Do you sometimes have difficulty reading on screen? Are menus and displays distracting you while reading?

Because screen reading is not for everyone, the immersive reader simplifies the layout and offers learning tools.

Microsoft‘s Immersive Reader is a powerful tool designed to improve the readability of texts, make it easier to understand, and make reading more accessible to everyone. Available on several Microsoft apps, it offers a personalized and soothing experience.

Learn about Immersive Reader, how to enable it, and how to use it on Microsoft Edge, Word, Outlook, and OneNote:

What is Immersive Reader?

In order to make it easier to read a text, the immersive reader makes it possible to simplify and customize the layout of a document (web page on Edge, Word, Outlook and OneNote).

The different tools make it possible to support the learning of reading or a language, but also to focus on the text by hiding distractions: menus, colors, fonts that are difficult to read, etc.

With the Immersive Reader

Original display

Microsoft Immersive Reader features for easy reading

Read aloud

The Voice options menu allows you to:

  • Adjust the playback speed.
  • Choose a voice (male/female; English/other language).

Text preferences

You can change:

  • The Text size
  • Text spacing (between lines)
  • The font (3 simple fonts are offered)
  • Text column style: the width of the text column
  • The Page theme: the background color and the font.

Grammar tools

The grammar tools menu offers learning tools:

  • Syllables: each syllable is highlighted
  • Parts of Speech: Highlights a type of phrasegroup (available only on OneNote)

Syllabes Function

Parts of Speech with labels shown

Reading preferences

Le menu Préférences de lecture propose :

  • Concentration de ligne (focus sur les lignes) : isoler 1 à 5 lignes
  • Dictionnaire d’images : lorsqu’un mot est reconnu, une image est affichée pour l’expliquer. (disponible uniquement sur Edge et OneNote)
  • Traduire : traduit le texte dans une autre langue. (disponible uniquement sur Edge et OneNote)

The Reading Preferences menu offers:

  • Line Focus: Isolate 1 to 5 Lines
  • Picture Dictionary: When a word is recognized, an image is displayed to explain it. (available only on OneNote)
  • Translate: Translates the text into another language. (available only on Edge and OneNote)
  • Reading pratice: To practice reading out loud (available only on OneNote)

Line Focus

Picture Dictionary

Translate

How to enable Immersive Reader

Microsoft Edge

To the far right of the address bar, click the Immersive Reader icon or tap the F9 key.

If you don‘t see the icon, you can add read:// in front of the site address.

Otherwise you can select a text and right–click. Then choose Open Selection in Immersive Player.

Warning: Pages with a somewhat complex layout or containing too many images are not well recognized. This tool is mainly used for pages of text.

Word

Go to the View menu. Click Immersive Reader. The menu will open. You will be able to choose the different features.

Outlook

Open your message. Then on the Message menu, click Immersive Reader. The menu will open. You will be able to choose the different features.

OneNote

On the View menu, click Immersive Reader. The presentation of the features differs and is more similar what’s in Edge.

Conclusion

The Immersive Reader is much more than just a reading tool: it is a real assistant to improve your concentration, your comprehension and your visual comfort. Whether you‘re a student, a professional, or just curious, try it out on your favorite Microsoft apps!

For more information about learning tools: Learning Tools – Microsoft Support

The Aloud Reader feature can be accessed directly in the apps and has its own configuration settings: Office: Real Aloud