§ · Appendix · 3 min · Checked 27 October 2026
What do the reading terms on this site mean?
This glossary defines the reading terms and the review terms we use, in plain words, with a link to where each one matters. The research terms are explained as they apply to reading habits, not as medical definitions.
Reading aids: · ·
Reading terms
| Term | What it means | Where it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Body doubling | Doing a task, such as reading, alongside another person, in the room or on a call, so their presence helps you stay on task | Reading sprints |
| Cast list | Your own short list of characters: name, who they are, who they are tied to, page met | Cast list template |
| DNF | Did not finish: a book you stopped on purpose | The DNF rule |
| Immersion reading | Reading the text while the audiobook plays, so eyes and ears follow the same words | Immersion reading |
| Page-locked recap | A recap that stops exactly at your place in the book, so it cannot spoil what comes next | Recap tools compared |
| Read-it-later | An app that saves articles to read later, without the website's clutter | Best read-it-later apps |
| Reading ruler | A strip or on-screen guide that shows one or a few lines at a time | Reading rulers and line guides |
| Reading slump | A stretch when you cannot start or finish books | The ADHD reading slump |
| Reading sprint | A short timed session with a planned stop | Reading sprints |
| Spoiler-free | Giving no information about events after your current place | Kindle Recaps and Story So Far |
| TBR | To be read: the pile or list of books you mean to read | Printable reading log |
| TTS | Text-to-speech: software that reads text aloud in a synthetic voice | Best text-to-speech apps |
| Two-line hook | Two lines you write when you stop: what just happened, what you want to find out | Session card |
| Whispersync | Amazon's sync between a Kindle ebook and its Audible audiobook, so you can switch without losing your place | Kindle Paperwhite review |
Memory and attention terms
| Term | What it means for reading | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Working memory | The mental space that holds what you just read while you take in the next part; when it is full, the thread drops | CHADD |
| Spontaneous mind wandering | Attention leaving the page without your choosing; closely tied to ADHD symptoms in research | Seli et al., 2015 |
| Retrieval practice | Recalling what you read from memory, for example by saying it back; tends to help it stick better than rereading | Roediger and Karpicke, 2006 |
| Spacing | Spreading review out over days instead of all at once; tends to help long-term memory | Cepeda et al., 2006 |
| Modality | The format you take a text in: reading, listening or both; adults in one study understood a nonfiction book similarly in each | Rogowsky et al., 2016 |
Review terms on this site
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Distraction surface | Our heaviest criterion: how many ways a tool offers to take you away from the page |
| Time to First Page | Seconds from opening a tool for the first time to reading or hearing your own content, timed cold, median of three runs. Tools we have not timed show "Not yet measured" |
| Hands-on tested | We used the tool ourselves against the rubric |
| Desk review (provisional) | Scored from listings, documentation and published facts, without hands-on use or timing; updated after hands-on testing |
| Community-sourced | Based on reader reports, with the number of reports stated |
| SHELF IT | Buy or install; it earns a permanent place |
| BORROW FIRST | Real merit and real caveats; try it, borrow it, or buy one credit first |
| LEAVE IT | Your attention deserves better, and the review says why |
| Featured | A module about a product, placed outside scored tables and verdicts; it never changes a score, rank or verdict |
Recap tools are new enough that their terms are still settling. Amazon calls its page-locked recap Story So Far. (Amazon) Magic Bookmark calls itself a "spoiler-free reading companion" and its place-finding a bookmark. (magicbookmark.com) We use "page-locked recap" for the general idea.
Sources
- Debbie Tracht, "Reading Comprehension and Executive Function", Attention magazine (CHADD), April 2022
- Seli et al., Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 2015
- Roediger and Karpicke, Psychological Science, 2006
- Cepeda et al., Psychological Bulletin, 2006
- Rogowsky, Calhoun and Tallal, SAGE Open, 2016
- Amazon: Kindle Recaps and Story So Far checked 2026-10-27
- magicbookmark.com, checked 2026-10-27 checked 2026-10-27
Questions
What does DNF mean in reading?
- Did not finish: a book you chose to stop reading. On this site it is a skill, not a failure.
What is immersion reading?
- Reading a book's text while its audiobook plays, so you follow the same words with your eyes and ears.
What is a page-locked recap?
- A recap that stops exactly at your place in a book, so it reminds you of what happened without revealing anything that comes later.
What does desk review mean on this site?
- A score based on listings, documentation and published facts, without hands-on use or timing. It is flagged provisional and updated after hands-on testing.
What is retrieval practice?
- Recalling what you read from memory, for example by saying it back or answering a question with the book closed. It tends to help memory more than rereading.
Changelog
- 2026-10-27 · Initial publication.
Scores on this page come from the rubric: how we test.