Apps | 8 excellent apps to make you a better reader

Eight excellent apps that’ll help you improve your reading ability and become a better literary citizen, while simultaneously boosting your brain function.

Apps to Make You a Better Reader - InstapaperHow many books did you read last year? If your answer is more than one, congratulations: you’re more well-read than about 25% of Americans over age 16, according to a 2012 Pew Internet survey. Ironically, as we become more surrounded by words in the digital age, less of us are finding time to actually read them. The good news is that your smartphone or tablet can help.

Trying to stray from the obvious reading apps, like e-readers, we’ve gathered eight excellent apps that’ll help you improve your reading ability and become a better literary citizen, while simultaneously boosting your brain function. Whether you’d like to read more, faster or some combination of the two, these apps will light your path to wisdom.

by Max Knoblauch

1. Instapaper

Apps to Make You a Better Reader - Instapaper
Apps to Make You a Better Reader – Instapaper

Similar to apps like Pocket, Instapaper allows you to save and download web text for offline consumption. The app reformats the text you give it, giving it a cleaner, easier-to-read lay out and allowing you to focus on the important part: the words.

2. Syllable

Apps to Make You a Better Reader - syllable
Apps to Make You a Better Reader – Syllable

Try reading this paragraph while repeating the ABC’s out loud. You’ll find that you’re reading much faster than normal. This is because you’re suppressing your natural subvocalization, or the internal repetition of words you’re currently reading. In short, Syllable helps you learn to speed read. You choose the text and it does the rest for you, leaving your pacing and grouping fully customizable.

3. Dictionary.com Dictionary & Thesaurus

Apps to Make You a Better Reader - dictionary.com
Apps to Make You a Better Reader – Dictionary.com

Beside’s it’s obvious functionality as a reliable dictionary app, this digitized thesaurus also has a fantastic word-a-day feature. Challenge yourself to really learn it, within a few weeks you’ll likely find that your vocabulary has improved.

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