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Immersive Reader is Microsoft’s reading-support environment. It presents text in a cleaner layout, can read it aloud with highlighting, and offers tools such as line focus, spacing controls, translation, syllables and picture support where the product and language permit. It is usually built into Microsoft products rather than downloaded as a separate consumer app. Microsoft also uses the name Azure AI Immersive Reader for a developer service that embeds a similar experience in websites and apps.
The exact controls depend on the product, platform, account, document type and language. Microsoft’s live language and product matrix is the authority for a specific combination.
What is Immersive Reader?
Immersive Reader is a focused reading and learning interface available in products including Microsoft Edge, Word, OneNote, Outlook, Teams, Microsoft Lens and several education tools. It can remove visual clutter, enlarge or space text, change colors and columns, and speak text while highlighting the current word or passage.
Microsoft describes it as useful for emerging readers, language learners and people with learning differences such as dyslexia or ADHD. That is accessibility guidance, not a medical claim: Immersive Reader does not treat dyslexia or guarantee improved reading. It is also not a universal screen reader like Windows Narrator or VoiceOver. A screen reader navigates operating-system and application semantics; Immersive Reader mainly creates a controlled surface for reading selected content.
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In Microsoft Edge, current documentation increasingly calls the feature Reading mode. The name change does not mean the broader learning-tool features have disappeared.
Microsoft’s accessibility tools overview lists current product availability.
What can Immersive Reader do?
| Feature | What it does | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Read Aloud | Speaks text and commonly highlights words or paragraphs as they are read. | Voices and languages vary by product, platform and installed language support. |
| Text presentation | Adjusts font size, spacing, column width, themes and page color. | Controls are not identical in Word, Edge, OneNote or Teams. |
| Line Focus | Shows one, three or five lines to reduce visual distraction. | Not present in every product or language. |
| Syllables | Displays syllable divisions to support decoding and pronunciation. | Language-dependent. |
| Parts of speech | Labels nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs where supported. | Coverage depends on language and product. |
| Picture Dictionary | Shows a visual aid for selected words. | Limited language and product coverage. |
| Translation | Translates words or passages while reading. | Availability, quality and language coverage differ. |
| Math and equations | Some education products can read equations aloud. | Only available in selected contexts. |
| Reading Coach | Provides practice in selected education workflows, including some Teams Assignments scenarios. | Product and language restrictions apply. |
| Simplified page layout | Strips much of the surrounding clutter from supported webpages in Edge. | Interactive controls, tables or navigation may be omitted. |
These are presentation and access tools, not a grammar checker, plagiarism detector, summarizer or general writing assistant.
Where can you use it?
- Word: Desktop, web, Mac and iPad support varies by version.
- OneNote: Useful for notes, copied passages and assignments.
- Microsoft Edge: Reading mode for supported webpages and some PDF scenarios.
- Outlook: Available in selected desktop and web versions.
- Teams and education products: Common in Assignments, Reading Progress and related learning workflows.
- Microsoft Lens: Captured or photographed text can be made available for reading support, subject to recognition quality.
- SharePoint Pages, Forms and Minecraft Education: Availability depends on the product and deployment.
- Azure AI Immersive Reader: A separate cloud service for developers embedding the experience in their own applications.
Do not assume that a feature available in Word is available in Edge, a PDF or Teams. Check the official support matrix for the exact product and language.
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How to use Immersive Reader in Word
Windows desktop
- Open the document.
- Select View.
- Select Immersive Reader.
- Adjust the available reading options in the full-screen view.
- Select Close Immersive Reader to return to the document.
Microsoft lists support for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021 and Word 2019, with differences by platform. See Microsoft’s Word instructions.
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- Light and compact - With adjustable brightness, high contrast ratio, and fast page turns.
- Effortless reading in any light - Read comfortably with a 6“ glare-free display, adjustable front light—now 25% brighter at max setting—and dark mode.
- Escape into your books - Tune out messages, emails, and social media with a distraction-free reading experience.
- Read for a while - Get up to 6 weeks of battery life on a single charge.
- Take your library with you - 16 GB storage holds thousands of books.
Mac
In the documented Mac interface, choose View → Learning Tools. Options can include column width, page color, text spacing, syllables and Read Aloud, depending on the Word release.
Word for the web and iPad
Controls and labels differ from desktop Word. Microsoft’s Word support page separates web voice, text, parts-of-speech, reading-preference and shortcut guidance; check that page for the current interface.
Set the document language
- Select Review.
- Select Language, then Language again if shown.
- Choose Set Proofing Language.
- Select the intended language.
This changes Word’s language context. It does not unlock every Immersive Reader feature for every language.
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| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Start or exit Read Aloud | Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar |
| Pause or play | Ctrl+Spacebar |
| Speed up | Alt+Right arrow |
| Slow down | Alt+Left arrow |
| Read previous paragraph | Ctrl+Right arrow |
| Read next paragraph | Ctrl+Left arrow |
These are Word shortcuts, not universal commands for every Microsoft product.
How to use Reading mode in Microsoft Edge
- Select the three dots in the top-right toolbar.
- Open Settings → Appearance → Toolbar.
- Turn on Reading mode.
- On a supported webpage, select the Reading mode control in the address bar.
- Alternatively, press
F9.
To read only part of a page, select the text, right-click and choose Open selection in Reading mode. The view may offer Read Aloud, voice and speed controls, translation, font and theme settings, column width and line-focused reading. Copilot-based explanation or summarization may appear where available.
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- Escape into your books – Your Kindle doesn’t have social media, notifications, or other distracting apps.
- Battery life for your longest novel – A single charge via USB-C lasts up to 12 weeks.
- Read in any light – Adjust the display from white to amber to read in bright sunlight or in the dark.
Reading mode is not guaranteed on dashboards, login screens, webmail, highly interactive applications or pages with unusual markup. Conversion can omit navigation, captions, tables, forms or other interactive content. PDF behavior is different from ordinary webpages, and scanned pages may contain no selectable text.
See Microsoft’s current Edge instructions.
Why is Immersive Reader missing or not working?
The button is missing
- Confirm the product, edition and platform are supported.
- Look under the correct menu: View → Immersive Reader in Word desktop, or View → Learning Tools in some Mac versions.
- Check that the content contains selectable text.
- Update Word or Edge and sign in with the correct personal, school or work account.
- Check whether an administrator has restricted the feature.
- Use the support matrix for the document language.
Edge Reading mode does not appear
- Enable Settings → Appearance → Toolbar → Reading mode.
- Try
F9. - Select text, right-click and choose Open selection in Reading mode.
- Test a conventional article page to determine whether the original page is the problem.
- Use Edge’s ordinary Read aloud command as a fallback where offered.
Read Aloud uses the wrong pronunciation
Check the document or page language, installed voices and language packs, and whether that language supports Read Aloud in the selected product. Changing the interface language alone does not necessarily change the reading language.
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These are capability-specific features. A missing control may reflect language, platform or product coverage rather than a broken installation. Consult the matrix.
The document is an image or scanned PDF
Immersive Reader is not a universal OCR system. Use an appropriate recognition workflow, such as Microsoft Lens where suitable, and verify the extracted text. Azure documentation describes computer-vision-based extraction for some image scenarios, but formats and integration requirements differ.
Language and compatibility: a matrix, not a yes-or-no list
A language may support page colors and line focus but not syllables; translation may work where Read Aloud does not; and a capability may be available in Teams Assignments but absent from Edge PDF mode. Microsoft’s matrix separately tracks web and PDF Read Aloud, spacing, colors, syllables, parts of speech, line focus, picture dictionary, translation, equation read-aloud and Reading Coach.
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- Our fastest Kindle Paperwhite ever – The next-generation 7“ Paperwhite display has a higher contrast ratio and 25% faster page turns.
- Ready for travel – The ultra-thin design has a larger glare-free screen so pages stay sharp no matter where you are.
- Escape into your books – Your Kindle doesn’t have social media, notifications, or other distracting apps.
- Battery life for your longest novel – A single charge via USB-C lasts up to 12 weeks.
- Read in any light – Adjust the display from white to amber to read in bright sunlight or in the dark.
- Identify the exact Microsoft product.
- Check the platform: Windows, macOS, web, iOS, Android or Chromebook.
- Confirm edition and version.
- Check sign-in and school or workplace policy.
- Identify the document type and whether its text is selectable.
- Set the content or proofing language.
- Verify the specific desired capability in the support matrix.
- Check required voices or language packs.
Is Immersive Reader free?
The built-in experience generally does not require a separate Immersive Reader purchase when you already have a compatible Microsoft product or Edge. Access to Word, OneNote, Outlook, Teams or Microsoft 365 can still depend on your account, school, employer, device and edition. Microsoft does not present Immersive Reader as a standalone consumer subscription in the cited support material.
Azure AI Immersive Reader is different. Microsoft’s product page currently advertises 3 million characters free and a free-trial path. Beyond that allowance, usage is a metered Azure service; the cited page does not provide a complete current post-allowance price table. Developers should check the live Azure pricing information before deployment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Immersive Reader versus a screen reader
| Need | Better starting point |
|---|---|
| Distraction-free reading, adjustable spacing and synchronized speech | Immersive Reader |
| Keyboard navigation through operating-system controls and app semantics | A screen reader such as Narrator or VoiceOver |
| Reading inaccessible or image-only files | OCR or document remediation, possibly alongside either tool |
| Cross-application speech, Braille or advanced navigation | A full screen-reader and accessibility workflow |
Immersive Reader can complement a screen reader; it is not a replacement for one.
Is it useful for dyslexia and language learning?
Many readers benefit from combining Read Aloud, highlighting, larger spacing, a preferred page color, line focus and translation. Microsoft cites a 2017 RTI International study in which fourth-grade groups improved reading comprehension by an average of 10 percent; that result applies to the studied population and conditions, not every reader. Test settings with the individual user, and avoid treating the tool as a clinical intervention.
Alternatives and complements
- Operating-system accessibility: Windows, macOS, iOS and Android tools provide system-wide speech and navigation.
- Other browser reading modes: Useful for distraction-free webpages, with different compatibility and speech controls.
- Dedicated reading software: May add cross-application reading, OCR, pronunciation controls, study tools or specialized literacy support.
- Accessible document design: Real headings, selectable text, meaningful image alternatives, correct reading order, accessible tables and language metadata often solve the underlying problem better than a reader overlay.
Developer option: Azure AI Immersive Reader
Azure AI Immersive Reader lets an organization embed a Microsoft-style reading experience in its own web or mobile application. Microsoft provides SDK quickstarts for C#, Node.js, Java, Kotlin and Swift, plus guidance for launching the reader, preparing HTML, customizing the button, configuring cookies, math, Read Aloud, translation, token caching and multiple resources. Start with the Azure Immersive Reader documentation.
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- Our fastest Kindle Paperwhite ever – The next-generation 7“ Paperwhite display has a higher contrast ratio and 25% faster page turns.
- Upgrade your reading experience – The Signature Edition features an auto-adjusting front light, wireless charging, and 32 GB storage.
- Ready for travel – The ultra-thin design has a larger glare-free screen so pages stay sharp no matter where you are.
- Escape into your books – Your Kindle doesn’t have social media, notifications, or other distracting apps.
- Adapts to your surroundings – The auto-adjusting front light lets you read in the brightest sunlight or late into the night.
This is not a browser plug-in. A production integration requires an Azure account and resource, authentication, application code, content preparation, secure token handling and monitoring. Microsoft says the service uses related Azure capabilities such as Translator, text-to-speech and computer vision for translation, speech and some image-text scenarios. Its product page advertises translation in more than 100 languages, but that does not mean every Immersive Reader feature works in all of those languages.
It can suit schools, publishers, documentation platforms and education applications that need an embedded reading interface. It is a poor fit for someone who only wants to hear webpages, for teams that cannot use a cloud service, or for products dominated by inaccessible images and complex widgets.
Product details are on the Azure AI Immersive Reader page.
Bottom line
If you already use Microsoft 365 or Edge, try the built-in Immersive Reader or Reading mode first; it can make supported text easier to see, hear and understand without another consumer app. Check the product-and-language matrix before relying on a particular control, use a screen reader when you need system-wide navigation, and evaluate Azure AI Immersive Reader separately when you are building the experience into your own product.
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