A newer version of the Gradio SDK is available: 6.20.0
title: Dyslexic Engine
emoji: ⚡
colorFrom: red
colorTo: yellow
sdk: gradio
sdk_version: 5.34.2
app_file: app.py
pinned: false
license: mit
tags:
- build-small-hackathon
- track:backyard
- achievement:offbrand
- achievement:fieldnotes
- achievement:sharing
- gradio
Dyslexic Engine
Text should work for your brain. Not the other way around.
A tool that transforms any text into dyslexic-friendly formats:
- Color-Coded Syllables — visual anchors so the eye can chunk words naturally
- Bionic Reading — bold word beginnings to guide fixation points
- Phoneme Guide — pronunciation spelled out the way it sounds, not the way it's written
- Simplifier — rewrites complex sentences into shorter, clearer ones
The Problem
1 in 5 people have dyslexia. Standard text is optimized for fluent readers — not for the phonological processors who see language differently. The school system doesn't adapt. The textbooks don't adapt. So we built a tool that does.
The Science
Dyslexic brains process phonemes (sounds), not graphemes (letter shapes). They hear the word before they read it. Standard text gives no phonological scaffolding — it's a wall of identical-looking symbols with no auditory anchor.
This tool provides:
- Syllable boundaries via color coding, giving the eye natural chunking points
- Phonemic pronunciation using everyday letter combinations (not IPA)
- Reduced cognitive load through OpenDyslexic font, increased spacing, warm backgrounds
- Bionic reading — bolding the first portion of words to guide saccadic fixation
The Stack
- Model: MiniCPM5-1B (OpenBMB) via llama.cpp — 1 billion parameters
- Syllabification: pyphen (rule-based, fast, reliable)
- Font: OpenDyslexic
- Framework: Gradio
- Cloud APIs: Zero. Everything runs locally.
Bonus Quests
- 🔌 Off the Grid — no cloud APIs
- 🎨 Off-Brand — custom OpenDyslexic theme
- 🦙 Llama Champion — llama.cpp runtime
- 📓 Field Notes — blog post included
- 🐜 Tiny Titan eligible — 1B parameters
The Story
Built by a frustrated single father whose daughter has dyslexia. Homework shouldn't be a battlefield. Text should work for the reader — not the other way around.
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