Take this online test to find the font that will help you read faster and retain more

September 15, 2022

By Kim Komando

Most of us spend a lot of time reading from social media to news sites online. But research from the University of Oregon found that it’s harder to recall what we read online. If you struggle to retain information from online articles, e-Books and forums, we’ve found a tool that can help.

If it sounds too good to be true, don’t worry. The tips in this article are backed up by research from scientists at the University of Central Florida. They discovered a simple trick you can use to read faster and remember what you read online.

Before we jump into the details, here’s a quick tip all digital bookworms should know about. One good way to retain what you read online is annotating articles. Use this online reader to edit, share and write notes on online articles.

Although it’s not easy to remember what you read online, there are ways to improve

Everything is digital nowadays, including books, research and news articles. Even diaries are digital; we just call them blogs. Bottom line: Although we spend a lot of time absorbing information online, we struggle to remember it as well as when we read from books.

Scientists don’t know why, but they have a few theories:

• Online ads on web pages can pull away your focus.
• Posts can get hacked, deleted or edited, so digital content lacks consistency.
• You can open new windows that distract you if you accidentally click a hyperlink.
• There’s no tactile element. You can’t flip pages and run your fingers below sentences.

Luckily, there are a few ways to get better at retaining what you read online. Later, we’ll share a few helpful hints you can use to be a better online reader. First, here’s a game changer that will make life better for bookworms, researchers and anyone who spends a lot of time online.

RELATED: It’s not just you! Your smartphone might be ruining your memory

Use this free tool to read and remember faster

The internet is a blessing for anyone looking for new information. You can find and digest facts quickly — but it’s hard to absorb what you learn long-term. Improving your memory may be as easy as changing the font on your browser.

Get this: Scientists discovered a life hack you can use to improve your reading speed by 35%. Not only can you read faster, but you can also boost your comprehension and better remember what you read online. Best of all, this reading trick is completely free.

All you have to do is change the font style and size. That’s because there’s no universal way that everyone can get better at digital reading. It all depends on your eyes — and their specific needs.

If you want to read the research yourself, here’s how different fonts boost reading speed for different people. But we’ve got you covered if you want to save time and get right to the info. Here are a few lightning facts to know:

• Each reader interprets fonts differently. This means you read faster in some fonts than in others.
• When you find the font that best suits your reading style, you can read 35% faster online and remember what you read.
• By the way, we’re not talking about your favorite font. You might love the way Georgia looks but take a long time understanding text in it.

To discover which font and spacing scheme helps you read better, take this five-minute test from the Virtual Readability Lab. This science-backed tool is a must for anyone who has Googled “How to better remember what you read online” or “Why can’t you remember what you just read online.”

In a few minutes, you’ll find out which font you read fastest in. You should take this test on a computer for the best results. Essentially, you’ll read a few short paragraphs in different fonts.

Then, the form reveals your ideal font. Switch to the font perfect for you on your smartphone or computer to start reading faster and understanding what you read. This is one digital life hack all bookworms need to know about.

Now that you’re better at online reading, check out these tech tips next

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