For students, parents and teachers

Audiobooks for Dyslexia: Turn Readings into Audio You Can Follow

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Make audiobooks for dyslexia from the readings that don't have one: class handouts, course PDFs and DRM-free books. Clear narration, a distinct voice for each speaker, and files that play anywhere.

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Who it's for
  • Students
  • Parents
  • Teachers
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland — The Cheshire Cat
NarratorNaomiAliceAbbyCheshire CatSnik How it works
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland cover

Lewis Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice asks the grinning Cheshire Cat for directions — and gets none.

NarratorNaomiStoryteller

The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good-natured, she thought; still it had very long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt it ought to be treated with respect.

AliceAbbyCurious

Cheshire Puss, would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

Cheshire CatSnikSly

That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.

AliceAbbyCurious

I don't much care where—

Cheshire CatSnikSly

Then it doesn't matter which way you go.

AliceAbbyCurious

—so long as I get somewhere.

Cheshire CatSnikSly

Oh, you're sure to do that, if you only walk long enough.

~1 min · 3 voices · ready to play7
Free preview, no signup to listen. Your own chapters & export need a free account.I'm ready →
AI voices to cast
137
70 standard · 67 premium
file types in
5
EPUB · PDF · DOCX · TXT · MD
ways out
3
M4B with chapters · MP3 · ZIP
voice models
4
Gemini · ElevenLabs

Step-by-step guide

How to make audiobooks for dyslexia

From a reading with no audio edition to a file you can play anywhere.

  1. Check for an audio edition

    Before you make audiobooks for dyslexia yourself, look for a published audiobook or accessible edition; Bookshare is free for qualifying US students.

  2. Upload the reading

    Add a DRM-free EPUB, DOCX or TXT, a PDF with a text layer, or paste the text. Scanned pages need OCR first, which FullCastBook doesn't do.

  3. Pick a clear narrator

    Choose a steady, easy-to-follow narrator and distinct voices for the characters who speak. Listen to a full chapter before you decide.

  4. Export and listen

    Download an MP3 or an M4B with chapter markers and play it in any app, where you can slow the speed and follow along in the text.

Audiobooks for Dyslexia

What makes an accessible audiobook for dyslexia

Clear narration, distinct voices and files that work in any app.

  • Readings with no audiobook

    Teacher handouts, course readers, a classmate's story or your own notes: if you have the text and the right to use it, you can hear it.

  • Clear, steady narration

    Choose from standard and premium voices, and add direction such as [slowly] to passages you want read with more space.

  • A distinct voice per speaker

    In dialogue, each character speaks in their own voice, so the change of voice itself shows who is talking.

  • Chapters you can jump to

    An M4B with chapter markers, or one file per chapter, makes "read chapter 4 for Monday" a single tap.

  • Plays anywhere, offline

    Plain MP3 and M4B files work on phones, tablets and computers, in apps with speed controls, without a connection.

  • Fix a word once

    If a name or term is read wrongly, edit that line and regenerate it, so every listen after that gets it right.

Use cases

Who makes audiobooks for dyslexia

For the readings that don't come with an audiobook.

  • Students

    Set texts, handouts and course readers that have no audio edition, ready before the class discussion.

  • Parents

    DRM-free books you own, or your child's own stories read back with a voice for every character.

  • Teachers

    Audiobooks for dyslexia made from your own materials and public-domain texts, so the whole class can work from the same reading.

  • Adult readers

    Public-domain classics and DRM-free ebooks for book clubs, study or pleasure, at your own pace.

Hear clear narrator voices

Examples of steady, easy-to-follow narration. Demo performances; in the studio you cast from standard and premium voice lists.

More examples
On this page
  1. 1Audiobooks for dyslexia: access to the same books
  2. 2Are audiobooks good for dyslexics? What teachers and specialists say
  3. 3Audiobook maker for dyslexic readers: assigned readings to audio
  4. 4Text to speech for dyslexia vs a produced audiobook
  5. 5Why distinct voices help listeners follow dialogue
  6. 6Accessible audiobook files for parents, teachers and students

In depth

Audiobooks for dyslexia: access to the same books

Audiobooks for dyslexia exist to give access. A reader for whom decoding print is slow, tiring work can still take in the same story, vocabulary and ideas as everyone else when they hear the book. The trouble is that many of the readings people actually need, such as class handouts, course packets, a professor's PDF or an older novel, have no audiobook at all.

FullCastBook turns those texts into audio: clear narration, a distinct voice for each speaker in dialogue, and files with chapters that play in any app. It is an audio tool, not a treatment, and it doesn't replace reading instruction or the advice of a teacher or specialist.

Are audiobooks good for dyslexics? What teachers and specialists say

Audiobooks for dyslexia are a well-established support. Dyslexia organizations, including the International Dyslexia Association, list audiobooks and text-to-speech among common accommodations for students, as alternatives to standard print. In the US they often appear in IEP and 504 plans. The usual advice is to use them alongside reading instruction, not instead of it, so a student keeps building reading skills while keeping up with the content.

Many people also like to listen while following the printed text. Every reader is different, so whether audio counts for a particular assignment, and how best to use it, is a conversation for the student, the family and the teacher or specialist.

Audiobook maker for dyslexic readers: assigned readings to audio

Start by checking what already exists. Published audiobooks and library apps cover many popular titles. Bookshare offers accessible books free to qualifying US students, and Learning Ally offers human-narrated audiobooks, often through schools. College students can ask their disability services office about accessible formats.

Use an audiobook maker for dyslexic readers for whatever is left. Upload the reading as a DRM-free EPUB, DOCX or TXT, or a PDF with a text layer (if you can select the text, it has one; scanned pages need OCR first). Use texts you own or have permission to use, such as your own notes, materials a teacher shares, or public-domain works. For a PDF in particular, see PDF to audiobook; for pasted text, text to audiobook.

Text to speech for dyslexia vs a produced audiobook

Text to speech for dyslexia is built into most devices: Read Aloud in Microsoft Edge, Speak Screen on iPhone and iPad, Select to Speak on Android. It's free and instant, and it's the right tool for emails, web pages and worksheets you need to hear right now.

A produced audiobook suits long reading. The book is split into chapters you can jump between, characters in dialogue have their own voices, a mispronounced name is fixed once rather than on every listen, and the file plays offline in any app. Many readers use both: device text to speech for everyday reading, an accessible audiobook for the novel on the syllabus.

Why distinct voices help listeners follow dialogue

In a single-voice read-aloud, a long conversation leaves the listener tracking "he said" and "she replied" by ear, and losing one tag can mean losing track of who said what. When every speaking character has their own voice, the change of voice itself signals the change of speaker, which can make long scenes easier to follow.

FullCastBook detects who speaks each line and gives the narrator and every character a distinct voice. For a listener, the most important choice is the narrator: pick one that is clear and steady at the speed you'll actually listen at, and play a whole chapter before committing.

Accessible audiobook files for parents, teachers and students

Export an M4B with chapter markers for audiobook apps, one MP3 for the whole reading, or a ZIP with one file per chapter, which is handy when a class reads a chapter a week. Most audiobook and podcast apps let you slow playback, and the files work without a connection.

Credits are counted by the characters voiced, so a short handout costs far less than a novel. The free credits on sign-up cover a short sample chapter; check longer books in the audiobook cost calculator and see the plans. Questions about formats and credits are answered in the FAQ.

FAQ

Audiobooks for Dyslexia: FAQ

Something not covered here? Email us at support@fullcastbook.com

Are audiobooks good for dyslexics?

Audiobooks give access to the same stories, vocabulary and ideas when decoding print is hard, and dyslexia organizations such as the International Dyslexia Association list audiobooks and text-to-speech among common accommodations. They work alongside reading instruction, not instead of it; a teacher or specialist can advise for a particular reader.

Do audiobooks count as reading for dyslexic students?

Listening gives access to the same content as the printed book. Whether it counts for a specific assignment is up to the teacher or school; in the US, audiobooks are a common accommodation in IEP and 504 plans.

Can I convert school PDFs into audio?

Yes, if the PDF has a text layer (you can select the text) and isn't DRM-protected. Scanned worksheets need OCR first, which FullCastBook doesn't do. Use materials you own or have permission to use.

Which is better for dyslexia: text to speech or audiobooks?

They do different jobs. Built-in text to speech is quick for emails, web pages and worksheets. A produced audiobook suits long reading, with chapters you can jump to, a distinct voice for each speaker and a file that plays offline.

Can I slow down the narration?

Yes, in your player: export the MP3 or M4B and use the speed control in your audiobook or podcast app. You can also add direction such as [slowly] to passages before you generate them.

Is there a free way to make audiobooks for dyslexia?

FullCastBook gives free credits on sign-up, with no card, enough for a short sample chapter; a whole book needs a paid plan. Also check Bookshare, free for qualifying US students, and the read-aloud built into browsers and phones.

More in this collection

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