Blog · 7 min read · April 17, 2026
OpenDyslexic in Chrome — what it does and how to use it well
OpenDyslexic is the most downloaded dyslexia-friendly font in the world. But using it well takes more than just switching it on — the defaults you pick matter, and the research behind it is more nuanced than the marketing suggests. Here's the honest version, plus the simplest way to use OpenDyslexic on every website in Chrome.
What OpenDyslexic actually does
OpenDyslexic was designed by Abelardo Gonzalez in 2011 as a free, open-source alternative to expensive dyslexia fonts like Dyslexie. It has three distinctive features:
- Weighted bottoms. Every letter is heavier at the baseline, which "anchors" the character and makes rotations (b/d, p/q) harder to accidentally perform in your visual processing.
- Unique letter shapes. Characters that look similar in most fonts (c/e, a/o, I/l) are drawn with exaggerated differences.
- Generous letter spacing. The default tracking is wider than most fonts, giving each character room to be seen.
Does the research support it?
Honestly — it's mixed. Studies on OpenDyslexic specifically have not found a statistically significant reading speed improvement for dyslexic readers compared to common sans-serifs (e.g. Wery & Diliberto, 2017). But reading speed isn't everything: many readers report less fatigue, fewer re-read lines, and more willingness to tackle long articles. That qualitative benefit is real, even if it's hard to measure.
The practical takeaway: try it for a few days. If your reading experience feels calmer, keep it. If it doesn't, switch to Lexend or Atkinson Hyperlegible — LexiFont makes this one click.
The easiest way to use OpenDyslexic on every site
- Install LexiFont from the Chrome Web Store.
- Click the LexiFont icon and select OpenDyslexic.
- Toggle LexiFont on — every website you visit will now render in OpenDyslexic.
OpenDyslexic is bundled inside LexiFont, so it works offline and on sites that block external fonts. No CDN, no tracking.
Settings that make OpenDyslexic work better
OpenDyslexic is a taller font than most web fonts, so you'll want to nudge a few settings:
- Line height: 1.7–1.8 (default 1.6 can feel cramped)
- Font size: leave at 1.0× — OpenDyslexic already has a large x-height
- Letter spacing: 0 (it has generous built-in tracking)
When NOT to use OpenDyslexic
OpenDyslexic will not help on sites that draw text on canvas (Figma, Google Sheets' grid) — CSS cannot reach that text. It can also conflict with icon fonts; LexiFont automatically skips those, but if a site's UI looks broken, disable LexiFont for that site using the per-site toggle.
Free forever
OpenDyslexic is part of LexiFont's free tier. You can use it on every website, forever, without paying anything. It's bundled under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, which means you get the original, unmodified font.