish a clear visual hierarchy.

6. Tahoma

Tahoma provides a clean, easy-to-read style that works well for individuals with dyslexia. Its design emphasizes clarity and spacing, helping letters stand out individually and reducing visual clutter.

Sans-Serif Design

Tahoma’s sans-serif structure eliminates decorative strokes, which can make text harder to read. Casandra Visser, a Digital Strategist at AccessibilityChecker.org, highlights this advantage:

Fonts that don’t have these projections [serifs] are more spaced out, making them easier to read and dyslexia-friendly.

Open Letterforms for Better Clarity

Tahoma features wide apertures – openings in letters like c, e, a, and s – that keep characters distinct and easy to differentiate. This design minimizes the crowding effect that can occur with tightly spaced fonts. The British Dyslexia Association even recommends Tahoma as a good choice for dyslexia-friendly text.

Balanced and Consistent Spacing

Tahoma’s uniform stroke widths create a smooth reading experience, avoiding uneven transitions that might distract readers. For optimal readability, use these spacing settings:

• Line height: 1.5×
• Letter spacing: 0.12em
• Word spacing: 0.16em

These adjustments enhance Tahoma’s natural clarity, making it ideal for both screens and printed materials.

Versatile Across Formats

Tahoma’s straightforward design ensures it works well in digital and print contexts. For online content, use a minimum font size of 16px for body text. In print, aim for 12–15 points for body copy and make headers at least 20% larger, using bold for emphasis. Avoid all-caps and heavy italics, as these can distort the font’s clean shapes. Left-align text instead of justifying it to preserve consistent spacing and make lines easier to follow.

7. Calibri

Calibri is known for its clean and modern design, making it a strong option for dyslexia-friendly typography. As the default font for Microsoft Office since 2007, it was created to ensure clarity on both screens and printed materials.

Sans-Serif Design

Calibri’s sans-serif structure removes decorative strokes, making each letter clear and easy to distinguish. This is especially helpful for readers with dyslexia. Part of Microsoft’s ClearType collection, Calibri was tailored for digital readability while maintaining sharpness in print. Casandra Visser from AccessibilityChecker.org highlights that Calibri "is a top choice among all users, including those with dyslexia symptoms". Its simple design and uniform stroke widths reduce the effort required to read.

Open and Clear Letterforms

The font is designed with wide apertures – openings in letters like c, e, a, and s – to prevent characters from blending together. Rounded strokes and smooth curves give it a welcoming look while minimizing visual strain. These features, combined with its thoughtful spacing, make Calibri particularly effective for improving readability.

Balanced Spacing

Calibri’s spacing is carefully measured to reduce the "crowding" effect that can make reading difficult for individuals with dyslexia. For the best results, use a font size of 12–14 points with 1.5× line spacing. Its design ensures consistent spacing, whether used in digital formats or printed text.

Versatility Across Formats

As a widely available font, especially in Microsoft Office, Calibri performs reliably across devices, software, and print. Its universal compatibility ensures consistent rendering in various formats. To preserve its readability, avoid using italics or all-caps, as these can distort letter shapes and increase the difficulty of reading. With its modernized traditional letterforms – featuring rounded corners and no serifs – Calibri offers a blend of familiarity and clarity, making it suitable for both screen and paper.

8. Open Sans

Open Sans stands out as a font that balances simplicity and clarity, making it a strong choice for dyslexia-friendly design. Designed by Steve Matteson, this humanist sans-serif typeface is widely recognized for its clean and neutral appearance. Its design focuses on readability and accessibility, which is why it’s commonly used in digital interfaces aimed at inclusivity.

Sans-Serif Structure

The sans-serif nature of Open Sans eliminates unnecessary decorative strokes, focusing instead on clean, varied character widths. This approach enhances letter differentiation. As type designer Bruno Maag explains:

Open-letter shapes have less ambiguity amongst one another, and ambiguity is the enemy of decision-making.

Open and Distinct Letterforms

The font’s generous x-height and simplified open apertures reduce confusion between similar-looking letters, improving legibility. Accessibility expert Gareth Ford Williams highlights:

varied character widths aid character recognition for people with all types of eye condition or learning disabilities.

Consistent Spacing

To maximize readability, adjust letter spacing to approximately 0.12em, use a font size between 12–14 points, and set line height to 1.5–2.0. Left-aligning text helps avoid distracting gaps, maintaining a smooth reading experience.

Versatility Across Formats

Open Sans performs exceptionally well in both digital and print formats. For optimal results, use off-black text (e.g., #1a1a1a) on an off-white or cream background to reduce glare. When emphasizing text, opt for bold rather than italics to maintain clarity and legibility.

9. OpenDyslexic

OpenDyslexic uses a weighted-bottom design to help stabilize each letter, giving them a sense of "gravity." This feature is intended to prevent letters from appearing to rotate or flip on the page. As the font’s designer, Abelardo Gonzalez, explains:

The asymmetric weight prevents the letter from ‘rotating’ in the reader’s perception, which is the pattern some dyslexic readers report when they mix up b/d/p/q or flip whole words.

Sans-Serif Design

The font’s sans-serif structure, combined with its weighted bottoms, helps anchor the letters to the page. Additionally, the unique shapes of individual letters aim to reduce confusion among commonly misread characters like b, d, p, and q.

Open and Clear Letterforms

OpenDyslexic includes longer ascenders and descenders – those vertical strokes that extend above or below the main body of letters. These features make it easier to recognize words and follow lines of text. The font also incorporates wider spacing between letters, which helps reduce the crowded appearance that can be challenging for dyslexic readers.

Versatility in Digital and Print

The font’s distinct design works well across both digital and print formats. A 2017 study by Wery and Diliberto found no major difference in reading speed between OpenDyslexic and standard fonts like Arial or Times New Roman. However, many users report that OpenDyslexic feels more comfortable to read and helps lessen cognitive strain.

OpenDyslexic is free to use under the SIL Open Font License and comes in Regular, Bold, Italic, and Bold-Italic styles. For optimal readability, use a font size of 12–14 points, 1.5× line spacing, and left-aligned text. If you’re implementing OpenDyslexic on a website, consider offering it as an optional setting rather than the default, as font preferences can differ widely. Its thoughtful design and practical usability make OpenDyslexic a strong choice for improving text accessibility.

10. Lexend

Lexend is a typeface designed with a research-driven approach. It was developed by educational therapist Dr. Bonnie Shaver-Troup, who based its design on studies suggesting that many reading difficulties are tied to visual processing issues rather than cognitive challenges. As Dr. Shaver-Troup explains:

The majority of the reading problems, including dyslexia, are not cognitive or phonological. They are visual or perceptual. Our testing exposes design limitations. We use fonts to deliver text for reading that are too tight for efficient or successful visual processing.

In one study involving third-grade students, Lexend demonstrated an average improvement of 19.8% in Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) compared to traditional fonts, with a statistically significant p-value of 0.014. These results highlight the font’s potential to improve reading efficiency. Let’s explore what makes Lexend stand out.

Sans-Serif Design

Like other fonts designed to aid dyslexic readers, Lexend features a clean sans-serif structure. By removing decorative details commonly found in serif fonts, it minimizes "cognitive noise", allowing readers to focus on recognizing characters without unnecessary distractions.

Distinct and Open Letterforms

Lexend incorporates purposeful design features to reduce letter confusion. For instance:

• The lowercase "l" is thicker than the "i" stem.
• The "j" includes a defined hook on its descender.
• The dots on "i" and "j" are oval-shaped instead of round.

These thoughtful details help readers distinguish similar-looking letters. Additionally, Lexend prioritizes spacing as a key factor in readability.

Adjustable Spacing System

One of Lexend’s standout features is its "hyper-expansion" spacing system, which reduces the crowding and merging of letters. The font is available as a variable font with seven width levels – ranging from Deca to Zetta – giving users the ability to adjust spacing based on their needs. Dr. Shaver-Troup compares this customization to a prescription for eyeglasses:

Lexend is not just the font, it’s also a tool like a pair of glasses that can be specifically measured to create the optimum outcome.

For readers requiring more spacing, wider variants like Peta, Tera, or Zetta are ideal, while narrower options such as Deca, Exa, or Giga suit those with less severe visual strain. To maximize readability, pair Lexend with a font size of at least 16px and a 1.5× line height.

Versatility for Digital and Print Use

Lexend works seamlessly across both digital and print formats. It’s free to use, open-source under the SIL Open Font License, and easily accessible through platforms like Google Fonts, Google Docs, and Google Workspace. Its variable font technology is particularly valuable for web design, enabling tailored spacing to meet individual visual needs. This combination of flexibility and research-backed design makes Lexend a practical option for creating accessible content across various platforms.

Conclusion

Reviewing 10 dyslexia-friendly fonts highlights how typography choices can significantly impact readability. Selecting the right font isn’t just about style – it’s about ensuring accessibility for everyone. Dyslexia affects millions, and accessible typography can make a huge difference in how these individuals interact with your content. Plus, the benefits aren’t limited to dyslexic readers. Features like tall x-heights, open counters, and distinct character shapes also help older adults, people with low vision, and anyone reading in less-than-ideal conditions.

As graphic designer Laura Keung explains:

Part of our job should also be creating accessible content to engage a wider and more inclusive audience.

Improving letter differentiation reduces cognitive strain, making reading smoother for everyone. As LexiFont emphasizes, "Reading comfort affects how much you read, and how much you read compounds". When content is easy to read, people are more likely to stick around and come back for more.

The 10 fonts discussed – ranging from universally available options to more specialized ones – prove that thoughtful typography can enhance readability. To make your content more accessible, consider using a sans-serif font sized between 12–15 points, set line spacing to 1.5×, and align text to the left. These small adjustments can go a long way in making your content easier to read for everyone.

Accessible design isn’t about creating separate experiences; it’s about crafting one experience that works for all. Prioritizing readability leads to content that’s not only clearer but also faster to process and more inclusive.

If you’re ready to take the next step in making your content more accessible, consider reaching out to Robust Branding for expert guidance on integrating dyslexia-friendly design into your digital strategy.

FAQs

What font size and line spacing work best for dyslexic readers?

For readers with dyslexia, it’s helpful to use line spacing that’s at least 1.5 times the font size. Additionally, increasing both letter and word spacing by 30–35% of the font size can make text easier to read. These small adjustments go a long way in improving accessibility and comfort for those with dyslexia.

Should I use a dyslexia-specific font or a common font like Arial?

Dyslexia-specific fonts, like OpenDyslexic or Lexend, are designed to make reading easier for people with dyslexia. These fonts tackle common challenges, such as confusing similar-looking letters, by including features like heavier bottoms and wider letter spacing.

On the other hand, widely used fonts like Arial may feel familiar, but they don’t offer these tailored design elements. This makes dyslexia-friendly fonts a better option for improving readability and creating a smoother reading experience.

How can I let users choose a dyslexia-friendly font on my website?

To make your website more accessible, consider adding an option for users to select a dyslexia-friendly font. You can achieve this by incorporating a toggle or a dropdown menu into your site’s interface.

Here’s how it works: Use JavaScript to dynamically update the font-family property in your CSS. This allows users to switch to fonts like Arial, Verdana, Lexend, or Open Dyslexic – all of which are designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Make sure to:

• Load the Font Files: Ensure the fonts are properly hosted or linked, so they’re available when users select them.
• Test the Feature: Verify that the font-switching functionality works seamlessly and genuinely improves the reading experience.

By implementing this, you can significantly enhance accessibility for all users, especially those with dyslexia.

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