Reading, re‑imagined.
A browser extension that makes every web page easier to read, for people with dyslexia, ADHD and light sensitivity. Try it on the sample text.
Works in Chrome and Edge. Free features are free for good. Nothing you read leaves your computer.
Reading on a screen shouldn’t be hard work. Emboldened gives every word a clear start, so your eyes always know where to land.
Add a little space between letters and lines, a soft tint to take the off, or a ruler that follows your mouse and keeps the rest of the page quiet.
And when you’d rather listen, it reads to you, highlighting each word as it goes.
Dyslexia
Bold word starts, extra letter, word and line spacing, dyslexia-friendly fonts built in, syllable dots, a definition for any word on double-click, and read-aloud with every word highlighted.
ADHD and focus
A reading ruler (row or column) that follows your mouse, calm mode that pauses animations, GIFs and autoplay, a reader view that strips a page to just the article, and read-aloud from any paragraph with an on-page player.
Light sensitivity
A soft colour tint in six shades, cream instead of pure white, a dim control for bright rooms, and a dark mode that analyses each page’s colours and recolours it but leaves pictures alone.
Every tool for reading and writing, on any page.
Flip a switch and the page you’re on changes. Switch it off and it goes back exactly as it was. The free tools stay free; every Pro tool is on for 14 days when you install.
Syllabic emphasis
The first part of each word is darkened, so your eye has an anchor to jump to. Normal or heavy.
Readable fonts
Switch any page to Atkinson Hyperlegible, Lexend or OpenDyslexic. All three are built in.
Colour tints
A soft colour over the page takes the edge off bright white. Six tints to choose from.
Dark mode
Recolours the page for dark reading and leaves photographs and pictures as they were.
Dim screen
A dimmer for bright rooms and late evenings, for when the screen itself is too much.
Reading ruler
A clear band follows your pointer while the rest of the page is shaded. Set its height and shade.
Read aloud
Select text and hear it. Every sentence and word is highlighted as it is spoken.
Highlighter and notes
Highlight in three colours and attach notes on any page. They are there on your next visit.
One calm panel
Every setting in one place, in six groups, with presets for dyslexia, focus and light sensitivity.
Your sites, your rules
Switch Emboldened off for any single website, and use keyboard shortcuts for the tools you use most.
Spacing
Letter, word, line and paragraph spacing on separate sliders, on any page.
Syllable colours
Alternate syllables in two colours, so long words break into parts you can sound out.
Syllable dots and more emphasis
Small marks between syllables, emphasis on a third or half of each word, or a colour-only style.
Line focus
One line stays clear and follows you down the page. A column ruler handles tables and code.
Soft white and calm mode
Cream instead of glaring white. Calm mode pauses animations, GIFs and autoplaying video.
Reader view
Any article as a clean page with no adverts or sidebars, in your own settings.
PDF reader
Open any PDF with every reading tool. Scanned PDFs can have their words recognised.
Google Docs
One click opens a Google Doc in reader view, where everything works. Editing stays in Docs.
Screenshot reader
Drag a box over a picture, diagram or video frame and hear the words inside it.
Read from anywhere
Start from any paragraph with a small player for pause, skip and speed. Or rest your pointer on a sentence to hear it.
Meanings with pictures
Double-click any word for its meaning, offline, with a picture for everyday things.
Notebook
Every highlight, note and saved word in one place, with search and export.
Simplify, summarise, translate
Plainer wording, key points or another language, using the AI built into Chrome on your own computer.
Word prediction
Words are offered as you type. It understands spelling by sound, so “fone” offers “phone”.
Check my writing
A spelling check built for the slips dyslexic writers make, with a listen button on every fix.
Dictation
Speak instead of typing, into any text box. It uses Chrome’s speech service, and tells you so first.
The basics are free. For everyone. For good.
Pro adds the tools for longer, deeper reading. Every Pro feature is on for 14 days when you install, no card needed.
- Syllabic emphasis on any page, normal or heavy
- Tint, three readable fonts, dark mode, dim screen
- Reading ruler with height and shade controls
- Read selected text aloud with word highlighting
- Highlighter and notes on any page
- Presets, per-site switch, keyboard shortcuts
- PDF reader, including scanned PDFs
- Google Docs, opened in reader view
- Reader view: any page as a clean article
- Screenshot reader: hear the words inside pictures
- Word prediction, Check my writing and dictation
- Read from any paragraph, hover to hear, on-page player
- Meanings on double-click, offline, with pictures
- Notebook for highlights, notes and saved words
- Simplify, summarise and translate, on your computer
- Letter, word, line and paragraph spacing
- Line focus, syllable colours and syllable dots
- Soft white, calm mode, column ruler
14-day free trial in the extension · up to 5 devices · cancel any time
What you read is yours.
There is nothing to sign up for and no analytics. The extension doesn't know what you read.
Bolding, spacing, the ruler, dark mode, read-aloud and the dictionary all run on your computer.
Checking a Pro licence key, and fetching a word's pronunciation. That's the full list. Privacy policy.
Questions
Does it work on every website?
Yes — any normal web page, including web apps and pages that load more as you scroll. The one place Chrome doesn't allow extensions is its own settings pages and the Web Store. You can switch Emboldened off for particular sites, such as your email editor, in one tap.
Will it change what I type or copy?
No. Text boxes and editors are left alone, and the bolding is applied in a way that doesn't change the page's text, so copying and pasting gives you the original words. Syllable dots are drawn, not inserted.
Are there keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. Alt+Shift+B toggles bolding, Alt+Shift+R the reading ruler and Alt+Shift+D dark mode. Alt+click a paragraph to read aloud from there (Pro). You can change them at chrome://extensions/shortcuts.
Which browsers?
Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge (Edge installs Chrome extensions). Other Chromium browsers such as Brave generally work too.
What does Pro cost and can I try it first?
£8.29 a month, billed annually at £99.50. Every Pro feature is switched on for 14 days when you install, with no card and no sign-up. If you buy, you get a licence key by email that works on up to five of your devices. Cancel any time; the free features keep working.
Is my reading sent anywhere?
No. The only things that ever leave your computer are a Pro licence key (to check it's valid) and, if you use definitions, the single word you double-clicked, to fetch its pronunciation. Definitions themselves come from a dictionary inside the extension.
I'm a school, university or employer. Can I buy for several people?
Yes. Get in touch at info@emboldened.co.uk for a per-seat licence and an invoice.
Give your eyes somewhere to land.
Free to install. Pro free for 14 days.