How to use the command 'speedread' (with examples)

The ‘speedread’ command is a simple terminal-based open source tool that allows for rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) reading. By displaying text as per-word RSVP aligned on optimal reading points, ‘speedread’ enables users to read at a much faster pace than usual, as the eyes can stay fixed on a single location. It can be used to read text files at different speeds, resume reading from a specific line, show multiple words at a time, and control the speed of the reading.

Use case 1: Read a text file at a specific speed

Code:

cat path/to/file.txt | speedread -wpm 250

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to read a text file at a specific words-per-minute speed. By using the ‘-wpm’ flag followed by the desired speed, you can adjust the reading pace according to your preference or reading requirements.

Explanation:

• cat path/to/file.txt: This command outputs the contents of the ‘file.txt’ file.
• |: The pipe operator passes the output of the previous command as input to the ‘speedread’ command.
• speedread: The ‘speedread’ command reads the input text and displays it in rapid serial visual presentation format.
• -wpm 250: This flag sets the reading speed to 250 words per minute.

Example output: The contents of the ‘file.txt’ file will be displayed on the terminal screen with words flashing one at a time at a speed of 250 words per minute.

Use case 2: Resume from a specific line

Code:

cat path/to/file.txt | speedread -resume 5

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to continue reading a text file from a specific line. By using the ‘-resume’ flag followed by the line number, you can start reading the text file from that particular line instead of the beginning.

Explanation:

• cat path/to/file.txt: This command outputs the contents of the ‘file.txt’ file.
• |: The pipe operator passes the output of the previous command as input to the ‘speedread’ command.
• speedread: The ‘speedread’ command reads the input text and displays it in rapid serial visual presentation format.
• -resume 5: This flag indicates that the reading should start from line 5 of the input text file.

Example output: The contents of the ‘file.txt’ file, starting from line 5, will be displayed on the terminal screen with words flashing one at a time at the default reading speed.

Use case 3: Show multiple words at a time

Code:

cat path/to/file.txt | speedread -multiword

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to display multiple words at a time during the speed reading session. By using the ‘-multiword’ flag, you can set the ‘speedread’ command to show more than one word on the screen simultaneously.

Explanation:

• cat path/to/file.txt: This command outputs the contents of the ‘file.txt’ file.
• |: The pipe operator passes the output of the previous command as input to the ‘speedread’ command.
• speedread: The ‘speedread’ command reads the input text and displays it in rapid serial visual presentation format.
• -multiword: This flag instructs the ‘speedread’ command to show multiple words at a time during the reading session.

Example output: The contents of the ‘file.txt’ file will be displayed on the terminal screen with multiple words flashing simultaneously at the default reading speed.

Use case 4: Slow down by 10% during the reading session

Code:

[

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to decrease the reading speed during the ‘speedread’ session. By pressing the ‘[’ key on the keyboard during the session, you can slow down the speed at which the words are displayed.

Explanation:

• Press [: This action is performed during the ‘speedread’ session.
• speedread: The ‘speedread’ command receives the input from the action and slows down the reading speed by 10%.

Example output: The speed at which the words are displayed during the ‘speedread’ session will be reduced by 10% when the ‘[’ key is pressed.

Use case 5: Speed up by 10% during the reading session

Code:

]

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to increase the reading speed during the ‘speedread’ session. By pressing the ‘]’ key on the keyboard during the session, you can speed up the rate at which the words are displayed.

Explanation:

• Press ]: This action is performed during the ‘speedread’ session.
• speedread: The ‘speedread’ command receives the input from the action and increases the reading speed by 10%.

Example output: The speed at which the words are displayed during the ‘speedread’ session will be increased by 10% when the ‘]’ key is pressed.

Use case 6: Pause and show the last few lines as context

Code:

<space>

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to pause the ‘speedread’ session and view the last few lines of the text as context. By pressing the ‘space’ key on the keyboard during the session, the ‘speedread’ command displays the last few lines of the text on the screen.

Explanation:

• Press <space>: This action is performed during the ‘speedread’ session.
• speedread: The ‘speedread’ command receives the input from the action and pauses the reading session temporarily, displaying the last few lines of the text as context.

Example output: The ‘speedread’ session will be paused, and the last few lines of the input text will be displayed on the terminal screen.

Conclusion:

The ‘speedread’ command is a powerful tool for rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) reading. By using different flags and key commands, users can read text files at different speeds, resume from specific lines, view multiple words at a time, control the speed during the reading session, and pause to view context. This command can be beneficial for anyone looking to improve their reading speed or efficiently process large amounts of text.