The word-length effect in acquired alexia, and real and virtual hemianopia

► We examined the contribution of homonymous visual field loss to reading speed. ► We simulated hemianopia in healthy subjects with a gaze-contingent paradigm during an eye-tracking experiment. ► In healthy subjects, the 95% upper prediction limits were 51 ms/letter with full fields and 161 ms/letter with simulated right hemianopia. ► With these criteria, we examined six paradigmatic patients with acquired peripheral alexias. ► In these subjects, our findings clarified the magnitude of the word-length effect that originates from hemianopia alone.