# Alexandria > Alexandria is a reading and text-to-speech platform that helps you actually remember what you read. Save articles, books, and PDFs from anywhere on the web. Listen with word-by-word highlighting, then surface the bits you need to remember through spaced repetition. Built by Elliott Tong (UK), launched 2024. The Chrome extension is free. Alexandria was previously known as FlowRead. The Chrome extension is the front door for most users; the web app at read.alexandria.live is where saved content, retention features, and the library live. Marketing site is at alexandria.live. ## Story and security - [Why Alexandria exists](https://alexandria.live/story): Founder background and the learning-science thesis behind the product. Elliott Tong's journey from learning support at age 5 to building the active reading platform he wished he had. - [How Alexandria handles security](https://alexandria.live/security): Site blocking on 200+ sensitive domains (banks, password managers, healthcare), Manifest V3, zero data storage policy. - [Privacy policy](https://alexandria.live/privacy): What we collect, what we do not, and how to exercise GDPR rights. ## Reader settings - [Accessibility settings](https://alexandria.live/accessibility): How Alexandria supports dyslexia, ADHD, and visual impairment workflows. - [Dyslexia-friendly colours](https://alexandria.live/dyslexia-colors): Background and text colour pairings tested for dyslexic readers. - [Reading fonts](https://alexandria.live/reading-fonts): OpenDyslexic, Atkinson Hyperlegible, and other fonts for readability. ## Use cases - [Listen to Gmail Emails](https://alexandria.live/use-cases/listen-to-gmail-emails): Turn your inbox into audio - [Listen to Outlook Emails](https://alexandria.live/use-cases/listen-to-outlook-emails): TTS for Outlook web and Microsoft 365 - [Listen to Zoho Mail Emails](https://alexandria.live/use-cases/listen-to-zoho-emails): Add TTS to Zoho Mail (no native TTS) - [Listen to Any Article](https://alexandria.live/use-cases/listen-to-articles): TTS for Substack, Medium, news, blogs ## Listen on specific services - [Listen On hub](https://alexandria.live/listen-on): Services where Alexandria has dedicated adapters with per-response buttons and deeper integration. - [Listen on ChatGPT](https://alexandria.live/listen-on/chatgpt): Listen to AI responses with word-by-word highlighting - [Listen on Claude](https://alexandria.live/listen-on/claude): Listen to Claude responses with streaming detection - [Listen on Gemini](https://alexandria.live/listen-on/gemini): Listen to Gemini with spinner-aware injection - [Listen on Perplexity](https://alexandria.live/listen-on/perplexity): Listen to AI search answers with source citations - [Listen on Google Docs](https://alexandria.live/listen-on/google-docs): Listen to documents with canvas-to-SVG text extraction - [Listen on LinkedIn](https://alexandria.live/listen-on/linkedin): Listen to posts with infinite scroll support - [Listen on Reddit](https://alexandria.live/listen-on/reddit): Listen to posts and comments on new and classic Reddit ## Comparisons - [Comparisons hub](https://alexandria.live/compare): Index of side-by-side comparisons of Alexandria against other TTS tools. - [Alexandria vs Speechify: Which Text-to-Speech Tool Is Better in 2026?](https://alexandria.live/compare/alexandria-vs-speechify): Alexandria vs Speechify: honest 2026 comparison of features, pricing, word highlighting accuracy, speed control, privacy, and which tool actually helps you retain what you listen to. Free tier breakdown included. - [Alexandria vs NaturalReader: Which Text-to-Speech Tool Is Better in 2026?](https://alexandria.live/compare/alexandria-vs-natural-reader): Alexandria vs NaturalReader: honest 2026 comparison covering word highlighting, speed range, pricing, privacy, platform support, and which tool actually helps you retain what you read. Which suits your reading? - [Alexandria vs Read Aloud: Which Free TTS Chrome Extension Is Better in 2026?](https://alexandria.live/compare/alexandria-vs-read-aloud): Alexandria vs Read Aloud Chrome extension: honest 2026 comparison of word highlighting accuracy, voice quality, speed control, and privacy. Both are free. Only one helps you retain what you listen to. - [Is Blinkist Worth It in 2026? An Honest Review](https://alexandria.live/compare/blinkist-review): Honest Blinkist review for 2026. Pricing ($99.99/year), 9,000+ book library, 15-minute summaries, free tier limits, and who it actually serves well. Plus: when a summary app is the wrong tool entirely. - [Is the Headway App Worth It in 2026? An Honest Review](https://alexandria.live/compare/headway-review): Honest Headway app review for 2026. Pricing ($89.99/year), 2,500+ summaries, gamification features like flashcards and achievements, and who it actually serves well. Plus: when a summary app is the wrong tool. - [Is Shortform Worth It in 2026? An Honest Review](https://alexandria.live/compare/shortform-review): Honest Shortform review for 2026. Pricing ($197/year), deep chapter-by-chapter analysis, counterpoints, exercises, and who it actually serves. Includes Shortform vs Blinkist comparison. ## Best of - [Best-of guides hub](https://alexandria.live/best): Index of "best reading and TTS tool" guides by category. - [What Are the Best Text-to-Speech Tools for ADHD in 2026?](https://alexandria.live/best/text-to-speech-for-adhd): The best text-to-speech tools for ADHD, compared across focus support, word highlighting, speed control, price, and whether what you focus on actually sticks. Includes peer-reviewed research on why TTS helps ADHD readers. - [Best Reading Apps for Students in 2026](https://alexandria.live/best/reading-app-for-students): The best reading apps for students in 2026, compared for textbooks, research papers, and lecture notes. Includes research on retention, dual coding, and study workflow integration. - [Best Text-to-Speech Chrome Extensions in 2026](https://alexandria.live/best/text-to-speech-chrome-extension): The best text-to-speech Chrome extensions in 2026, compared across voice quality, speed control, word highlighting, privacy, price, and which tools actually help you retain what you read. Tested on real web pages, Gmail, and academic articles. - [What Are the Best Book Summary Apps in 2026?](https://alexandria.live/best/book-summary-apps): Compare the best book summary apps in 2026: Blinkist (9,000+ books, $99.99/year), Headway ($89.99/year with flashcards), Shortform ($197/year for deep analysis). Plus: when summaries are the wrong tool. - [What Are the Best Speechify Alternatives in 2026?](https://alexandria.live/best/speechify-alternatives): Looking for Speechify alternatives? Compare Alexandria, NaturalReader, and Read Aloud on speed control, pricing, privacy, and features. Includes free options with no speed caps. ## Blog - [Which Bookmark Manager Actually Helps You Read?](https://alexandria.live/blog/bookmark-manager-misdiagnosis): The best bookmark managers organise your saves beautifully. But if you never read what you save, better folders won't fix that. Here's what actually works. - [OneNote Web Clipper Guide (And Why It May Not Help)](https://alexandria.live/blog/onenote-web-clipper-misdiagnosis): The OneNote and Evernote web clippers save articles for later. But saving doesn't mean you'll read them, and reading doesn't mean you'll remember them. Here's what actually works. - [How to Enable Reading Mode in Chrome (And What It Actually Does)](https://alexandria.live/blog/reading-mode-chrome): Chrome's reading mode strips clutter from web pages, but it won't help you remember what you read. Here's how to use it, and what changes when you actually need retention. - [What Is Spaced Repetition? (And Why Reading Apps Finally Got It Right)](https://alexandria.live/blog/spaced-repetition): Spaced repetition schedules reviews at increasing intervals to move knowledge from short-term to long-term memory. Modern tools apply it automatically to what you read, no flashcard decks required. - [How to Memorize Something Fast](https://alexandria.live/blog/how-to-memorize-something-fast): Test yourself immediately instead of re-reading. Active recall makes information stick in minutes. Here's how to memorize fast using proven science. - [Why Can't You Remember What You Saved in Readwise?](https://alexandria.live/blog/readwise-reader-retrieval-gap): Readwise, Notion, and Obsidian excel at saving highlights and notes. But saving isn't remembering. Here's why storage without retrieval creates a knowledge graveyard. - [Active Recall vs Passive Reading: What Does the Research Actually Show?](https://alexandria.live/blog/active-recall-vs-passive-reading): Active recall study method beats rereading by ~50% on delayed retention. The Karpicke, Roediger, and Bjork research, plus why spaced repetition flashcards work. - [What Is Cognitive Load Theory? (And Why Reading Hard Things Feels Like Drowning)](https://alexandria.live/blog/cognitive-load-theory-reading): Cognitive load theory, plain English. John Sweller's framework explains why your brain stalls on dense articles, and what to do about it. - [What Is the Forgetting Curve (Curve of Forgetting), and How Do You Beat It?](https://alexandria.live/blog/forgetting-curve-explained): The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve explains why you forget 70% of what you read within a day. Here's the 1885 study, the data, and what actually flattens the curve. - [How to Learn Faster Without Any of the Hacks](https://alexandria.live/blog/how-to-learn-faster): Four research-backed moves to learn faster: encode, retrieve, space, and link. No speed-reading or memory palace hacks required. - [How Do You Listen to a PDF? (And Will You Actually Remember It?)](https://alexandria.live/blog/how-to-listen-to-pdfs): Read PDF aloud with browser TTS, Adobe Reader, system voices, or a dedicated reader. Step-by-step for each tool, plus what listening does to retention. - [Notion vs Obsidian: Which One Actually Helps You Remember What You Saved?](https://alexandria.live/blog/notion-vs-obsidian): An honest comparison of Notion and Obsidian, plus the reframe most people miss: storage isn't the bottleneck. Retrieval is. - [Pocket Is Dead. What Do You Do With Your Bookmark Graveyard?](https://alexandria.live/blog/pocket-is-dead-bookmark-graveyard): Pocket's read-it-later service is shutting down. The migration question hides a bigger one: was your saved-articles list ever actually a reading list, or just a graveyard? - [Speechify vs Natural Reader: Which One Helps You Remember More?](https://alexandria.live/blog/speechify-vs-natural-reader): An honest comparison of Speechify and Natural Reader for retention, not just listening speed. Pricing, voices, real-world recall, and where each one falls short. - [Why You Forget Everything You Read (And the Neuroscience Fix)](https://alexandria.live/blog/why-you-forget-everything-you-read): You forget what you read because passive reading creates weak memory encoding. Learn what the neuroscience actually says and the three techniques that make reading stick. - [FlowRead Is Now Alexandria: What Changed and Why](https://alexandria.live/blog/flowread-is-now-alexandria): FlowRead has a new name. Alexandria is the reading platform built to help you actually remember what you read. Here's why we changed, and what it means for you. - [How Do You Listen to Your Kindle Books?](https://alexandria.live/blog/how-to-listen-to-your-kindle-books): Download your Kindle books from Amazon as EPUB files and listen with word-by-word text-to-speech. Step-by-step guide for the official 2026 Amazon download method. - [Is AI Making You Forget How to Think?](https://alexandria.live/blog/ai-cognitive-offloading): AI cognitive offloading trades short-term convenience for long-term memory loss. The science explains why, and what tools designed for understanding do differently. - [Why Do You Forget 77% of What You Read? The Science Explained](https://alexandria.live/blog/science-of-reading-retention): Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, testing effect, spaced repetition, dual coding: what memory science says about reading retention and why passive reading fails. - [Is Screen Time Actually Bad for You? What 17,000 People Revealed](https://alexandria.live/blog/screen-time-aim-problem): Screen time research on 17,000+ people shows total time isn't the problem. What the screen is pointed at is. - [Why Do You Remember Conversations But Forget Articles?](https://alexandria.live/blog/why-you-forget-articles): You forget articles because your brain outsources memory to the internet (the Google Effect). Learn the science behind why conversations stick and how to fix article retention. - [Why Does Your Brain Give Up After 3 Paragraphs?](https://alexandria.live/blog/why-your-brain-gives-up-reading): Working memory holds ~4 chunks. Reading demands three jobs at once. When the budget runs out, comprehension collapses. - [How to Actually Remember What You Read](https://alexandria.live/blog/how-to-remember-what-you-read): Science-backed strategies for better reading retention using active recall, spaced repetition, and dual coding. ## Optional - [Full content archive](https://alexandria.live/llms-full.txt): Concatenated full text of every blog post on this site. Larger file, intended for offline indexing or RAG ingestion. - [Sitemap](https://alexandria.live/sitemap.xml): XML sitemap with last-modified dates. - [Get started](https://alexandria.live/get-started): Install instructions and onboarding flow.