Text-to-speech software for dyslexia at work: 7 tools priced

Which tool matches your actual problem

Most dyslexic employees own one reading tool and use it for everything, including tasks it was never built for. That is why so many of these subscriptions get cancelled after a month.

The fix is matching the tool to the task, not buying one tool for every task. The table below is the fastest way to find your match.

Your problem	Tool category	Cheapest option
Reading Word, Outlook, Teams content	Built-in read-aloud	Immersive Reader — free
Reading PDFs, websites, anything else	Universal text-to-speech	Speechify — $139/year
Tone and grammar in emails	Writing assistant	Microsoft Editor — free
Composing long documents by voice	Dictation	Windows/Mac built-in dictation — free
Turning printed paperwork into text	OCR scanning	Microsoft Seeing AI — free
Reading support on every website you open	Browser extension	Helperbird free tier — free

Start with the free option in your row. Only pay for the upgrade once you know exactly what the free version cannot do.

Most tools here cost more once they cross apps. A tool that only reads Word is cheap or free. A tool that reads any file, on any site, in any app, costs more to build — and more to buy.

That is why price is not a quality signal on its own. Pick by task first. Let price break the tie only between two tools that both do the job.

Reading tools: text-to-speech and read-aloud

Microsoft's Immersive Reader is free and already built into Word, Outlook, Teams, Forms, and Edge. It reads text aloud and narrows your view to one line at a time. More than 15 million people use it (Microsoft Research, checked August 2026).

Immersive Reader will not touch a PDF, a website, or a scanned document. That is where Speechify and Read&Write come in. Speechify costs $139/year, about £110 (dyslexia.vision review, June 2026).

Read&Write costs more, at £354.99/year at UK retail price. It earns that price if you also need word prediction and a built-in spell-checker. Speechify wins on price alone if reading is your only barrier.

Both are DWP-approved, so UK employees can claim either free through Access to Work.

Re-reading a page three times before it makes sense is not a quirk. It is unpaid work. The masking cost calculator puts a number on it — enter your salary and your workarounds for the yearly cost.

If your barrier is mostly reading, not writing, try Immersive Reader first. Upgrade to Speechify or Read&Write only once you hit content it cannot open.

Writing tools: catching mistakes before you hit send

Microsoft Editor's free tier catches spelling and basic grammar. Its premium tier adds the tone and clarity checks Grammarly charges for. It is often already included if your employer pays for Microsoft 365.

Microsoft retired Editor's Chrome extension in October 2025. It now only works outside Office apps if you use Edge as your browser (full Grammarly vs Microsoft Editor comparison). If you live in Chrome, that limit matters.

Grammarly Pro costs $144 a year, about £107 in July 2026 pricing (Grammarly pricing page, July 2026). It still works in any browser, on almost any site, which is why many dyslexic employees keep paying for it.

Check whether your employer already pays for Microsoft 365 Premium before you buy Grammarly. You may already own the paid tier and not know it.

Dictation: composing by voice instead of typing

Dragon Professional Anywhere costs £600 plus VAT per year. Access to Work covers this in full (verified June 2026). It wins at one job: turning speech into new text, in any app, even work tools no AI can reach.

Copilot wins for summarising existing content and anything already inside Microsoft 365. Three setup settings decide whether Dragon runs at 99% accuracy or 85%. Skip them and most people give up within a fortnight (full Dragon vs Copilot breakdown).

Writing long, original text by voice? Dragon is worth the setup time. Mostly summarising what already exists? Try Copilot instead.

Turning paperwork into text

Microsoft pulled its free scanning app, Office Lens, from app stores on 9 February 2026. It stopped working entirely a month later, on 9 March 2026 (Microsoft's own retirement notice, checked September 2026). Anyone who relied on it now needs a replacement.

ABBYY FineReader costs $117 a year and gives the most accurate results for messy scans, stamps, and handwriting. Free tools — Microsoft Seeing AI and Google Lookout — handle most everyday paperwork for nothing (full ABBYY FineReader comparison).

For paper you scan often, the C-Pen Reader 3 is a dedicated scanning pen. It costs £270, reduced from £324 (Dyslexia Action Shop, checked July 2026). Buy it only if you scan daily and want something discreet — the free phone apps handle occasional use.

Try the free tools first. Pay for ABBYY FineReader or a scanning pen only once you know the free option is not accurate enough.

Support on every website, not just one app

Helperbird and Nook are browser extensions. They add fonts, reading mode, and text-to-speech to any site you open. Prices run from free up to $39 a year (full comparison).

Start with Helperbird's free tier. It already covers the basics.

Read&Write does more inside the browser, including word prediction. Employers usually buy it, not individuals. In the UK, Access to Work can pay the full £140-a-year bill for a personal licence.

Problems on every website, not just one app? A browser extension covers more ground per pound than a single-app tool.

Getting any of these funded for free

In the UK, none of this needs to come from your own pocket. Access to Work is a government grant that funds software, coaching, and equipment for dyslexic employees, up to £69,260 a year. The Access to Work guide covers who qualifies and how to apply.

Before you apply, try the Access to Work calculator. It estimates the support package you are likely to get approved, based on your job and your barriers. It takes about three minutes.

Paying for any tool here yourself? Apply to Access to Work before you renew — there is a strong chance it should be free.

US employees: what actually pays

There is no single US scheme that matches Access to Work. Some state vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs will fund assistive software for eligible employees. Ask your state VR agency what it covers before you assume the cost falls on you.

Separately, US employers must provide reasonable accommodations under the ADA once you disclose. A tool you already pay for can sometimes become an employer-funded accommodation instead. The ADA accommodations guide covers how to ask.

All 7 tools, side by side

Tool	Category	Price	UK Access to Work
Microsoft Immersive Reader	Read-aloud (Microsoft 365)	Free	N/A — already free
Speechify	Universal text-to-speech	$139/year (~£110)	Claimable
Read&Write	Text-to-speech + writing toolbar	£354.99/year	Claimable
Microsoft Editor	Grammar and tone	Free (premium via Microsoft 365)	N/A — often already included
Grammarly Pro	Grammar and tone	$144/year (~£107)	Claimable
Dragon Professional Anywhere	Voice dictation	£600 + VAT/year	Claimable — covered in full
ABBYY FineReader	OCR / paperwork scanning	$117/year	Claimable

Not sure your workarounds are worth fixing? The masking cost calculator turns re-reading, re-checking, and re-typing into one yearly figure. That figure is what makes the case for Access to Work funding.