A Chrome/Edge-compatible extension that makes any webpage easier to read for people with dyslexia or low literacy by explaining difficult words in-place and allowing users to customize colours and typography.
Built by Sam van Remortel.
🟢 Now available on the Chrome Web Store:
| Category | Features |
|---|---|
| Lexical Help | • Click underlined words to get ≤ 15-word, context-aware definitions. • Powered by OpenAI gpt-4.1-nano.• Uses IndexedDB + in-memory cache to avoid duplicate API calls per word × sentence. • |
| AI Page Tools | • Ask questions about the page using local embeddings. • Summarize the page. • Force pre-embedding for faster future queries. • |
| Visual Comfort | • Pastel overlay palette to reduce screen glare. • Tint intensity slider to adjust overlay strength. • Font options: Default, OpenDyslexic, Lexend Deca. • Sliders for letter spacing, word spacing, and line height. |
| Bionic Reading | • Option to bold the first part of each word for improved readability. |
Absolutely. Here's a cleaner and more structured version of the installation section, with a dedicated subsection for API key setup to avoid redundancy and improve clarity:
Install directly from the Chrome Web Store.
- Clone or download this repository.
- Go to
chrome://extensions(oredge://extensions). - Enable Developer Mode in the top right.
- Click “Load unpacked” and select the project folder.
Here’s a clearer and more explicit version of that section, including the steps to create an API key, the requirement to add credit, and the $5 minimum deposit:
To use AI-powered features like word explanations, page questions, and summaries, you need your own OpenAI API key.
- Go to https://platform.openai.com/signup and create an OpenAI account (if you don’t have one).
- After logging in, visit your API keys page and click “Create new secret key”.
- Copy the key that starts with
sk-....
🧾 IMPORTANT: OpenAI requires you to add at least $5 USD in credit before you can use the API. You can add credit here: https://platform.openai.com/account/billing/overview
- Click the extension icon in your browser toolbar to open the popup.
- Click the ⚙️ gear icon to open settings.
- Paste your OpenAI API key into the input field and save.
⚠️ The extension usesgpt-4.1-nano, which is very cost-efficient. Still, usage does cost money. Set a spending limit in your billing settings to stay in control.
This layout:
- Makes it clear that API key setup is required no matter how it's installed.
- Keeps repeated instructions DRY.
- Adds helpful callouts and links.
-
Navigate to any webpage.
-
Underlined words suggest potential comprehension challenges.
-
Click a word to view a short AI-generated explanation.
-
Use the popup to:
- Toggle the helper on/off
- Choose a background overlay tint and intensity
- Switch fonts or adjust spacing
- Enable bionic reading
- Access AI tools (if API key is set)
-
All settings are saved automatically.
- Your OpenAI API key is stored securely using
chrome.storage.sync. - No tracking, analytics, or remote storage is used.
- View all privacy details in the Security & Privacy section.
-
Uses Manifest V3 with a background-less design (no service worker needed).
-
Fonts (
OpenDyslexic,Lexend Deca) are embedded and loaded locally. -
Caching layers for AI definitions:
- In-memory
Map(per session) - Persistent
IndexedDB(per word × sentence) - OpenAI API (fallback only)
- In-memory
-
Logic is cleanly split across
content/,popup/, andoptions.js.
| Feature | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| Word Explainer |  |
| Ask AI |  |
| AI Tools Panel |  |
| Bionic Reading |  |
| Lexend Font |  |
| OpenDyslexic Font |  |
| Tint Overlay Settings |  |
| Typography Settings |  |
Images are stored in
/docs/.
- Think about a better name for the extension.
- Color picker for Tint Overlay.
- Per-page custom preferences.
- Word Guesser: Type a word as you think it’s spelled and the AI suggests the correct one.
- One-click rewrite: Fix grammar and spelling without changing the intended meaning.
- Fix: Emojis are no longer bolded in Bionic Reading mode.
- Fix: Bionic Reading now correctly applies to all words.
- Feature: Added validation check for the OpenAI API key on entry.
- Fix: Resolved interaction issues between Bionic Reading and Word Explainer.
Crafted with ✨hyperfocus and procrastination✨ by Sam van Remortel
- Typeface: OpenDyslexic, Lexend
- API: OpenAI