Read fast. Read sharp.
ReadSharp is a desktop reader for Windows and Mac, coming soon. Copy text in any app, press a shortcut, and read it one word at a time, in the same spot on the screen, at the pace you choose.
For Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) and Macs with Apple silicon. It isn't available to download yet.
Try the reader
This preview plays sample passages. The app reads anything you copy.
The preview needs JavaScript. Without it, you can read the sample passages below as plain text.
Sample passages as plain text
Welcome
This preview shows one word at a time, in the same spot on the screen. Look for the highlighted letter in each word. It marks the point where your eyes can rest. Press play, pause whenever you like, and take the passage at a pace that feels comfortable. The full app does the same with anything you copy: select some text, press the shortcut, and it appears here, one word at a time.
The Lighthouse Kettle
At the edge of the island, the lighthouse keeper filled her kettle just before dawn. The sea was grey and slow, folding itself against the rocks with a sound like a long breath. Gulls waited on the railing, patient as neighbours. She set the kettle on the small stove, and while it warmed, she watched the first thin line of gold slide across the water. Somewhere far out, a fishing boat switched off its lamp. The kettle began to sing. She poured one cup, held it with both hands, and let the morning arrive. Behind her, the old lamp turned once more, then rested, its long work done until evening. The gulls shifted along the rail to make room.
A Cluttered Page
A copied web page with its menu, sign-up box, links and comments. ReadSharp reads the main text by default and keeps the other parts in the Sections panel.
Site menu
Home · News · Weather · Puzzles · Subscribe
Main text (read by default)
On Tuesday morning the harbour market opened its new covered hall. For years, traders had set up their stalls in the open air and packed away at the first sign of rain. The new roof is simple: wooden beams, clear panels and a long row of hanging lamps. Stallholders say the biggest change is the quiet. Rain now drums overhead, and customers stay to chat instead of hurrying home. A cheese seller named her favourite improvement the dry floor. A fruit grower said the lamps make the apples look warmer than they are. The hall will open every day except Monday, and the first evening market is planned for next month.
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Related links
- Ferry timetable changes explained
- Seven gardens open for the spring walk
- Why the town clock runs three minutes slow
Comments
- maple_reader: Lovely to see the market kept dry at last.
- quiet_kettle: Hope the lamps stay on until late.
On Tuesday morning the harbour market opened its new covered hall. For years, traders had set up their stalls in the open air and packed away at the first sign of rain. The new roof is simple: wooden beams, clear panels and a long row of hanging lamps. Stallholders say the biggest change is the quiet. Rain now drums overhead, and customers stay to chat instead of hurrying home. A cheese seller named her favourite improvement the dry floor. A fruit grower said the lamps make the apples look warmer than they are. The hall will open every day except Monday, and the first evening market is planned for next month.
- Ferry timetable changes explained
- Seven gardens open for the spring walk
- Why the town clock runs three minutes slow
- maple_reader: Lovely to see the market kept dry at last.
- quiet_kettle: Hope the lamps stay on until late.
How it works
Copy
Select text in any app, such as a web page, an email or a document, and copy it.
Press the shortcut
On Windows, press Ctrl+Alt+S. It works even when ReadSharp is closed. On a Mac, press Cmd+Shift+Space while ReadSharp is running. You can also choose Paste clipboard in the app.
Read
The text opens paused. Press Space to start and stop, and use the arrow keys to move back or change speed.
When you copy from a web page or document, ReadSharp reads only the main text by default. Menus, sign-up boxes, links and comments wait in the Sections panel, where you can tick any part back in. Nothing is dropped without showing you.
Open-source notices
ReadSharp's reading engine is derived from Speeedy by sami-29, used under the MIT License. The full license and third-party notices are included with every installation.