Key takeaways
- Immersive reading means reading the words while listening to the same book, either with an app that highlights each word or with a book on your lap and headphones on.
- An audiobook already has a human narrator; a text-to-speech reader turns a document into computer speech. Read-along for an audiobook needs text that follows that specific recording.
- Microsoft Immersive Reader and Edge Reading mode work on digital text such as web pages. They are not an audiobook library.
- Audible announced Read & Listen in February 2026 for eligible Audible and Kindle editions, starting in the US. Check it before buying another copy.
- HushBook transcribes an audiobook file you can legally import (MP3 or M4B) on your phone and highlights each word in time with the narrator, offline.
I used to buy books and leave them unfinished. Paperbacks, ebooks, audiobooks. Somewhere around chapter four I would lose the thread and move on to something else.
Reading the paperback while its audiobook played was what finally held my attention. I could see where I was. When my mind wandered, there was a sentence to come back to instead of another rewind.
That is immersive reading: reading the words while listening to them. Sometimes an app highlights each word for you. Sometimes it's a book on your lap and headphones. I built HushBook around the first version, so this guide comes from the person making one of these apps.
Start with what you already have
Before downloading anything, try the recording and the book together. A few pages is enough. If you're following comfortably, you don't need a different setup.
I care about the point where you lose your place. You look away, the narrator carries on, and now you're hunting for the right paragraph. That is where a moving highlight can be useful. There's a current word to return to.
Check your edition, though. A recording might have a different introduction or leave out whole passages. An abridged audiobook and the complete ebook won't line up. Even two unabridged editions can differ.
An audiobook and a text-to-speech reader do different jobs
With an audiobook, somebody has recorded the narration already. Their pauses and delivery are part of the book. The missing bit, for read-along, is text that follows that particular recording.
A text-to-speech reader goes the other way. Give it a document or ebook and a computer voice reads the words. I would use that for a PDF with no recording. Trying to import the PDF into an audiobook app won't make a narrator appear.
HushBook works from audio. The HushBook engine makes a transcript on your phone and highlights the words in time with the recording. It doesn't read a PDF aloud. You can see how audiobook text works here.
Microsoft Immersive Reader isn't an audiobook library
The similar names make this confusing. Microsoft's reading tools are for digital text. In Edge, Reading mode can simplify a web page, change how the text looks and read it aloud.
If you're trying to hear a web article, that may be all you need. If you've bought a recording and want to follow its narrator, you need a setup that works with the recording.
Check Audible's own option before buying anything else
Audible announced Read & Listen inside its app in February 2026. It pairs eligible audiobook and ebook editions from your Audible and Kindle libraries and highlights the text with the narration. The announcement described a US rollout first, with other markets following.
So if your books are already there, look for that option. Check your title and editions, and whether your app and region have it. You may need both formats. I'd check that before paying for another copy.
Protected Audible downloads can't be imported into HushBook. An audiobook purchase doesn't automatically give you an unrestricted file to open in any app.
Trying it with your own recording
For a first attempt, pick a short recording you can legally download. A public-domain title from LibriVox is one option. Public-domain rules aren't identical everywhere, so check the rights in your country.
In HushBook, download the engine while you're online, then import the audio file. MP3 and M4B are supported. Let the on-device transcription run. A longer recording takes more work, and the time also depends on your phone. You don't need to buy the ebook for the generated transcript.
Then check a passage. Listen to the words and look at what was transcribed. Speech recognition makes mistakes, particularly with names or a noisy recording. This isn't the publisher's proofread text. If a word looks odd, trust the recording and check the book.
You can adjust playback speed and text size. I wouldn't start by pushing the speed up. Find a pace where following the sentence doesn't feel like chasing it. Once the engine, recording and transcript are on the phone, you can use them offline.
Our M4B guide covers the file side. You can also follow the same recording in a printed book if you'd rather keep the screen away.
Does it help with attention?
For me, seeing the words was what made the chapter stick. That doesn't mean everyone needs audio and text together. You might find it distracting. Give yourself permission to turn one off.
Understood describes audiobooks, text-to-speech and display adjustments as reading supports. Its expert-reviewed guide also says assistive tools alone probably won't improve reading skills. An app doesn't replace teaching or treatment for ADHD or dyslexia.
What I wanted from HushBook was a way back into the book when attention slips. It's free to download, with optional Pro. If you have a recording you can import, try a passage and see whether the highlight helps you stay with it. For a book in a paid catalogue, check that catalogue's read-along features first.
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
What is immersive reading?
Immersive reading is reading the words of a book while listening to the same book being narrated. An app can highlight each word as the narrator speaks it, or you can follow a printed or ebook edition while the audiobook plays.
How do I read and listen to a book at the same time?
Start with what you already have: play the audiobook and follow a matching edition of the text for a few pages. Check that both editions match, since abridged recordings or different introductions will not line up. If you keep losing your place, a read-along app that highlights the current word gives you a point to return to.
Is Microsoft Immersive Reader the same as reading along with an audiobook?
No. Microsoft Immersive Reader and Reading mode in Edge are tools for digital text. They can simplify a web page, change how text looks, and read it aloud with a computer voice. They do not follow a recorded audiobook narrator.
Does Audible have a read-along feature?
Audible announced Read & Listen in February 2026. It pairs eligible audiobook and ebook editions from your Audible and Kindle libraries and highlights the text with the narration. The announcement described a US rollout first, and you may need both formats.
Can HushBook play Audible audiobooks?
No. Protected Audible downloads cannot be imported into HushBook. HushBook works with audio files you can legally import, such as MP3 or M4B files and public-domain recordings from LibriVox.
Does reading while listening help with ADHD or dyslexia?
Some readers find that seeing the words helps them stay with a chapter, and Understood describes audiobooks and text-to-speech as reading supports. Its expert-reviewed guide also says assistive tools alone probably will not improve reading skills, and an app does not replace teaching or treatment for ADHD or dyslexia.
Do I need the ebook to use HushBook read-along?
No. HushBook creates a transcript from the audio on your phone, so you do not need to buy the ebook. The transcript comes from speech recognition, so names or noisy recordings can contain mistakes.
Try read-along on a recording you own
Import an MP3 or M4B audiobook, let HushBook create the transcript on your phone, and follow every word with the narrator. Free to download, with optional Pro.