![speed reader x speed reading made easy speed reader x speed reading made easy](https://image.dhgate.com/0x0/f2/albu/g5/M00/58/08/rBVaJFmJKdmAZG5yAAEZuvRaTNs633.jpg)
Our font normalization process uses Times at 16px as the reference font. This new result shows a need to control for and normalize font size to better understand individual preferences and effectiveness. In this article, we re-analyze the results from our prior work to show that the size of a font (measured as x-height, average character height, or width) affects preference. Our first study “Accelerating Adult Readers with Typeface: A Study of Individual Preferences and Effectiveness”, shows initial evidence that font preference does not predict effectiveness. This design is supported by results from our two preliminary studies. To systematically compare 16 common fonts, we designed a study to evaluate participants’ preference for fonts and measure reading speed and comprehension. Interlude Reading is a reading context that falls between Glanceable and Long-Form Reading. In Interlude Reading, short passages, or subsections of a longer document, are read interleaved with other tasks. We focus our attention upon Interlude Reading, which we define as an everyday reading context on digital devices where people read a few paragraphs worth of content. To answer this question, we conduct remote readability studies, by recruiting and studying hundreds of paid crowd-workers aged 18–71, reading in their everyday reading environments.
![speed reader x speed reading made easy speed reader x speed reading made easy](https://image.dhgate.com/0x0/f2/albu/g5/M01/70/50/rBVaI1mJKd6AIqdkAAEKDbT69lM779.jpg)
![speed reader x speed reading made easy speed reader x speed reading made easy](https://images.nsioutlet.com/product/nt_020203-00030_c1b.jpg)
What gains in reading speed and comprehension are possible by manipulating font choice alone? Motivated by these early but promising results, in this work we ask: Notably, current settings in e-readers provide options for readers to adjust the font family and size of the text. Early results from the same non-profit organization, Readability Matters, show that manipulating these text formats can increase accurate reading speed among adult readers by 20% or more. Prior research has shown that tuning the font family, character spacing, and line spacing of text can significantly improve the reading performance of school children. We posit that customizing reading experiences with font choice can lead to significant real-world improvements in digital tools and applications (e.g., e-readers, web-browsers, and reading applications on phones). Several studies spanning 10 years show adult readers across the United States and Europe continue to struggle with reading speed and comprehension. The ability to “keep up” with the proliferation of personal information streams, such as social media, and workplace information streams, such as e-mail, is vital. The difficulty of coping with this information overload is well documented. Reading quickly and comprehending this ever-growing body of information is integral to work, leisure, social interaction, and personal advancement. We spend more time on our screens now than ever before, trying to consume a rapidly growing amount of information through digital devices. To complement this, we release our materials and tools with this article. We provide recommendations from one of the most significant online reading efforts to date. We provide font recommendations related to higher reading speed and discuss the need for individuation, allowing digital devices to match their readers’ needs in the moment. High WPM variability across fonts suggests that one font does not fit all.
![speed reader x speed reading made easy speed reader x speed reading made easy](http://www.speedreaderx.com/images/banner-sub2.jpg)
Participants’ reading speeds (measured in words-per-minute (WPM)) increased by 35% when comparing fastest and slowest fonts without affecting reading comprehension. Our studies normalize font size by human perception and use hundreds of crowdsourced participants to provide a foundation for understanding, which fonts people prefer and which fonts make them more effective readers. In this context of Interlude Reading, we consider if manipulating font choice can improve adult readers’ reading outcomes. In our age of ubiquitous digital displays, adults often read in short, opportunistic interludes.