Sale: Get Helperbird Pro for $15
Helperbird Helperbird logo: Stylized owl with large yellow eyes and a beige face, against a green background.

How to Use Immersive Reader on Any Website

Learn how to use immersive reader on any website. Text-to-speech and reading tools for accessibility Support accessibility for everyone.

·

What is Immersive Reader?

Immersive Reader is a reading tool made by Microsoft. It takes the text from a webpage and shows it in a clean, simple view without any distractions like ads, menus, or sidebars.

Immersive Reader also includes helpful features like text-to-speech, syllable breaking, parts of speech highlighting, and adjustable text size and spacing.

Who is This For?

This feature is helpful for:

  • People with dyslexia who benefit from a simplified reading view
  • Anyone who is distracted by busy webpage layouts
  • Students who want to focus on the content they are reading
  • People learning to read or learning a new language
  • Anyone who wants text-to-speech with word highlighting

Step 1: Open Helperbird

Click the Helperbird icon in your browser toolbar. It looks like a small owl and is usually in the top-right corner of your browser.

This will open the Helperbird menu.

Step 2: Go to the All Features Section

Scroll down to the bottom of the Helperbird menu. You will see a section called All Features.

Click the arrow next to All Features to expand it and show all available features.

Step 3: Find Immersive Reader

Look through the list of features until you see Immersive Reader.

It has a book icon next to it.

Step 4: Click Immersive Reader

Click on Immersive Reader.

The webpage will transform into a clean reading view. You will see just the text and images from the page, without any of the extra elements like navigation menus, ads, or sidebars.

Step 5: Use Immersive Reader Features

Once in Immersive Reader, you will see a toolbar at the top. Here are some features you can use:

  • Text Preferences – Change the text size, font, and spacing. You can also change the background color to reduce eye strain.

  • Grammar Options – Turn on syllable breaking to see words split into syllables. You can also highlight different parts of speech like nouns, verbs, and adjectives in different colors.

  • Reading Preferences – Enable line focus to highlight one line at a time. Turn on picture dictionary to see images for some words.

  • Read Aloud – Click the play button to have the text read to you. Words are highlighted as they are spoken so you can follow along.

Reading Selected Text

If you only want to read part of a webpage:

  1. First, highlight the text you want to read by clicking and dragging your mouse over it
  2. Then open Helperbird and click the Immersive Reader button
  3. Immersive Reader will open with only your selected text

This is useful when you want to focus on a specific section of a long article.

Tip: Immersive Reader is especially helpful for long articles or academic content. The clean view removes distractions and the read aloud feature lets you listen while following along.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Immersive Reader free? Yes! Immersive Reader is included in Helperbird Free. No Pro subscription required.

Does Immersive Reader work on all websites? It works on most websites with readable text content. Some complex web apps or sites with unusual layouts may not work perfectly.

Can I use Immersive Reader on PDFs? Yes! Open the PDF in Helperbird's PDF reader and use Immersive Reader from there.

What languages does Immersive Reader support? Immersive Reader supports over 60 languages for text-to-speech and translation features.

Can I save my Immersive Reader settings? Yes, your preferences (text size, colors, etc.) are saved automatically and will apply the next time you use Immersive Reader.

Related Guides

Video Tutorial

Need Additional Help?

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please contact the Helperbird support team. You can reach us at Helperbird support. We are happy to help you get the most out of Helperbird.

More help articles

What People Are Saying

Join over 1,000,000 people who use Helperbird every day.

Read All Reviews

I purchased this for my daughter who has been having a lot of difficulty accessing the online work set remotely by her teachers during our National Lockdown because of Covid-19. Her dyslexia was really hindering her ability to complete tasks and keep up which in turn led to increased anxiety levels...a really horrid place to be in during a global pandemic! Helper bird has been a vast help and I fully recommend it and wish more schools knew about it. Thank You Helper Bird.

Michelle Howard-Price

Michelle Howard-Price

Assistive technology specialist

Just added it and it feels like my eyes are flowing through text!

bondziotek

bondziotek

Helperbird user

Helperbird is one of the most helpful tools I've ever used. It has so many great features that not many other apps or software have. The free version can be installed and stay forever on your browser. Other companies don't always give you access for free or give access for free forever. When you do get access to the Pro version or other paid plans, you expand your opportunity to read and stay focused better. One of the other great things about Helperbird is their support service. They have a video for every single feature that you can use. They are simple and helpful videos that make the learning process a lot easier. In addition, they have great live chat support. They are super nice and helpful. They always encourage people to give suggestions on how to improve Helperbird. Why is this important? It shows they really care about people with disabilities or people in general.

Alex R

Alex R

Helperbird user

So many useful features! This app is as helpful as it's name.

Courtney Hood

Courtney Hood

Helperbird user

this extension seems amazing so if that doesn't bother you, I say go ahead and get it!

Ana Robledo

Ana Robledo

Helperbird user

This extension has been an absolute lifesaver. I have that fantastic combo of ADHD and Dyslexia while trying to go through college. I have difficulty keeping letters in order, seeing the gaps between words, and with ADHD on top, I lose focus A LOT. The immersive reader has been my new best friend. It drowns out the rest of the content on the page, changes the font to something I can read, and highlights the word as it reads to me. My eyes are forced to keep going in the right direction. I can slow down and pay attention to what I'm reading. I don't even have to go back and read the same paragraph 5 times to understand it! The screen overlay has been outstanding for eye strain and being able to distinguish between words and spaces. The custom font and spacing for research articles have been an enormous advantage! I can actually read the research papers now and not have this daunting 2 column fine print page to squint over.All around, this has been the best purchase I've ever had. I use this every day, with every assignment. I don't even struggle with story-based questions anymore. The immersive reader helps me read, listen, and understand the question all at once. I am still exploring what I can use this with and how it can make my academic career, and I keep getting impressed with every new way I find to use it. Seriously, try it out. You won't regret it at all. Even if you don't have dyslexia or ADHD, just try it out. You might find that it helps you understand the content you're trying to learn even better!

Mason Hunter

Mason Hunter

Helperbird user

Helperbird logo: Stylized owl with large yellow eyes and a beige face, against a green background.

Download Helperbird

Make browsing easier and more accessible with tools like Text to Speech, Immersive Reader, and more.

Get Helperbird

Available on all your favorite browsers and platforms

Browsers

Chrome Edge Firefox Safari

Apps & Add-ons

Google Docs Google Slides iPad iPhone

Browse Helperbird