Are you facing difficulty in reading emails when you are in a hurry? Do all the words appear jumbled up and difficult to comprehend?
Microsoft Outlook is a prevalent, powerful email client used by millions of people around the world.
The platform helps users manage their inboxes and stay organized. While Outlook has made it easier to read long sentences and complex paragraphs, some users still struggle to keep up with the time-sensitive nature of email.
Fortunately, Microsoft Outlook includes an Immersive Reader that can help make emails easier to read quickly.
In this post, we will explain the features of Immersive Reader and discuss how you can use this tool to optimize your Outlook experience.
What’s the purpose of Immersive Reader in Outlook?
The Reader of Outlook Web and the desktop allows you to adjust email text in the best way for you.
Immersive reading allows you to read the text and highlight each word with modified spacing, color, and a lot more to the easy and comfortable reading your email experience.
How to Use the Immersive Reader Tool in Outlook?
If you want to learn how to utilize the Immersive Reader in Outlook, you must go through the articles and learn the step-by-step method:
Outlook web and application both are slightly different and user-friendly. we will cover all the details in this article, and I will make sure you all definitely enjoy and learn the new features of Outlook.
First, select the email and click on the view tab there is an option for the immersive reader on the right end of the ribbon, click on its Immersive Reader ribbon consists of a few customization options starting from the left side:
- Column Width
- Page Color
- Line Focus
- Text Spacing
- Symbols
- Read Aloud
Read Aloud is the same feature we learned in our previous articles. Let’s dive deeper and understand every option one by one:
Column Width
Column Width consists of four options: Choose Very Narrow, Narrow, Moderate, and Wide.
In case you are reading the email from the right navigation panel, only very narrow and Narrow can be easily differentiated, Moderate and wide seems similar to Narrow, but if you open that email in a separate window, you can check out all the options very narrow to wide.
By default, narrow is the standard width for emails.
Page color
Pick a page background color from over a dozen options or select ‘More Colors’ for a custom color. That will change the background color and feel comfortable for the eyes.
Line Focus
You may use one line, three lines, five lines, or none at all. It is possible to highlight a particular number of lines while dimming the rest of the page to highlight the lines you choose as your focus.
Afterward, you can scroll using the mouse or directions keywords, or you can click read aloud, the line on which you focus will land on the highlighted portion rest of the page remain dim.
Text Spacing
Text spacing is another option to make your eyes more relaxed while reading, click ‘Text Spacing‘ to see more room around the letters and words. Click again to go back to the normal view.
Frankly speaking the visual is not that standardized.
Syllables
This option breakdown words by syllable, which offers help with pronunciation as you read each word, you can Turn it On and Off with a single click.
Read Aloud
All the above options help you to read comfortably and Read Aloud helps you to read the entire email for you. You’ll not only hear the words but see them highlighted at the same time.
When the toolbar opens, click the gear icon to access settings. Then you can adjust the reading speed and voice. Afterward, use the play, pause, next, and previous buttons.
Important note: You can use the options of Immersive Reader all together according to your requirement.
How to Permanently Turn off Immersive Reader in Outlook?
When you finish using the tool, you must click ‘Close Immersive Reader‘ in the ribbon and return to your previous document view, otherwise Immersive Reader is turned on and you will see the email message.
How to Identify that Immersive Reader is Enabled?
With Immersive Reader turned on, the Immersive Reader tab appears with blue text. When enabled, you can read and compose messages, and it stays on until you turn it off.
Let’s walk through Immersive Reader in Outlook web.
In Outlook web, Immersive Reader immediately changes your page into a larger, more spacious format. On the top right, you will find three icons that allow you to customize your account.
You will checkout a few options on your screen:
- Text preferences
- Grammer options
- Reading preferences
- Play button
- Sound setting
Text Preferences
Text preference options help users to adjust the size of the text, spacing between letters and words, font style, and theme (background color), all in one place.
Text size is increased or decreased by moving the toggle on the track. Increased spacing allows users to adjust the spacing between two lines and change their font style only three patterns are available.
Lastly, you can change the theme color around 21 colors are available including the default white color.
Grammer Options
Microsoft Outlook introduced really creative option which allows users to Turn on and Off syllables by moving the toggle.
That offers help with pronunciation as you read each word, you can Turn it On and Off with a single click.
Part of speech there is simple toggles for syllables and parts of speech here. Color can be selected if you enable a toggle for one or more parts of speech.
Additionally, you may turn on Labels, which display an abbreviation for the part of speech above the word.
Reading Preferences
Similarly, to Outlook for the desktop, you can choose to view one, three, or five lines at a time as your Line Focus and the rest of the area dim.
It is also here that you are able to enable the Picture Dictionary and use the Translate feature which supports a variety of languages.
Read Aloud
Read aloud is slightly different from the Outlook application on the desktop, when you click the Play button, you’ll hear your document read to you, and each word will be highlighted as you hear it.
When you click on the Voice Settings icon, you will be able to adjust the speed as well as the voice selection (Male or Female).
There is a hidden option with turning on the play button you can simply select any word and listen to it if you are unable to pronounce it properly.
Once you are done, don’t close the window, click on the exit button from the top left corner of the screen, which will take you back to the outlook web screen. The workplace will be more attractive, and morale will be boosted across the board as a result.
Final Wrap
In conclusion, the Immersive Reader in Outlook is a great tool for those who need help with reading comprehension and other language-related needs.
Not only is it easy to use, but it is also highly customizable and can be used to suit individual needs.
The Immersive Reader can be used to make emails easier to understand, allowing users to get the most out of the Outlook experience.
