Speed Read It! - A command line tool to speed read any text
npm install @yurug-js/srit

A command line tool to speed read any text using RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation).
!demo
``bash`
npm i -g @yurug-js/srit
Requires Node.js 18 or higher.
- Read text, markdown, PDF, Word documents (.doc/.docx), and web pages
- Adjustable reading speed (words per minute)
- Median letter highlighting for optimal eye fixation
- Progress bar showing position in text
- Pipe mode for reading from stdin
- AI-powered adaptive pacing (slows on complex words)
- AI-powered comprehension testing
`bash`
srit document.txt # Plain text file
srit article.md # Markdown (rendered to plain text)
srit report.pdf # PDF document
srit paper.doc # Word document
srit paper.docx # Word document (modern format)
srit https://example.com # Web page
cat file.txt | srit - # Read from stdin
The terminal clears and displays one word at a time, centered on screen. The median letter is highlighted in red to provide an optimal fixation point. Punctuation introduces a brief pause for natural reading rhythm.
| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| ← | Previous word |→
| | Next word |↑
| | Increase speed |↓
| | Decrease speed |Esc
| | Exit |
Let AI adjust your reading speed based on text complexity:
`bash`
srit --auto document.txt
Uses LLM token surprisal to slow down on complex or unusual words, with a smooth "halo" effect around surprising content. Results are cached for instant re-runs.
| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| --gamma N | Slowdown intensity (0.0-2.0, default: 0.6) |--target-wpm N
| | Base target WPM (default: 360) |--max-cost N
| | Cost threshold before confirmation (default: $1) |
Controls: +/- adjust gamma, ↑/↓ adjust speed.
Test your reading comprehension with AI-generated questions:
`bash`
srit --check document.txt
Questions appear throughout your reading, placed at sentence boundaries to avoid interrupting the flow. Answer with number keys (1-4). At the end, you'll see your score and total reading time.
| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| --questions N | Number of questions (default: 10) |--frequency N
| | Target words between questions |
Both --auto and --check modes require an LLM provider.
Cloud providers (require API key):
`bash`
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
export GEMINI_API_KEY=...
Local with Ollama (free, no API key):
`bash`
srit --auto --provider ollama document.txtOLLAMA_HOST
Requires Ollama running locally. Set to override the default http://localhost:11434.
Additional options: --provider NAME and --model NAME to override defaults.
Settings are stored in ~/.srit.json:
`json`
{
"wpm": 300,
"highlightColor": "red",
"textColor": "white"
}
Available colors: black, red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, white.
`bash``
srit --version # Show version number
srit --help # Show help (use -h)
MIT
This program follows the KISS principle: it does one specific thing and aims to do it right, with minimal dependencies and clear semantics. Contributions are welcome as long as they adhere to this philosophy!