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How to Translate in Immersive Reader

Learn how to translate a page in Immersive Reader, either the whole document or one word at a time, so you can read in your own language.

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What This Does

Immersive Reader can translate what you are reading into your own language. You can have the whole thing translated, or just tap the words you get stuck on.


Who is This For?

This is helpful for:

  • Students studying in a language that is not their first
  • Anyone sent a document in a language they read slowly
  • Families reading a school letter written in another language
  • Language learners who want to check themselves word by word

Step 1: Open Reading Preferences

Open Immersive Reader first. You can start it from the floating toolbar, from the Helperbird menu, or from the Tools menu in the PDF Reader.

Once it is open, the three buttons in the top-right corner hold every setting.

Click the book button.

The Reading Preferences panel in Immersive Reader, with line focus, the picture dictionary and translationView full-size image (opens in a new tab)


Step 2: Choose a Language

Under Translate, open Choose a language and pick yours.

Nothing happens yet. The two switches underneath stay greyed out until a language is chosen, which is the usual reason people think translation is broken.


By Word, or the Whole Document

Once a language is set, two switches become available:

  • By word translates a single word when you click it, leaving everything else as it was.
  • Document translates the whole thing at once.

Which Should You Use?

By word if you can mostly read the text and only stumble on some of it. You stay in the original language, which is how you improve, and get help exactly where you need it.

Document if the text is beyond you, or you need to understand it quickly rather than work through it.

You can turn both on. Then the page is in your language and clicking a word shows you that word on its own.

To translate an ordinary web page without opening Immersive Reader, see how to translate a webpage.


Need Additional Help?

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please contact the Helperbird support team. You can reach us at Helperbird support. We are happy to help you get the most out of Helperbird.

Printed from the Helperbird Help Center · Updated September 22nd, 2026

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it didn't ask for obnoxious permi...

Immersive Reader from Microsoft is amazing, but my friends in Google districts were missing out until I found Helperbird. Great for proofreading! Simply highlight the text and have it read back to you, change the spacing in your view, highlight parts of speech, even translate by word or by document to have it read to you and adjust the speed! So amazing that I posted a YouTube tutorial within days of installing it. Plus, unlike many extensions, it didn't ask for obnoxious permissions like asking to delete everything in my Google Drive. #Winner #a11y
GK TechiesHelperbird user

Font Sizes can be increased or de...

You can bookmark the websites or pages for future reading. Font Sizes can be increased or decreased to our own satisfaction. You can translate the page or website using Google Translator.
Noopur A.Director Product

you can finetune your experience ...

Where to start! Firstly, I'd like to thank Robert (the developer) for his generosity - the app is extremely cheap as apps go. It is very apparent that this app is a labour of love - Robert is constantly working on it and improving things, adding new features, etc. As someone with ADHD and ASD, I have always had to piece-meal together the features I need to help me study effectively - half a dozen different apps / extensions, and even then they don't quite meet my expectations. Helperbird, however, offers SO MUCH more, and all in one place - you can finetune your experience to your heart's desire. The features I particularly love are summarise, simplify, sticky notes, highlighting, and the amazing immersive reader with TTS. I can't sing Helperbird's praises enough. Thank you, Robert, for such a thoughtful - and genuinely helpful - app. You are empowering the neurodivergent everywhere.
Firefox userHelperbird user
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