Sometimes dyslexia can hide in plain sight and can be difficult to detect. While there are several indicators, here is a liDyslexia doesn’t always look the way people expect it to. In fact, some of the most telling signs are often misinterpreted as quirks, laziness, or “just a phase.”

If you’ve ever felt like something’s off with a student’s reading or writing skills but couldn’t quite put your finger on it, these five subtle indicators might provide some clarity. While not diagnostic on their own, they’re strong clues that dyslexia may be playing a role.

1 - Difficulty Rhyming

Rhyming relies on a child’s ability to hear and manipulate individual sounds within words, a foundational skill that many children with dyslexia struggle with.

If a child has trouble recognizing rhymes (“What rhymes with ring?”) or manipulating sounds (“Say win without the /w/”), it could point to a breakdown in phonological awareness, which is often one of the earliest signs of dyslexia.

2 - Inconsistent Reading

One day they know a word. The next day, it’s like they’ve never seen it before.

This isn’t due to laziness or inattention; it’s a reflection of the difficulty dyslexic students have matching sounds to letters and building fluency. Decoding isn’t automatic, even for words they’ve seen many times before. The information is there, but the process of retrieving it quickly and accurately can vary day to day.

3 - Difficulty with Spelling and Writing

Spelling is often where dyslexia shows up most clearly. Look for:

Letter reversals (like b and d)
Misspellings that reflect sound only (e.g., sed for said)
Mixed-up letter order (e.g., snet for sent)

Because spelling and writing require a high level of language organization, these tasks often become frustrating and fatiguing for students with dyslexia.

4 - Struggles with Word Retrieval

Sometimes, a child knows exactly what they want to say, but can’t find the word. That’s called word retrieval difficulty, and it’s common among students with dyslexia.

You may hear:

Long pauses or filler words (“um,” “that thingy”)
Mix-ups like “wolf in cheap clothing” instead of “sheep’s clothing”
Vague, imprecise language, even when their vocabulary is strong

This isn’t a comprehension issue, it’s about accessing the sound structure of the word to say it fluently.

5 - Difficulty Memorizing

Memorizing sight words or math facts can be disproportionately hard for students with dyslexia, especially when those words don’t follow standard phonics patterns.

Even with repeated exposure, you might see:

Frequent substitutions of sight words (said becomes sat, was becomes what)
Avoidance or guessing during timed fact fluency drills

This stems from the same underlying difficulty with retrieval, sound-symbol mapping, and working memory.

Want to Cross-Reference Other Signs?

If these clues feel familiar, you may also want to read our related post:
👉 Signs to Watch For If You’re Concerned About Dyslexia

It breaks down early, common, and advanced signs by age group and includes a free printable checklist to help you observe and document what you’re seeing.

Want to Go Deeper?

Join us in the 5CCL Learning Lab for our October 2025 Spotlight Training:
“Understanding and Supporting Students with Dyslexia.”
We’ll unpack how to identify subtle signs of dyslexia, how to interpret patterns in student work, and how to respond with effective, research-based support.

Join us in the 5CCL Learning Lab for the Dyslexia Training