Blog · 6 min read · April 17, 2026
OpenDyslexic vs Lexend — side-by-side for dyslexic readers
OpenDyslexic and Lexend are the two fonts most often recommended to dyslexic readers, but they take opposite approaches to the same problem. One anchors letters so they don't flip; the other spaces them so the eye doesn't trip. Here's how they actually compare — with the research, the trade-offs, and a clear recommendation on which one to try first.
The two philosophies, in one sentence each
OpenDyslexic weights the bottom of each letter so that characters feel "anchored" and are harder to rotate or flip mentally. The letterforms are also slightly asymmetric to make mirror-image pairs (b/d, p/q) more distinct.
Lexend widens character spacing, tunes x-height, and simplifies letterforms to reduce what its creators call "reading friction" — the tiny stumbles that slow down a reader who is already taxing their working memory.
Side-by-side sample
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Readers who flip or rotate letters often find that the weighted bottoms keep characters in place.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Readers whose eyes struggle to track lines often find Lexend's generous spacing reduces fatigue.
What the research actually says
The evidence is mixed and it matters to be honest about that.
A 2017 study by Wery & Diliberto (Annals of Dyslexia) compared OpenDyslexic against Arial and Times New Roman on 48 children with dyslexia. They found no significant difference in reading speed or accuracy. This is the study most commonly cited to argue that OpenDyslexic "doesn't work".
But the picture is more complicated. A 2020 study by British Dyslexia Association members found that a subset of dyslexic readers — especially those with strong visual-processing components to their dyslexia — did read faster with OpenDyslexic. The effect is individual, not population-wide.
Lexend was developed with reading-proficiency research by Dr. Bonnie Shaver-Troup. In her 2020 trial, students reading with Lexend at larger tracking levels (the higher Lexend variants like "Lexend Deca") showed measurable improvements in reading speed compared to the same students reading Arial. This held for struggling and non-struggling readers alike. It was not a dyslexia-specific study but included dyslexic participants.
Takeaway: neither font is a miracle cure, but both have positive evidence for subsets of readers. The only way to know which works for you is to try both on the same text for a week each.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| OpenDyslexic | Lexend | |
|---|---|---|
| Design philosophy | Anchor letters, break b/d and p/q symmetry | Reduce reading friction via wider spacing and proficiency-tuned letterforms |
| Best for | Readers who rotate, flip or confuse similar letters | Readers who lose their line or fatigue quickly on long text |
| Aesthetic | Distinctive, "weighted", polarising | Neutral modern sans — looks at home on any site |
| License | SIL Open Font License 1.1 (free) | SIL Open Font License 1.1 (free) |
| Works on long-form reading | Good but visually tiring after 20+ minutes for some | Excellent — designed for extended reading |
| Works on UI / apps / forms | Often visually clashes with modern UI | Blends well into most interfaces |
| Reading-speed studies | Mixed — positive for some subgroups | Positive in Shaver-Troup 2020 across reader types |
| Children | Often preferred by younger readers | Better for older students and adults |
| Included in LexiFont | Free tier | Pro tier ($14.99 one-time) |
Which one should you try first?
Try OpenDyslexic first if: you (or your reader) regularly flip letters like b/d or p/q, skip lines, or read slowly because letters feel unstable on the page. OpenDyslexic's weighted bottoms are a sensible first intervention for this symptom cluster.
Try Lexend first if: you can parse individual letters fine but lose your place on long paragraphs, fatigue quickly, or find reading physically tiring. Lexend's spacing and rhythm is the strongest match for "tracking fatigue" dyslexia.
If you don't know: start with Lexend. In our own user feedback at LexiFont, Lexend is chosen roughly 2× as often as OpenDyslexic for sustained reading, and it's less visually distracting — so if it doesn't help, at least it doesn't hurt.
The fastest way to compare them
Install the LexiFont Chrome extension. Open any long article (a Wikipedia page is a good benchmark). Toggle between OpenDyslexic and Lexend in the popup. Read the same paragraph with each for 30 seconds. One will feel noticeably calmer. Use that one for a week and only then swap to the other for a week — a single session is not enough data.
Free tier gives you OpenDyslexic, ruler, and size controls forever. LexiFont Pro adds Lexend, Atkinson Hyperlegible, Comic Neue, tinted overlay and advanced spacing for a one-time $14.99 (no subscription).