Best Fonts for Dyslexia: 10 Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts for Digital Content

For roughly one in five people — the estimated 20% of the population living with dyslexia(opens in a new tab) — font choice isn’t a matter of aesthetics. It determines whether letters stay still on the page or blur, reverse, and cluster in ways that make reading difficult.

The good news is that small design decisions can make a significant difference. Choosing a dyslexia-friendly font is one of the most straightforward ways to make your digital content more accessible. And the research backing these choices is clearer than you might expect.

Below, we’ll review 10 dyslexia-friendly fonts and how to implement them across your digital content.

Four stacked cards that illustrate different font characterists: serif, san-serif, less spacing, and more spacing

What Makes a Font Dyslexia-Friendly?

Research on typography accessibility, including eye-tracking studies from the University of Michigan(opens in a new tab) and font guidelines from the British Dyslexia Association(opens in a new tab) (BDA), identifies five typeface characteristics that define a dyslexia-friendly font.

Sans-Serif Structure

Serif fonts add small decorative strokes to the ends of each letter. Those strokes create visual noise, making letter-to-letter distinction harder. Sans-serif fonts remove those strokes. For dyslexic readers, the cleaner silhouette of a sans-serif letter reduces the chance of misidentifying similar characters. 

Open Counters

The enclosed or partially enclosed spaces within letters like a, e, c, and g are called counters. Fonts with larger, more open counters make these letters easier to distinguish at a glance. This is why fonts like Arial and Open Sans outperform tightly constructed typefaces for dyslexic readers.

Consistent Letter Height

When letters share a consistent cap height and baseline, it’s easier for the eyes to time track. Typefaces with erratic vertical sizing make it harder for dyslexic readers to orient themselves within a word.

Generous Letter Spacing

Letter spacing, sometimes called tracking, has a measurable effect on readability for dyslexic readers. The BDA recommends generous spacing to prevent letters from visually crowding one another, and the research backs this up: wider spacing between characters helps dyslexic readers distinguish individual letters more easily. For web type, a common starting point is approximately 0.35em of additional spacing applied via CSS, which aligns directly with the BDA’s own guidelines.

Heavier Stroke Weight

Lighter, thinner fonts require more effort to resolve at smaller sizes. Fonts with a medium to bold stroke weight are more distinctive and easier to read, particularly for users who experience visual stress. 

These five characteristics help you align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(opens in a new tab) (WCAG), specifically success criterion 1.4.8 (Visual Presentation), which addresses text formatting for readability. While 1.4.8 is a Level AAA criterion — meaning it goes beyond what most organizations are legally required to meet — its guidance on spacing and line height sets the standard for best practice.

The 10 Best Fonts for Dyslexia

The fonts below are selected based on their sans-serif structure, spacing, and readability for dyslexic readers or users with cognitive disabilities. Each is commonly recommended as a “dyslexia-friendly font” or “dyslexia font” in accessibility guidelines, typography research, and by dyslexic readers themselves. 

Keep in mind that no single font works for everyone. Dyslexia affects people differently, and individual preference plays a real role. The fonts below represent the strongest starting points based on available evidence.

1. Arial

Arial is one of the most widely used fonts on the internet. It is available on almost every operating system and application, requires no license, and is clear and easy to read. Its rounded, open letterforms and consistent spacing make it one of the most accessible default options for dyslexic readers.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of Arial font."

2. Helvetica

Helvetica has been the most widely used typeface since the 1960s and remains a standard in brand design and public signage. It is less rounded than Arial, but its clean sans-serif structure and even letter spacing make it a reliable, accessible choice.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of Helvetica font."

3. Comic Sans

Designers frequently dismiss Comic Sans, but it remains one of the most legible fonts for dyslexic readers. Its playful, handwriting-inspired design gives each letter a distinct shape, which is exactly what dyslexic readers benefit from. The irregular letterforms prevent the mirror-image confusion that more geometrically uniform typefaces can trigger.

Line of text that reads: This is an example of Comic Sans font."

4. Verdana

Verdana was designed specifically for on-screen reading. Its wide letter spacing, large x-weight, and generous counters make it exceptionally readable at small sizes. Its sans-serif structure supports dyslexic readers across a range of screen sizes and resolutions.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of Verdana font."

5. Century Gothic

Century Gothic has rounded letter shapes with well-defined tops and bottoms, making them easy to distinguish. Some characters lean toward the thin size, which can reduce legibility at very small sizes, but at standard body text sizes, it is a solid, accessible option.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of Century Gothic font."

6. Tahoma

Tahoma is straightforward and unadorned, with bold lines and clear character spacing. Each letter occupies its own visual space, which reduces the crowding effect many dyslexic readers experience with more tightly tracked typefaces.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of Tahoma font."

7. Calibri

Calibri has been the default font in Microsoft Office since 2007. It was designed for on-screen reading, with wide letter spacing that makes it easy to read at both large and small sizes. Its soft curves and open counters make it a comfortable default for document accessibility.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of Calibri font."

8. Open Sans

Open Sans was created for Google and is free to use under an open-source license. Its clear spacing, tall letter sizes, and rounded shapes make it one of the most accessible choices for web body text. It is available natively in Google Docs and can be loaded via Google Fonts on any website at no cost.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of Open Sans font."

9. Dyslexie

Dyslexie was designed by Christian Boer, a Dutch graphic designer who has dyslexia. Each letterform has elongated stems, unique shapes, and heavier-weighted bottoms intended to give each character a distinct visual identity and prevent reversal errors. Dyslexie is available from dyslexiefont.com(opens in a new tab), with free options for personal and educational use and a paid license for commercial use.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of Dyslexie font."

10. OpenDyslexic

OpenDyslexic is a free, open-source font designed by Abelardo Gonzalez. Like Dyslexie, it uses weighted, heavy bottoms on each letter to prevent flipping and rotation errors. Letters are well-spaced, each has a unique visual style, and the typeface is available for free download at opendyslexic.org.

Bonus Font: Lexend

Lexend is a Google Fonts collection designed specifically for reading proficiency, with variable letter spacing calibrated to reduce visual stress. It is free and available directly in Google Fonts.

Line of text that reads: "This is an example of OpenDyslexic font."

How to Use Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts on Your Website

Choosing the right dyslexia-friendly font is only half the equation. How you implement it matters just as much. Here are a few practical tips for getting it right on your website:

• Loading fonts: Arial, Verdana, and Tahoma are system fonts available on virtually every device, so they don't require additional files. Open Sans and Lexend are available for free through Google Fonts and can be added to any site with a single link tag in the document head.

• CSS implementation: Set a font-family stack so the browser falls back to a safe option if the preferred font fails to load. For example: font-family: 'Lexend', 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif.

• Font size: For body text on websites, 16px is the standard accessible starting point. Smaller sizes work for captions and supplementary text, but body copy below 16px creates unnecessary reading friction for all users, not just dyslexic readers.

• Line height: Set line height to at least 1.5 times your font size. For a 16px font, that means a line height of 24px.

• Line length: Aim for 60 to 80 characters per line. Lines that run too long make it harder for readers to track from the end of one line to the start of the next, which is a particular challenge for dyslexic readers. 

For a full check of whether your site’s typography and other elements meet accessibility standards, use AudioEye’s free Website Accessibility Checker.

Platform-Specific Font Guidance

While using a dyslexia font can improve readability, knowing how to use it across various platforms is also critical. We’ll cover commonly available accessibility-friendly fonts and simple ways to enable or install them across popular tools and devices below.

Google Docs

Several accessible fonts are available natively in Google Docs, including Arial and Open Sans. Lexend is also available, but must be added manually. To do so, follow these steps:

• Click the font dropdown

• Select “More Fonts”

• Search for Lexend

• Add to your list

To set a default font for all new documents: select your preferred font, adjust the size and style, then go to Format > Paragraph Styles > Normal Text > Update “Normal Text” to Match.

Microsoft Word

Calibri is the default Word font and is a solid, accessible choice. To use OpenDyslexic in Word, download the font file from opendyslexic.org(opens in a new tab) and install it by right-clicking the downloaded .otf file and selecting Install. The font will then appear in Word’s font menu.

iPhone

iOS doesn’t include a built-in dyslexic font option, but there are a few ways to improve readability for dyslexic users. Under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size, you can enable Bold Text and increase font size using the Larger Text slider. For a dedicated dyslexic font, the OpenDyslexic app is available on the App Store. It works across select apps that support custom-installed fonts — though it won’t change how fonts appear on websites or in apps that use their own typography.

More Ways to Make Your Digital Content Accessible 

Typography is a strong foundation, but readability doesn’t stop at font choice. For dyslexic readers, the whole page is the experience. And small decisions about contrast, spacing, and structure can determine whether your digital content is usable or not. For example:

• Use a minimum font size of 16px for body text on websites.

• Align text left. Fully justified text creates uneven word spacing, which can disrupt reading flow.

• Use simple, plain language. Avoid jargon and keep sentence structure direct.

• Aim for 60 to 80 characters per line to reduce line-tracking difficulty.

• Ensure sufficient color contrast. WCAG requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal-sized text.

• Optimize for assistive technologies, including screen readers. Font choice affects sighted readers; screen reader compatibility supports a separate and overlapping group of users.

These practices, combined with an accessible font, help you create digital content that works for all users. It also helps you stay compliant with accessibility laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act(opens in a new tab) (ADA). Font choice alone doesn’t constitute ADA compliance, but it is a meaningful step toward a more accessible, compliant site. 

The full accessibility picture is bigger than any checklist. Structural issues, contrast failures, navigation barriers, assistive technology incompatibility — each of these can prevent people from using your site effectively. And they’re usually invisible until you look for them. 

With AudioEye’s powerful combination of automation and expert human testing, you can find and fix accessibility issues that affect your users and your compliance standing. See where your site stands with a free accessibility scan.