sight read

present/ˈsaɪt ˌɹiːd/past/ˈsaɪt ˌɹɛd/

verb

To perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time, without rehearsal.

“I can sight read really simple music, but hard pieces need a lot of practice so I don't have to stop and figure out what I'm doing.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbsight read (third-person singular simple present sight reads, present participle sight reading, simple past and past participle sight read)

present singular third person sight reads · participle present sight reading · alternative sightread

  1. entertainmentTo perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time, without rehearsal.

    I can sight read really simple music, but hard pieces need a lot of practice so I don't have to stop and figure out what I'm doing.

  2. figurativelyvideo gamesTo complete a video game level (particularly an autoscroller) while playing it for the first time, without practice.

Origin

From sight + read, in reference to not being able to rely on muscle memory developed through practice.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish lukea nuoteista, soittaa prima vista
  • lukea nuoteistato perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
  • soittaa prima vistato perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
French jouer à vue, déchiffrer
  • jouer à vueto perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
  • déchiffrerto perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
German vom Blatt spielen
  • vom Blatt spielento perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
Hungarian blattol, lapról olvas
  • blattolto perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
  • lapról olvasto perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
Italian suonare a prima vista
  • suonare a prima vistato perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
Polish grać a vista
  • grać a vistato perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
Spanish repentizar
  • repentizarto perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
Swedish a vista-läsa
  • a vista-läsato perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time
Cite this entry
APA

sight read. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sight%20read

MLA

“sight read.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sight%20read. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sight read,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sight%20read.

Source: sight read on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.