Listen while you read
Recorded narration of every part. 1× changes the speed; Read on keeps reading through the following parts and Rules without stopping.
The bar above the Rule
How to use COLREGS Reader
Read and listen to the COLREGS, the 1972 rules of the road, Rule by Rule.
1Start here
- The page opens on a Rule. Tap the round play button (▶) to hear it read aloud.
- Tap Next → or ← Back to move one part at a time — Rule 8(a), then 8(b) and so on. Reading stops at the end of each part.
- Tap 📋 All Rules & Annexes (or the Rule name in the middle of the bar) to jump to any Rule or Annex.
- Under the Rule, Surveyor may ask lists examiner-style questions — tap one to see its answer.
- Tap 🎓 Oral-exam Q&A to drill all the questions and mark each one I knew it or Not yet.
2The main features
Jump a whole Rule
The ‹ Rule › arrows move to the previous or next Rule in one tap.
The bar above the Rule
Hands-free Voice
Where your browser supports speech recognition, tap 🎤 Voice. With Read on off, say Next, Back, Repeat, Next rule, Previous rule, Read on or Stop after each part.
The bar above the Rule (shown only in supported browsers)
Your COLREGS log
A Rule is ticked off after you read it for a short while or listen to part of it. Resume takes you back to where you stopped; Parts ▾ shows your progress by Part.
Top of the page
Oral-exam Q&A
All the examiner-style questions in one page, grouped by Part. Answer aloud, open the answer, mark it — then switch on Not yet only to go round again on what you missed.
🎓 Oral-exam Q&A
Share a Rule
🔗 Share sends a link (WhatsApp or copy) that opens straight on this Rule.
The bar above the Rule
3Sign-in, data & privacy
- Free: 5 Rules a day without an account; sign in free with Google for unlimited Rules.
- Your reading log, your I knew it / Not yet marks and your speed, Read on and Voice settings are kept in this browser only.
- The microphone is used only after you tap 🎤 Voice, and it is switched off while anything is being read aloud. Voice uses your browser’s own speech recognition, which some browsers process on their maker’s servers.
4Common questions
What are the COLREGS?
The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 — the “rules of the road” for how ships avoid collisions: who gives way, which lights and shapes to show, what sound signals mean. They apply to ships at sea everywhere, and every Rule has oral-exam questions under it in the reader.
Why can’t I see the Voice button?
It appears only in browsers that support speech recognition (for example Chrome). Everything else works without it.
Why does the reading stop after each part?
So you can think about what you just heard. Tap Next → for the next part, or switch on Read on to keep going.
Can I use a keyboard?
Yes: ← and → move one part, Shift + ← / → move one Rule, space plays or pauses, and / opens the list of Rules.
Will my progress show on another device?
No. The log and your Q&A marks are kept in this browser only.
More about COLREGS Reader
Something unclear? Ask us · Share this guide · Updated 30 Sep 2026