How WordFlash speeds up reading

WordFlash uses a technique called RSVP—Rapid Serial Visual Presentation—to help you read faster by eliminating eye movement and focusing your attention on one word at a time.

What is RSVP?

Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) is a reading method that displays words one at a time in a fixed position on the screen. Instead of scanning left-to-right across lines and jumping your eyes from line to line, you keep your gaze steady while words stream to you. This removes the physical limits of traditional reading—saccades (eye jumps) and fixations (pauses on each word)—which typically cap reading speed around 200–250 words per minute.

Why RSVP speeds up reading

When you read normally, your eyes spend time moving between words and lines. Each movement and refocus costs time. RSVP eliminates that by:

  • Removing saccades — Your eyes stay fixed; words come to you instead of you chasing them.
  • Reducing subvocalization — The steady pace encourages you to process words visually rather than “sounding them out” in your head.
  • Maintaining focus — One word at a time reduces distractions and keeps your attention centered.

Focal character highlighting

WordFlash adds a refinement: the focal character. It is chosen from each word's grapheme clusters (accents and emoji count as single units), and the index depends on length: shorter words anchor nearer the start, longer words shift right, approximating an optimal viewing position (OVP) rather than always the geometric center. The highlight is implemented so your gaze can stay fixed while recognition stays fast.

Getting started

Paste text on the home page or enter an article URL in the Article Reader. Press play, focus on the highlighted letter, and adjust the words-per-minute (WPM) until you find a comfortable pace. Most people can reach 300–400 WPM with practice; some go much higher.

Further reading

For more information, see: