---
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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*Heurémen — Build Small Hackathon 2026*

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Part of [The Treehouse](https://huggingface.co/spaces/Wayfinder6/treehouse) — Build Small Hackathon 2026.

Free dev tools at [Hometree](https://heuremenforprofit.online): code analysis, AI agent monitoring, token-saving agreement scoring.

**Heuremen LLC** — Builder: Wayfinder6


## Demo

- [Demo Video](https://youtu.be/aujiSHids4Y)