Speed reading is a cool way to read and learn more by reading two or even three times as fast as the average person. That being said, it's not an easy skill to learn, and you'll need several hours of training in order to get better at it.
Fortunately, we have technology on our side. Many different apps can help you improve your reading time right on your iPhone or Android smartphone. Here are the best apps to speed read on iPhone and Android, from simple games to complicated apps.
Why Do You Need to Speed Read?
Speed reading is a must-have skill in today's day and age, albeit some of us have a hard time practicing it. The more books you read, the more you can learn or study.
On average, a person can read between 200 and 250 words per minute. People who can speed read usually read between 400 and 700 words per minute. By practicing reading faster, you'll reduce the time you spend reading books and papers by half.
If you're studying, or you do a lot of reading for your work, this will make you more productive and give you more time in your day.
1. Outread: A Great Place to Start
If you don't even know where to begin, Outread is a great option for you. Outread is a pretty straightforward app to use, but don't let that fool you. This app has many amazing tools and features that will help you read faster.
What's great about Outread is that it was specially built to help every kind of person, even people with dyslexia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Outread has two different reading modes: you can follow the highlighted words or you can make it so only one word appears at the center of your screen at a time. You can read books from the Outread library, your personal documents, or websites inside the app too.
Download: Outread for iOS (Free, subscription available)
2. Speed Reading: Many Options to Choose From
The Speed Reading app is filled with different modes you can use to read faster without getting bored. This app has courses, training, motivators, and even a book that'll teach you the basics of speed reading. And yes, you can speed read that book too.
If you get easily bored by doing the same tasks over and over again, Speed Reading will be great for you. You can take on a course to improve your peripheral vision or just go straight into reading your favorite books. Or you can try some of the default books the app has.
What's great is that it also offers different reading modes. You can choose the usual reading mode to read as you usually do or go to the speed reading or slighting modes to test your reading skills.
Download: Speed Reading for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
3. Impossible Speed Reading Game: Speed Read While Having Fun
Everything you need to know about this game is already in its name. If you're more of a competitive person, and you want to practice your reading and play at the same time, this is a good option.
Granted, this game isn't that different from other apps on the list, but it's fun to play nonetheless. You speed read some sentences, and then you have to answer what the game asks you. If you don't do it correctly, you'll have to read it again or you can ask for a hint, and the game will help you out.
This speed reading game is pretty simple at its core. The user interface won't be the best you've ever since. But, to be fair, it does get the job done.
There are a ton of levels to play, each with increasing difficulty, and the best part is that you can just unlock them without having to spend a dime, which is rare in apps these days.
Download: Impossible Speed Reading Game for iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)
4. Spreeder: Your Personal Speed Reading Trainer
Spreeder is an app that's been around for quite some time—and for good reason. It's a complete tool to help you learn how to speed read in no time. It'll help you read up to three times faster while removing some bad speed-reading habits we all have.
This app's user interface is a bit dull, but don't let that fool you. The bread and butter of Spreeder are in how well it teaches you how to speed read.
Spreeder offers guided training to improve your reading and you can also see your progress in your iPhone—or other Apple devices thanks to iCloud— and track how much you've improved over time.
Download: Spreeder for iOS (Free, subscription available)
5. ReadMe!: No More Reading Struggles
ReadMe! offers a couple of award-winning technologies to help you read faster and better comprehend anything you read.
The Beeline reader feature helps you improve your reading and focus by adding different color gradients to words. Or you might prefer going for focused reading, which will give you smaller phrases and sentences instead of looking at a giant wall of text.
ReadMe! has what you need to learn how to speed read, whether you struggle with words or you love to read.
Download: ReadMe! for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
It's Not Just About Reading
Although faster reading will give you an edge against most slow readers, you need to remember that it's not just about how much you read, but how much you can learn and remember from everything you read. Albeit, fast reading will help you in your day-to-day life, whether you're studying or you're a professional.
Overall, speed reading is an amazing skill to learn, and a straightforward way to learn faster and become more productive. So now it's up to you! Go out there and read as many books as you can. Of course, you'll probably want to build a reading habit beforehand.